LYNN — Wednesday was a better-than-good day for coach Erica Richard and the Classical softball team.
It was a great day.
The Rams knocked the ball all over the lot to the tune of 13 hits in a 11-2 win over Everett. Not only did the Rams tattoo the ball, but they welcomed back pitcher Tori Adams, who was back in the circle for the first time since getting hit on the helmet by Austin Prep’s Logan MacDonald almost two weeks ago.
“It was good to see her out there,” said Richard, adding that the test she got in this game — in which she had to extricate herself from some tough innings — are exactly what she may be facing come the postseason.
“With the (John) Holland (Tournament) coming up this weekend, she’ll have innings like she had today. So I wanted to see her out there, and I wanted her to have this game.”
Adams is a leader on the Rams for more than her pitching. Besides the seven hits she gave up, she hit a triple and scored a run in the second inning and hit a sacrifice fly later in the game.
Other standouts for Classical offensively were Johnna Calder (three hits, two runs), Becca Walker (two hits, three runs), Kayla Morrill (two hits, two runs) Meghan Leavitt (RBI double, sacrifice fly) and Ciara Collins (three hits, two runs).
“I think this was as good a team win as we’ve had all year heading into the Holland,” said Richard.
Classical started out by scoring four runs in the second inning. Adams started it with her triple that hit the fence in right field on a bounce. One out later, Collins knocked in Adams with a base hit. Calder hit another single knocking in Collins, and Walker’s base hit scored Calder. Walker eventually scored on an error.
Everett got one of those runs back in the third, but Adams was able to keep the damage to a minimum, something she did at least twice more during the game with the help of her defense, which stood out as well as the other aspects of the Rams’ game.
Veronica Berto led the top of the third off with a double, took third on Kloey Cardillo’s base hit and scored on a ground ball that took Adams far off the mound to make the play.
Classical struck for two more in the sixth to make the score 6-1. With one out, Walker singled and came home on Morrill’s double. Leavitt then hit a ball to left that looked as if it had a chance as it left the bat, but ended up staying in the park. Leavitt ended up on second and Morrill scored.
Classical batted around in the bottom of the fifth inning and scored its final five runs. Walker, Morrill, Maddie Dana, Leavitt and Adams each had RBI hits.
Everett had a golden opportunity to make inroads into that lead in the top of the sixth inning when the Crimson Tide loaded the bases with no one out. The Tide were able to bring one run across, but Adams bore down and got out of the inning on a fly ball, a tapper to short that Walker and catcher Leavitt turned into an out at the plate, and a grounder to Morrill at second.
“The third baseman (Dana), shortstop and second basemen have been together for two years,” said Richard. “That really helps a lot at this point.”
Once again, Everett threatened in the seventh, but once again the Classical defense combined with Adams to quash the rally, thanks to a nifty 1-3-2 double play to end the game.
