Maine’s Crowe thwarts Revere softball U16 team with no-hitter

PITTSFIELD – The Revere U16 Babe Ruth softball team is still in search of the timely hit.Revere only has seven innings left in its season to hope it gets one.Maine pitcher Kelsey Crowe fired a no-hitter and struck out 12 to lead her nine to a 5-0 win over Revere in pool play action yesterday at the Doyle Complex.With the loss, Revere fell to 0-3 in pool play. It will play its final game today at 5:30 p.m. against North Carolina.”We played a great game defensively, but we just can’t get a hit when we need one,” said Revere coach Mike Polsonetti, whose team lost 10-4 to unbeaten Washington in its second pool-play game on Saturday. “Timely hitting just hasn’t arrived. It’s like the clock keeps going back on us instead of forward.”The Maine team has been turning a lot of heads and is being regarded as perhaps one of the best teams in Pittsfield. Yesterday, the list of believers grew even larger.Crowe didn’t need much support, and her team went out and gave her more than enough in its first at-bat.With one out, Sara Burnheimer walked and stole second. Rachel Fogarty followed with a base hit to left, sending Burnheimer to third. Crowe then reached on an error to load the bases. Revere pitcher Michelle Zullo stuck out the next hitter, but Alyssa Clark followed with a rip to the gap in left-centerfield to score all three runs.Maine added its final two runs in the fourth on a two-run single by Mia McGill.After that, it was all Crowe as she was perfect through the first five innings. Kristina Gravellese ended the perfect game bid when she reached on an error to open the sixth. Crowe walked Alexandra Neese, struck out Brittany King and then walked Krisen Decandia to load the bases.The threat ended there, though, as Zullo and Kelleigh Prince both went down swinging to end the inning.”We knew exactly what we were up against with Crowe,” said Polsonetti. “We’ve seen her several times in the tournament, and many of our kids have faced her before. I don’t think that was a factor, but we have a great deal of respect for the Gorham program. We had that one opportunity, and we just couldn’t do anything with it.”Tomorrow, regardless of the outcome, the ride ends.”We’ll still show up, and go and play hard,” said Polsonnetti. “Not much will change.”