St. Mary’s softball overtakes Swampscott in season opener

Solving Swampscott in the late innings, the St. Mary’s softball team won its season opener, 7-2, at Breed on Sunday.”There were a lot of nerves,” said Spartans coach Colleen Newbury, whose team reached the Division 3 EMass final last year and finished 22-3. “It was our first game, it was at home, and there was a good amount of people.”The home crowd got to see St. Mary’s prevail, but not without some dramatics.Swampscott took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and made it 2-0 in the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, though, Erin McAndrews hit a two-run homer to tie it.It stayed that way going into the bottom of the sixth. Then, the Spartans (1-0) erupted for five runs.”I was kind of waiting for them to get going,” Newbury said.Again, McAndrews came up big that inning, with a two-run triple. She finished 3-for-3 with four RBI. (It was a memorable day overall for McAndrews, who also found out she was named one of four captains for the two-time state champion Spartan girls hockey team; the others are Courtney White, Courtney Winters, and Michelle Macchione.)”Normally, every year, they’re very good,” Swampscott coach Annamaria Addonizio said of the Spartans.Monica Mosho went 1-for-3 with an RBI double for the Big Blue. Teammate Mallarie McGrath scored two runs and went 2-for-3.Swampscott missed two outfielders – Alex Wilson in center, Erin McLaughlin in left – at the last minute due to a stomach flu. Third baseman Allie Stephens filled in for McLaughlin, while freshman Lindsey Marini, usually a second baseman/right fielder, played center.The only differences in the Spartans’ lineup from last year came due to graduation.”Katelynn Fanning didn’t pitch, and Anna Jackson wasn’t in right field,” Newbury said.Both graduated with the Class of 2008; Brianna Holmes is the Spartans’ new right fielder.Samantha Kiley got the win for the Spartans, allowing three hits and walking none while fanning three.For Swampscott, Kirstin Vinal allowed seven runs (four earned) on eight hits, walking one and striking out five.While the Spartans got the win, Newbury said the day contained a bittersweet element.”There was a lot of emotion,” she said. “It was the seniors’ last home game.”