Softball: Peabody freshman shuts down Everett

If freshman Mary Kate Helas was nervous in her first start for the Peabody High softball team, she did a good job hiding it.Helas went 4-for-5 with a grand slam and five runs batted in to help the Tanners to an 18-6 win at Everett.”She’s a very solid hitter,” Peabody coach Butch Melanphy said, adding that Helas’ performance was a very nice surprise.The Tanners are the defending Greater Boston League champions, but this year, they’re in the Northeastern Conference, and play their first league game Monday against Beverly.The Tanners opponents in the NEC will have to contend with a couple of other heavy hitters. Tawny Palmieri went 3-for-4, Sam Terenzoni, 3-for-3, and Michelle Grifoni went 3-for-5.Saugus 8, Classical 7At Saugus, the Rams jumped out to a 3-0 lead with two runs in the first inning and one in the third, but the Sachems (2-0) tied things up by the fourth.Saugus pitcher Ashlee Patterson (7 innings, 9 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts, 6 earned runs) helped herself out by doubling in a pair of runs in a four-run fifth inning.The other two runs scored on ground outs.The Rams fought back to tie it a t 7-7 with four runs in the top of the sixth, but Saugus had the final word when Elizabeth Shaw singled in Kelsey Sturgis in the bottom half of the inning to take an 8-7 lead.Afton Dean (2-for-2), Sam Barker (2-run double); Kristen Dean (2-for-4, run scored) and Erin McCall (hit, 2 RBI) supplied the Classical (1-2, 1-0) offense.Jenny Garrity (9 hits, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk, 1 hit batter) took the loss.Gloucester 12, English 7At Gloucester, the Bulldogs had the bats going, banging out 20 hits to Gloucester’s 11, but the defense had a couple of shaky moments and the Fishermen, who were errorless, were right there to capitalize. Gloucester also had two girls hit home runs.Aleasha Despres (4-for-4, RBI, 3 runs scored); Cara Crowley (2-for-3, 2 RBI); Valerie Fiaccaprili (4-for-5, 2 runs scored); Jackie Trapula (2-for-4, RBI, run scored) and Kristi Rebidue (2-for-3, 2 RBI, run scored) supplied the offense for English (0-2).Tiffany Drown (11 hits, 2 strikeouts, 2 hit batters, 1 walk) took the loss.”They really hit the ball well,” English coach Alisa Fila said of the Fishermen.Winthrop 7, Mt. St. Joseph 0At Winthrop, Kristen Finn was in top form for the Vikings’ opener, allowing only three hits while striking out eight and walking one.Finn had plenty of bat support from Lindsey Barker (3-for-3, RBI); Courtney Finn (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored); and Abby Belcher (2-for-4, RBI).Winthrop is coming off a 16-6 season and a trip to the Division 3 North semifinals, where it lost to St. Mary’s.Wakefield 7, Fenwick 5At Fenwick, the Crusaders (1-2) made eight errors and they were costly. Fenwick led 3-0 after the first, with Christina Cipriani (3-for-5, 3 RBI) and Alyssa Begin (2-for-5, RBI) each singling in a run.Wakefield tied it with a run in the second and two in the third and by the seventh, led 5-3. Cipriani sent the game into extra innings with a two-run single to left in the bottom half of the inning.Wakefield scored two runs in the ninth on an error for the win.”Courtney Begin pitched a great game, but they had people on base all game due to our errors,” Fenwick coach Paul Lyman said.