Lynn softball prevails in its opener

LYNN – The combined East Lynn-West Lynn-Pine Hill Little League softball all-stars hit the ground running with a 4-3 win over defending District 16 champs Peabody Thursday at Wyoma?s Lynn Woods Field.Lynn will play Salem Saturday (5) at Salem.This was a see-saw affair, with Lynn taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning only to have Peabody respond with two runs in the second to go up 2-1.Lynn answered with a pair of runs in the third inning and one in the fifth to nail down the win. Peabody didn?t go down without a fight, however. The team scored a run in the fifth to close the gap to one at 4-3, but the rally fizzled thanks in part to some impressive Lynn defense.Catcher Madison Dana was a force all night. In the bottom of the first inning she ran at a runner who was off first base and rather than get her in a rundown, Dana went right at her. The runner froze and Dana slapped on the tag. She threw out a runner at third in the second inning, but she saved her best for last. In the bottom of the sixth, with Lynn clinging to a 4-3 lead and a runner on first base, Dana tracked a popup behind the plate, made the catch and threw a strike down to first, catching the runner off base for the double play. That left Peabody with one out to work with (the games are six innings) and it wasn?t enough. Lynn pitcher Madison Hoggard got the job done in the circle. Hoggard walked the next batter, but struck out the following batter to nail down the win.?It was a very tight game,” Lynn manager Robin Hoggard said. “We struggled at the plate, but the kids played hard with solid defense and solid pitching.”Lynn?s first run in the first inning came when second baseman Rebecca Walker reached on an infield hit, stole second and ended up scoring from third on a groundout to first by Hoggard.Peabody fought back in the second when third baseman Olivia Cassidy singled and scored on a dropped third strike play. The second run scored on a passed ball and it was 2-1 Peabody.Dropped third strikes were a challenge for both teams all night. Lynn?s Pam Dimis reached on one in the third and scored on an error. Walker came home on a groundout by Lauren Wilkinson and Lynn took the lead for good. The combine team scored what would be the game-winner in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Wilkinson (hit, 2 RBI). Lynn tried to scratch out another run when the catcher bobbled the ball, but the runner was dead at the plate.Peabody made things interesting with a run in the bottom of the fifth off a wild pitch, but Hoggard got the final batter to ground back to the mound to end the inning.Lynn loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, but the Peabody defense stepped up, cutting down a runner trying to score on a passed ball. Dana?s double play in the bottom of the sixth dealt Peabody the death blow.Hoggard went the distance for Lynn and Cana Teague for Peabody. Both pitchers only allowed a handful of hits.?We got our loss out of the way,” Peabody coach Sharon Teague said. “We?re a young team and we haven?t seen this quality of play during the regular season.”Teague said her team will continue to play aggressively, but will play a little smarter going forward. She was very happy with the play of catcher Ashley Sullivan, particularly in a couple of tough spots including a bases-loaded situation.Hoggard said winning the first game is a big momentum boost for her team, especially doing it against the defending champions.