St. Mary’s softball loses mound duel to Fenwick

PEABODY – Bishop Fenwick softball’s Natalie Moore and her St. Mary’s counterpart, Mia Nowicki, engaged in a classic pitcher’s duel on Friday afternoon, a game that featured just nine combined hits.The Crusaders right-hander came away with the win, yielding just four hits and one walk over seven brilliant innings en route to a 3-0 shutout. Hitting for the first time this season, Moore (2 for 3) also drove in the game’s first run in the top of the fifth.Originally scheduled to be played at Breed Middle School in Lynn, the Catholic Conference showdown was shifted to Peabody, with the Spartans playing as the hosts.”Both pitchers were great out there and I thought the game as a whole was played very well by both teams,” said Fenwick coach Paul Lyman. “Our offense was able to come up with some timely hitting and our defense was terrific behind Natalie.”After scattering three hits over her first four innings, Nowicki surrendered leadoff walks in the following two frames, with both proving costly.Mikayla Porcaro earned a free pass to open the fifth before Moore roped a run-scoring double to left center to break the ice.”It was the first day I’ve let her bat and she took full advantage of it,” said Lyman of his nine-hitter. “We don’t win many of the games that we don’t out-hit the other team so for her to step in and give us the lead was great to see.” Nowicki walked Jen Crovo to begin the sixth before a wild pitch and sacrifice bunt by Gabby Hart moved her to third. Charlotte Powers followed with a RBI single to left.With two outs, Porcaro lofted a ball to left that fooled Cassandra LaFauci, allowing the games final run to score.”This was only her second start of the year so maybe it was nerves but walking the leadoff batter never ends well,” said St. Mary’s coach Colleen Newbury of her starter who allowed five hits in addition to four walks and as many strikeouts.”We certainly didn’t help her much, continued the Spartan’s skipper. “Moore did a tremendous job at keeping our hitters off balance. You can’t win if you don’t score and unfortunately we got shut down today.”It was the first time St. Mary’s failed to register a run this season. LaFauci (third inning) and Mollie Mello (first) recorded doubles while Allison Fisher and Molly Doyle added singles in the third and fourth respectively.Jordan D’Orsi finished in the circle for the visiting hosts, pitching a clean seventh.”There was some miscommunication out there today so we’re just going to keep plugging away and figure things out one game at a time,” said Newbury whose team looks to get back on track Monday against Austin Prep.Fenwick heads to Nantucket tomorrow for a double-header.