LYNN – When we last caught up with Marissa Gambale, she was playing flypaper defense and leading the Swampscott girls basketball attack flawlessly en route to a state championship.Wednesday, Gambale was up to her old tricks ? only this time it was softball.The senior shortstop was on base four times, scored a run, and extended two innings that led to runs as the Big Blue improved to 4-5 with a 4-3 win over Lynn Classical that was much more dramatic than coach Annamaria Addonizio would have liked.Click here for a photo gallery.Make no mistake. Gambale was the catalyst. She changed the way Classical played defense every time she got up, and reached base four times even though she never hit a ball to even the outer part of the infield.”She hits the ball on the ground, and she’s on base,” said Classical coach Chris Warren. “If she puts it on the ground, I don’t know who in the world is going to throw her out. She’s that fast.”Warren should know. A couple of years ago, he had a player just like Gambale in Savannah Clemens, for whom even a walk turned into a double because of her speed.Not only was Gambale the ultimate pest on offense, she turned a nifty 6-3 double play in the fifth inning, after Classical had finally solved Swampscott starter Kirsten Vinal.”She’s been incredible for us all year,” said Addonizio. “I think, coming into the game, she was hitting about .700.”Gambale led off the game with a slap/liner that ate up Classical third baseman Jennie Erekson, and she immediately stole second. Alex Wilson sacrificed her to third, and she scored when Classical pitcher Jen Garrity got caught in between on Mallorie McGrath’s grounder. Gambale broke for home, and then stopped ? causing a momentary indecision. McGrath made it to first (and then to second on an error) and Gambale scored.McGrath took third on a groundout by Monica Mosho, and came home on Cortney Fletcher’s single to left.The Big Blue made it 3-0 in the fourth when Merry Ball walked, was sacrificed to second, and came home on an error. Gambale kept the inning alive when, with two out, she bunted her way on and then Wilson walked.Swampscott upped its lead to 4-0 in the sixth when Erin McLaughlin singled and came around on McGrath’s base hit.Classical almost made it all the way back in the sixth off Vinal, who had been perfect through 3 1/3 innings. With one out, Kayla Walleston walked and Hannah Byrne singled. Walleston, who had moved up on a passed ball, thought the ball was foul and started heading back to second. At the last minute, she turned and raced for third just as left fielder McLaughlin fired to Allie Stephens at third. The play was close, but Walleston barely beat the tag.”That was a momentum-changer for them,” said Addonizio.The play took on added significance when catcher Chelsey Bartlett tripled to deep right, scoring both runs. Pinch-runner Jill Adams came home moments later on a wild pitch.Vinal settled down after that, getting the final out and retiring the side in the seventh.