NEWBURYPORT — If you head out to catch an Amesbury softball game this spring, be prepared to see a lot of new faces around the dugout.
Quite simply, it’s just a new-look team in a lot of ways.
Four Daily News All-Stars in Liv DeLong, Olivia Levasseur, Alana DeLisle and Ella Bezanson, staples who helped the program reach two straight state championship games and win the Division 4 title last spring, are all off enjoying success in the college ranks. Then in February, longtime coach Jacquie Waters and her sparkling 108-27 record over eight seasons as head coach retired and passed the reigns over to former assitant Emily Crannell.
But even with all of that turnover, the Redhawks are still a force.
Wednesday afternoon, Amesbury had its toughest test of the young season, but still remained undefeated with a hard-fought 6-2 win over Newburyport. So the faces may look a little different, but at their core this spring, the Redhawks (4-0) are still an elite program who should prove to be worthy Division 4 title defenders.
“There’s a little pressure being the defending champs, but with all new girls this year we’re just trying to have fun,” said starting pitcher Izzy Levasseur. “I’m just excited for the season. We’ve had some new girls come up and they’ve been doing really well, and together we’re really starting to come together as a team.”
Levasseur, a returning Daily News All-Star, is one of those familiar faces.
She hit a remarkable .525 last spring, and is of course still one of the team’s best sluggers this year hitting out of the No. 3 spot in the order. But with last year’s starters DeLong (Boston University) and DeLisle (Southern Maine) now pitching elsewhere, she’s also stepped into that full-time role as well.
And so far, she’s excelled.
Levasseur struck out 14 during Wednesday’s win while allowing just five hits to a strong Newburyport (2-2) lineup, and had a perfect game going through four innings. So through four games now this spring, she’s already piled up an impressive 61 punchouts in just 26.0 innings pitched.
The Clippers were threatening in the bottom of the seventh, having already scored a run and with a runner on second with only one out. But Levasseur struck out the final two batters to end the game and kept Amesbury undefeated.
“That was a great game for us,” said Crannell, a Hall of Fame athlete at Wilmington High. “Newburyport is very good, so I was happy that we were able to string some hits together. It’s been exciting stepping in here. The girls have been great, and my captains have done a great job helping me know what I have to do in order for us to have a good season.”
Amesbury struck first with a pair of runs in the first inning. Levasseur deliverd a sacrifice fly that scored Cali Catarius, and Ella DeLisle followed with a single to drive in Lauren Celia.
But after that, Newburyport starter Emily Meleedy settled in nicely.
Amesbury had outscored its opponents by a total of 51-3 over its first three games, but Meleedy held that potent offense in check for the majority of the game. It was still just a 2-0 game in the bottom of the fifth, but Newburyport catcher Grace Habib broke up the perfect game, the no-hitter and the shut out all with one swing of the bat, driving a home run over the fence in dead center.
The Redhawks, however, wasted no time responding.
In the top of the sixth, an error allowed the bases to be loaded with two outs. Lexi Leblanc made the Clippers pay for the miscue, and launched a grand slam to center that broke the game open at 6-1. The Clippers would get a run back in the seventh when Habib singled in Emma Keefe, but couldn’t get any closer.
Still, being in a one-run game late against the defending champs says a lot about the Clippers’ prospects this season.
“We can hit,” said Newburyport coach Bob Gillespie. “We waited a little longer to start today, but we can hit. The other day we had two home runs, and we had another one today. and it’s spreading out, they’re more kids who are hitting the ball hard. But it’s just a matter of consistency.”
Amesbury 6, Newburyport 2
Amesbury (6): Cali Catarius ss 4-2-2, Lauren Celia 1b 5-1-2, Izzy Levasseur p 3-1-0, Ella DeLisle c 5-0-2, Rose Franey 1b 1-1-0, Lexi LeBlanc 3b 4-1-1, Alex Donnell lf 3-0-2, Jordan Bennett 2b 4-0-1, Charlotte Costigan rf 3-0-0. Totals 32-6-10
Newburyport (2): Nieve Morrissey cf 3-0-1, Cassidy Bolcome rf 3-0-0, Emily Meleedy p 3-0-0, Emma Keefe ss 3-1-1, Grace Habib c 3-1-2, Keira Dowell lf 3-0-1, Sophie Lavallee 3b 3-0-0, Ella Puleo 2b 3-0-0, Matigan Richmond dp 2-0-0, Lea Quintiliani 1b 0-0-0. Totals 26-2-5
RBI: A — LeBlanc 4, Levasseur, DeLisle; N — Habib 2
HR: A — LeBlanc; N — Habib
WP: Levasseur; LP: Meleedy
Amesbury (4-0): 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 — 6
Newburyport (2-2): 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 — 2