Classical softball outlasts Swampscott

SWAMPSCOTT – The Lynn Classical softball team clinched a berth in the state tournament as quick as one possibly can on Friday but by no means was it easy against Swampscott.Click here for a photo gallery of this gameThe Big Blue actually outhit Classical, 10-9, but saw a 4-3 fourth inning lead disappear in a hurry as Classical ripped off six unanswered runs and took a closer than indicated 9-5 win.”The first goal is to always qualify for the tournament,” Classical coach Chris Warren said after his team clinched a seventh straight postseason berth. “The girls are playing well right now but give Swampscott a lot of credit. Their pitcher (Angela Vousboukis) kept us off balance a lot.”The Big Blue (4-6) had momentum squarely on their side after the first three innings, leading 4-3 and were consistently getting to Rams starter Katie Cuozzo.Then with one swing of her bat, Mackenzie Coppinger changed the entire game with a solo homer to left that tied the game.”We knew that they would have their run and we hoped to contain it,” Swampscott coach Frank Kowalski said. “That home run just changed the momentum.”Even more important for the Rams would be Coppinger coming to the mound and putting the shackles on Swampscott. The Big Blue got seven hits and four earned runs off Cuozzo but would he held to three hits and one run over the final four innings.”Copp came in and did a great job,” Warren said. “It was a big at bat she had with the homer and then she came in and stopped them on the mound.”Classical took the lead for good in the fifth. Sam Earp and Danielle Moran led off with singles then with one out, Hannah Byrne (2-4, 3 RBI) brought home Earp on a fielders choice before Moran crossed on an error to make it 6-4.The Rams would put the game away in the seventh, scoring three times on three hits and an error. Byrne drove home two runs with a double to dead center before Coppinger’s base hit to left capped the scoring for the Rams.Swampscott made it semi-interesting in the bottom of the seventh, pushing one run across before Lauren Sullivan lined back to Coppinger to end the game.”We got timely hitting (Friday),” Warren said.