Peabody softball repeats as D16 champion

LYNN – The Peabody softball team won its second straight District 16 championship Saturday with an 11-2 win over Swampscott at Wyoma’s Lynn Woods Field.View Photo GalleryAfter the third inning, the outcome wasn’t really in doubt. But the story of the game – from Swampscott’s point of view – was the nine kids who showed up to play even as a few of their teammates had other commitments.”I just want to say,” said manager Gino Cresta, “how proud I am of the nine kids who were here today. They played hard, and they never quit, and that’s what I want to focus on.”Did we play a flawless game?” he asked. “No, we didn’t, and we really had to in order to beat this team. That is a very good team, and we made a few mistakes, and, of course, they didn’t make any. They don’t beat themselves. But we have nothing to be ashamed of. My kids showed a lot of courage the way they played today.”Swampscott actually scored the game’s first run when Peabody’s infielders got mixed up on Sydney Cresta’s popup to lead off the game. Cresta made it all the way to second on the miscue, and then stole third. She came home on Nicole Modica’s ground ball to shortstop.”We kind of weren’t sure what we were doing on that play,” said Peabody manager Keith LeBlanc. “But we recovered from it, and we were fine after that.”On the mound, Modica set Peabody down in order in the first, but the bats came alive in the second. Molly Staunton squeezed home one run, a double by Alycia Gillen scored another, an infield hit by Makayla Iannolfo made it 3-1, and Kaycie Groom’s base hit to center scored the fourth run of the inning.Swampscott got one back in the top of the third when Marley Schmidt singled and eventually scored on Modica’s infield hit.Sydney Lowry’s two-run single in the bottom of the third made it a 6-2 game, and Janine Goggin, who had singled, scored on a wild pitch to make the score 7-2.Peabody scored its final four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Pitcher Olivia Keane grounded into a fielder’s choice that allowed Stanton, who had walked, to come home. Mallory LeBlanc’s infield hit brought home Gillen, who had walked; and a single by Amanda Crawford brought home the final two runs.Keane, who struck out five and walked two on Saturday, got her fourth win of the tournament. Amanda Crawford led Peabody at the plate with two hits and two RBI. Christina Rossignol, Gillen and Iannolfo each had one hit and two runs scored for Peabody. Eight Peabody players had hits.The Peabody infield recorded 11 putouts, and LeBlanc said that Keane (pitcher) and Crawford (catcher) made a great team.Next up for Peabody is the sectionals on July 6 at 2 p.m. against the winner of Districts 7 and 13.LeBlanc said that both last year’s and this year’s Peabody teams were similar, noting that both won four in a row to earn a title.”Last year, Wyoma gave us a hard time,” he said. “This year, we beat them, 3-1. They probably gave us the toughest time (this year).”Steve Krause can be reached at [email protected].