Classical softball claims NEC North title

LYNN – For the Lynn Classical softball team, it was the ultimate way to claim a second Northeastern Conference North title in three seasons: beat archrival English to knock the Bulldogs out of tournament contention and play a nearly flawless game in doing it.The Rams (16-4, 12-4) took control early and then blew the game open with a 10-run barrage in the third inning. From there, senior Jenny Garrity shut the door on the Bulldogs as Classical breezed to a 15-0 win in five innings on senior night at Grace Rogato Field.Click here for a photo gallery.”The girls brought their ‘A’ game (Wednesday),” Classical coach Chris Warren said before getting the obligatory water bath from his team. “When you control your own destiny and take care of business, that’s all you can ask for.”The Rams pounded out 15 hits off English pitching and played a nearly flawless game behind Garrity.”Classical showed up and played a great game,” English coach Alisa Fila said. “They hit the ball very well and we weren’t able to get it done.”Eight of Classical’s nine starters on Wednesday had at least one hit with six of them driving in at least one run. The even scarier part for the Rams opponents is that it was their talented underclassmen that led the way Wednesday.”This group had all the potential in the world to do this coming into the season,” Warren said. “It is a great group and they have played great all season.”The Bulldogs (6-11) had a couple of chances early to break the ice against Garrity, putting runners on in each of the first two innings but failing to convert.Classical would strike in the bottom of the second as Garrity led off with a single and Mackenzie Coppinger followed with a double to score courtesy runner Thaliana Cuevas.That was just a warmup, though, for the Rams, as they would send 14 batters to the plate in the bottom of the third.Angela Erelli led off the inning with a walk and went to second when Danielle Moran (2-for-4, 4 RBI, 2 RS) reached on an error. Fallon Gaudet (3-for-4) followed with a bunt single to load the bases.Hannah Byrne blooped a single to right, scoring Erelli for a 2-0 lead. Chelsey Bartlett followed with a triple up the gap in right to clear the bases and break the game open at 5-0.”It seemed like as soon as they got that triple, that gave them all the momentum they needed,” Fila said.After a groundout, Coppinger and Jennie Erekson singled, and a Katie Cuozzo walk reloaded the bases. Erelli then drove in another run with an infield single before Moran cleared the bases for a second time in the inning with a double down the left field line.Gaudet followed with a double to left, scoring Moran to shockingly and suddenly give the Rams a commanding 11-0 lead through three.”This really was a complete team effort in every sense,” Warren said. “Everyone did their job (Wednesday).”English had another scoring chance cut down in the fourth when Cuozzo threw out Taylor Newhall at the plate trying to score on an error.The Rams then went to their bench and tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth as pinch hitters Jerrica DeLosSantos and Olivia DeJoie each drove in runs. Moran added her fourth RBI of the game to give the Rams a 15-0 lead.With the party set to begin for the Rams, about the only thing that could stop that was the storm clouds rolling in over left field.The game was delayed for 15 minutes before the top of the fifth because of lightning. Once the teams returned to the field, Garrity turned out the lights on the Bulldogs to give her team a title.”Between Jenny dominating on the mound and a ton of kids doing it with the bat, there wasn’t a lot more we could ask for,” Warren said. “This team has played outstanding all year to be 16-4 and to win two titles in three years is a great benchmark for this program.”