Swampscott softball Little Leaguers off an running in sectionals

LYNN – It was hardly a thing of beauty but it worked for the Swampscott Little League softball team on Friday at Lynn Woods Field.The District 16 champions survived six errors in the field thanks to an offense that pounded out 11 hits and took advantage of eight East Bridgewater errors to plate 14 unearned runs in a 16-5 win.Swampscott takes on District 13 champion Wakefield today (2) in Wakefield for a trip to the sectional final.”We’ll take it any way we can get it,” Swampscott manager Eve Gambale said. “We’ve been hitting the ball well lately and when you do that, the other team has to make plays. We had a lot of kids come up big for us (Friday).”Six different players drove in runs for Swampscott while Julia Potter was outstanding in the circle, striking out nine and surrendering only two earned runs while scattering four hits.”Julia hung in there early and pitched pretty well for us,” Gambale said.Swampscott was the visiting team in this one and didn’t waste much time in getting started, exploding for six runs in the first against East Bridgewater starter Jenna Talabach.Emma Faulkner reached on a one out error to begin the onslaught. After stealing second, she went to third and scored on Christina King’s single that was misplayed in the outfield.King came home for a 2-0 lead when Gabby Fagone reached on an error. After stealing second and taking third on a passed ball, she scored when Potter doubled with two outs. An error and a walk to Olivia Cooke would load the bases.Maddie Dove drew another walk to push Potter home for a 4-0 lead. A passed ball scored Hannah Leahy and Sarah Hingston followed with a single to score Cooke for the 6-0 lead.East Bridgewater got a run back in the bottom of the first as Sofia Melendez was hit by a pitch, stole second and third before scoring on an error, and added two more runs in the bottom of the second on two hits and three Swampscott errors to cut the lead to 6-3.Swampscott would get those runs right back in the top of the third as two errors led to three runs with Potter, Sophia Kennedy and Cooke coming home.”Our kids are going up there ready to hit. Theyre not looking for walks and our subs are coming in and doing a great job,” Gambale said.The game was blown open in the fourth by Swampscott as they scored four more times on three hits and an error.Angela Videtta led off with a triple up the gap in right and came home when Jessica Potter reached on an error. Julia Potter reached on another error and Cooke loaded the bases with an infield single.August Solone’s infield single plated Jess Potter with Jess Gambale’s fielders choice bringing in Julia Potter. A wild pitch allowed SOlone to score for a 13-3 lead.East Bridgewater added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to cut the lead to eight before Swampscott closed the scoring with three runs in the top of the sixth.”We’re only looking at one game at a time and we have to be ready for Wakefield (today),” Gambale said.