Wyoma claims District 16 softball title

SWAMPSCOTT – It certainly didn’t come easy on Saturday, but for the second time in three years, Wyoma can call itself the District 16 softball champion.On Saturday at the Forest Avenue Fields, Wyoma used a 7-run second inning to take the lead ? and then had to hang on for its life as Swampscott fought like a champion, putting the tying runs on base but coming up short in a 10-8 decision that sends Wyoma into sectional play beginning on Wednesday (TBA).Click here for a photo gallery.”It always is a nail-biter with them over there,” Wyoma manager John Traversy said. “(Swampscott) is a dangerous team and I really didn’t want to have to come back on Sunday and play them again.”Swampscott got 10 hits off Wyoma starter Molly Doyle, but saw five errors lead to five unearned runs that proved to be too much to overcome.”Wyoma is such a potent team offensively. They hit like no team that I’ve seen,” Swampscott manager John Rizzo said.Needing to beat Wyoma twice to defend its District title, Swampscott got off to a flying start in the bottom of the first inning.Regan O’Brien and Emma Faulkner walked to lead off. A wild pitch moved O’Brien to third and two passed balls allowed both runners to score. Sam Rizzo drew a walk and then scored when Danielle Maybylum doubled to left-center, giving Swampscott a 3-0 lead after one.That margin didn’t last long, though, as Wyoma’s explosive offense came to the forefront in the second.Gabby Kenniston got the inning started with a base hit. Jillian Strileckis followed with another single and Kenniston beat the throw to third on an Olivia Traversy grounder to load the bases.Kenniston was retired at home on Meaghan O’Neill’s grounder back to the mound before leadoff hitter Shaina Zeramby singled to plate Strileckis. First baseman Kristen Lauria then cleared the bases when she tripled to right-center and scored on an error to give Wyoma a 5-4 lead.”That really was a huge hit,” Traversy said.Doyle followed with a single and came around to score when Frankie Galeazzi’s grounder was misplayed. Sam Holey completed the seven-run inning when she singled home Galeazzi.”We told the girls that we were going to be aggressive on the bases,” Traversy said.Swampscott threatened in the bottom of the third, putting runners on second and third before Doyle struck out Rizzo to end the inning. Wyoma promptly increased its lead to five when Galeazzi was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on Brook Holey’s single.Swampscott got that run back in the bottom of the inning on Emily Fiore’s RBI single that scored Tessa Beane, but Wyoma responded with two unearned runs in the fifth on one hit, an error and two passed balls that made it 10-7.Swampscott made things very interesting in the final inning. Rizzo singled but was erased on Maybylum’s fielder’s choice. Beane flied out to center before Nora Walker and Fiore singled to bring in Maybylum before Victoria Himaras struck out to end the game.