Leahy does it all as Swampscott upsets Marblehead

MARBLEHEAD – Hannah Leahy came up big on the mound, at the plate, and in the field as Swampscott upset No. 2 Marblehead, 4-3, Friday at Veterans Memorial Middle School in Marblehead in the quarterfinals of the Division 2 North softball tournament.
Tenth-seeded Swampscott (15-9) will now face No. 6 Burlington (15-5) in the semifinals Tuesday at Martin Field in Lowell.
Leahy pitched the first three innings of the game, allowing two runs. She then pitched the final two frames, keeping the Magicians at bay to give Swampscott the win.
With Swampscott up, 3-2, in the fifth, Leahy sent one over the fence in center to give the Big Blue an insurance run that they would need, as Marblehead scored one in the bottom of the fifth.
In the field, Leahy was sharp playing two innings at shortstop. She made the defensive play of the game in the fifth inning. With a run already in to get Marblehead within one and a runner on second, Leahy leaped to snag a line drive from Montana Joyce, taking a hit away and probably keeping the tying run from scoring.
?She?s the best shortstop in the league,” said Swampscott coach Frank Kowalski. “She made that line drive catch that was amazing. That probably saved the game right there.”
?We played a great game, but all the credit in the world goes to Swampscott,” said Magicians coach Jon Gold. “(Leahy) was awesome, she did a great job. She must have made five or six plays out here by herself.
?We hit the ball hard out here all game, lot of times it was at them.”
If Leahy was the star, Sam Rizzo was her co-star. Rizzo tossed two innings in the middle of the game, as coach Frank Kowalski attempted to shake things up and throw off the potent Marblehead offense.
?We planned this, we were trying to keep them off-balance because they?re different style pitchers,” said Kowalski.
Rizzo allowed one run on three hits. Her bat was crucial for Swampscott, as she went 2-for-4 with an RBI single and a double.
Christina King, another big bat in the Big Blue?s lineup, singled and scored in the third. Freshman Michaela Freddo came up with one of the biggest hits of the contest, smacking a two-run single in the third.
Marblehead grabbed a run in the first on Alison Kapoll?s ground rule double, and scored again in the second on Emily Promise?s leadoff home run. The Magicians struck again in the fifth on Emily Trasher?s groundout.
Madi Ernst allowed four runs on eight hits for Marblehead.
Marblehead threatened in the seventh as Kapoll singled to lead off. She was moved over on a sacrifice bunt, but was ruled out at third base after a controversial call.
?It was a great softball game,” said Gold. “I?m not happy with the way it ended, but it happens. It?s the nature of the beast.”
The Big Blue?s ability to focus was an asset as they played in front of a large Marblehead crowd.
?We talk about being mentally tough,” Kowalski said. “We said ?everything?s not going to go our way today.? We?re going to have problems, but we have to bounce back and work through it. We have to stay focused on the game.”
Marblehead?s season draws to a close with the defeat with a 17-4 record, but Gold urged his players not to get down.
?There were so many line drives right at them, and they came up with the plays,” Gold said. “That?s what it takes. I told our girls to hold their heads high because I thought we played a really good game, too. It?s playoff softball, that?s what happens.”Katie Morrison may be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @KatieMo61.