Softball: Beverly wins Corning Tournament

After punching its postseason ticket by upending Bishop Fenwick in Saturday’s semifinal, 3-1, Beverly captured the Courtney Marie Corning Memorial Tournament championship Sunday with a 12-0 shutout of Peabody in a game halted after five innings by the 12-run mercy rule.”It’s a great way to get into the tournament, a huge momentum boost. We played our best softball when we needed it,” said Panthers coach Meghan Sudak.In the title game, senior tri-captain Rachel Willwerth struck out two and yielded only four hits while being supported by a sound defense. Aimee McKenna (2-for-4, double, 2 RBI) and Kate Silvestri (double, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored) sparked the Panthers’ offense. Olivia Brothers collected two of the Tanners’ four hits.Beverly’s semifinal win against Fenwick featured a terrific pitchers’ duel with the Panthers’ Sarah Pezzulo and the Crusaders’ Taylor Ahearn (10 Ks) matching three-hitters. Beverly scored a pair of unearned runs in the second inning, ultimately the difference in the game. Monica Cassola (double, RBI), Jenna Lovasco (RBI) and Erin Silvestri accounted for Beverly’s hits while Katherine Melanson drove in the Crusaders’ lone run.In the other semifinal, Peabody edged Ipswich, 9-8, in dramatic fashion. With two Tigers aboard and two outs, Tanners left fielder Jess Raymond gunned down the potential tying run at the plate with a perfect strike to catcher MaryKate Helas. Raymond (two doubles, game-winning RBI), Helas (two doubles, two RBI) and Sarah Gravelle (two hits, RBI) were the offensive catalysts.Fenwick overwhelmed Ipswich in Sunday’s consolation, 14-1. The Crusaders’ keystone combination of junior shortstop Kim Shinnick (three hits, three runs, two RBI) and junior second baseman Abby Curran (two hits, two runs, two RBI) provided the offensive clout. Senior Meredith Kess also had two hits and three RBI while Ahearn struck out nine in a complete-game two-hitter.St. Mary’s 7, C-C 1At Breed, Brooke L’Abbe pitched the Spartans (18-2) to victory over Concord-Carlisle. Alison Butler went 2-for-2, L’Abbe went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Sabrina Iannetti went 2-for-4 with an RBI.”We had a good game yesterday (the Holland Tourney win) and a good game today,” Spartans coach Colleen Newbury said.Salem 9, Peabody 2At Mack Park, Sarah Chasse allowed seven hits, struck out 11 and set a school single-season record of 203 strikeouts as the Witches wrapped up a 15-5 regular season. Gloria Mustafaraj went 3-for-3 with three RBI and Julia Jennings had a pair of hits and two RBI. Coach Dan Bertone, whose club allowed a meager 30 runs all season, said the Witches are confident heading into the post-season.”There are no slouches in Division 1 but we have a very good pitcher and play great defense. Hopefully we can draw a home game and see what we can do from there,” he said.Helas (double, triple) Brothers (two hits, two RBI) and Raymond (two hits) provided the offense for Peabody, which finished the year at 5-15.Cardinal Spellman 4, Bp. Fenwick 1The Crusaders (15-4) wrapped up the regular season with a league loss in a make-up game Monday. Spellman cashed in on two Fenwick errors for three unearned runs in the first inning, spoiling a 10-strikeout, three-hit performance by Taylor Ahearn.Danvers 8, Newburyport 6In a battle of respective league champions the NEC South kingpin Falcons (15-5) captured the North Andover tourney for the second year in a row, halting Cape Ann League Division Two champ Newburyport’s (16-4) eight-game win streak in the process.