Both Newburyport lacrosse teams challenged themselves against out-of-CAL competition over the weekend.
And to varying results.
On the positive side, the Newburyport girls welcomed a matchup against non-league rival Bedford on Thursday evening, and were able to hold on for the gritty 14-13 victory. The two powerhouse programs have gotten used to seeing each other in the playoffs this decade, with their latest meeting coming in last year’s Division 3 state semifinal (Port won 13-12). But on Thursday, the Clippers (11-3) entered this latest matchup ranked No. 5 in D3, while the Bucs (7-7) were at No. 6 in D2.
And once again, the Clippers got the job done.
Blaire Fox led the way offensively for the winners, pouring in an impressive seven goals to go along with an assist. Amelia Price (3a) added a hat-trick for the Clippers, while both Amanda Linteris (2a) and Finley Seymour (2a) chipped in two goals apiece.
Meanwhile, the same couldn’t be said for the Newburyport boys.
The Clippers made the trip down to Concord-Carlisle on Saturday morning, and saw their 10-game winning streak snapped following a 15-9 setback. Concord-Carlisle (9-4) came into the game the No. 14-ranked team in Division 1, while the Clippers (11-3) currently find themselves at No. 9 in Division 3.
The hosts opened up a quick 5-1 lead, and didn’t look back from there. For the Clippers, leading the way offensively was Carter Scott with five goals, while Luke MacIsaac added a hat-trick and Davis Pons had the team’s final tally.
NEWBURYPORT TENNIS: Big wins for both teams
When you can earn a hard-fought win over the two-time defending Division 4 state runners-up, it’s always a good day.
And the Newburyport boys had themselves a good day on Thursday.
In what ended up being five competitive matches, the Clippers got the better of most of them to pull off the great 4-1 win over Lynnfield. The Pioneers (5-5) have actually moved up to Division 3 this year and are now ranked No. 12, while the Clippers (7-3) — now winners of four in a row — are eight spots above them at No. 4 following the victory.
The Clippers would sweep the singles matches, with Ronan Refour winning at No. 1 (6-3, 6-3), Yaman Kilic winning at No. 2 (6-2, 7-5) and Beck Andreliunus winning at No. 3 (5-7, 6-3, 6-3). Then at doubles, the No. 2 team of Hank Weisberg and Hunter McCormick pulled out the three-set victory, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.
And it was a similar story for the Newburyport girls.
Hosting Marblehead on Saturday morning, the Clippers won their seventh match in a row with a dominant 5-0 victory. The Clippers (7-3) have only lost five individual matches during this stretch, and have climbed up to No. 11 in the latest Division 2 rankings update as a result.
Winning matches at singles was Elsie DeGrano at No. 1 (6-0, 6-4), Kate Mellet at No. 2 (6-2, 6-2) and Leah Enes at No. 3 (6-4, 6-3). Then at doubles, the Clippers got victories from their first team of Gretchen Boelke and Sadie Reardon (6-4, 6-2), and their second team of Poppy Jones and Caroline Weetman (6-1, 6-1).
Emphatic bounceback for Pentucket softball over Port
This Pentucket softball team doesn’t dwell on losses all that long.
In what was a “Best in the CAL Clash” earlier in the week, the Kinney-leading Panthers couldn’t keep up against Baker-leading Georgetown. But the Panthers certainly took out any lingering frustration from that setback against Newburyport on Friday, completing the season sweep over their rivals with a dominant 17-0 victory.
Ciara Pennie had herself a day in the five-inning bout, allowing just one hit in the circle while helping her own cause at the plate going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Kam Bonneau went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and four RBI, Caitlin McCoy went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI, and Kallie White went 2-for-4 with three RBI. The Panthers (10-3) came in at No. 8 in the latest Division 3 rankings that were released before first pitch.
Meanwhile for Newburyport (4-9), which is ranked No. 40 in Division 2, leadoff batter Mia DesRosiers had the team’s lone hit.
Another victory for Pentucket boys tennis
The wins just continue to stack up.
It’s already been a strong season for the Pentucket boys tennis team, which added another victory on Friday following a 4-1 triumph over North Reading. The Panthers (6-3) swept the singles matches thanks to Cosmo Lund, Maddox Heller and Pedro Vargas, then got a doubles win from the team of Rhyas Dewar and Tyler Truong.
With the latest release of the Division 3 power rankings, the Panthers are closing in on hosting a first-round playoff match at No. 18.
Strong non-league win for Pentucket boys lacrosse
It was a solid trip outside of the CAL for the Pentucket boys lacrosse team.
The Panthers welcomed in a strong Danvers squad on Friday afternoon, and had the offense working in a 20-12 victory. Steven Harper and Nate Stys led the way with five goals each, while Michael Torrisi was right behind them with four goals.
It was a result that halted a two-game skid for the Panthers (6-3), who are currently ranked No. 9 in Division 4 and will next host Lynnfield on Wednesday.
Non-league setback for Triton girls lacrosse
The Triton girls lacrosse team welcomed in a non-league opponent in Haverhill on Thursday night, and played a competitive game before ultimate finishing on the wrong side of a 10-7 final. But even still, Alexa Lawrence, Riley McDonald, Olivia O’Leary and the Vikings (3-11) are in the current Division 4 playoff picture, coming in at No. 23 in the latest update released before the game.
Defending champs too tough for Amesbury boys tennis
It’s still been a fantastic start to the year for the Amesbury boys tennis team. The Redhawks have already quadrupled their win total from a season ago, and currently still find themselves ranked No. 6 in the latest Division 4 power poll.
But Manchester Essex is just on another level.
The two-time defending Division 4 state champion Hornets flexed their muscle on Thursday afternoon, cruising to a 4-1 win over Amesbury. Luke Sheehan, Noah Blouin and the Redhawks (4-3) will look to quickly put the setback behind them before traveling over to Lynnfield on Monday.
Triton softball falls at Lynnfield
The Triton softball team made the trip over to rival Lynnfield on Thursday afternoon, and couldn’t keep up offensively in a 13-1 loss. It’s the third straight setback for Ava Johnson, Maggie Rennick, Ginger Thompson and the Vikings (3-8), who are currently ranked No. 26 in Division 4 and will look to get back on track at Shawsheen Tech on Monday.