FILE PHOTO
Hannah Leahy tallied seven strikeouts in seven innings of work and scored the game-winning run at Aprile Field.
By HAROLD RIVERA
WILMINGTON– Swampscott softball coach Gary Moran needed every bit of senior pitcher Hannah Leahy, both in the circle and at the plate, in Wednesday’s Division 2 North quarterfinal at Wilmington. Luckily for the Big Blue, no game’s ever too big for Leahy.
The senior fanned seven batters in seven innings of work, and scored the game-winning run after leading off the top of the seventh inning with a triple. Altogether, Leahy’s contributions led No. 16 Swampscott to a 1-0 win over No. 9 Wilmington at Aprile Field.
“She comes up big in every game, every single game,” Moran said. “We ask her to do something, she does it. We don’t ask her to do something, she does it.”
From the early innings, it was clear that Wednesday’s game was destined to be a pitchers’ duel. Leahy was on her A-game while Wilmington’s Ally Moran kept Swampscott’s batters off balance through the majority of the game.
“She (Ally Moran) threw extremely well,” Gary Moran said. “She worked both sides of the plate and kept us off-balance. At this time of the season, I expect one-run games. Luckily this one turned out in our favor.”
Swampscott’s Sydney Cresta led off the first inning with a single and stole second but the Big Blue were unable to bring her home. Leanne Nisbet singled with two outs in the second inning but, again, Wilmington’s Moran worked out of the jam.
On the other side, Leahy retired the first eight batters she faced. Kayla Bourrell was the first Wilmington batter to reach base with a two-out infield single in the bottom of the third. Leahy forced Wilmington to leave Bourrell stranded and the game remained scoreless.
The Wildcats threatened again in the fourth, when Shannon Horgan singled and stole second with one out. A nice play from Ashley Marston on a fly ball to left field notched the second out of the inning and a comebacker to Leahy ended the frame.
“We preach pitching and defense,” Moran said. “We know what wins in the playoffs, if we can get our pitching on and our defense on. We had zero errors today. Defensively we did a great job.”
Cresta’s bunt single gave Swampscott’s offense life in the sixth inning but tough luck doomed the Big Blue. Kasey Kennedy followed with a sharply hit line drive to shortstop and Cresta was doubled up after the catch was made.
Wilmington’s Horgan singled again in the sixth, with a two-out grounder past Cresta’s outstretched glove at third base, but Leahy notched the final out of the inning on a groundout.
The game finally changed course in the top of the seventh when Leahy led off with a towering fly ball to deep left field for a triple.
“She (Leahy) got down 0-2 and struck out the two previous at-bats,” Moran said. “She’s a smart hitter. She was just waiting for a pitch she could drive and she got one.”
Sarah Ryan, a sophomore, followed with a sacrifice-fly to bring Leahy home for the 1-0 lead.
“That was unbelievable,” Moran said. “She had a sacrifice fly in top of the seventh in North Reading on Saturday and one today, both of them huge. She’s behind the plate every day and she’s awesome.”
Back-to-back two-out singles by Elizabeth Gordon and Ryan Bailey made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh but Leahy forced an infield pop-up for the final out of the game as Swampscott held on for the 1-0 win.
Swampscott advances to Friday’s semifinal at Endicott against No. 5 Burlington.
