WORCESTER — This one wasn’t simply meant to be for the Lynn Senior Little League Softball All-Stars.
In a game where nothing went right for the Lynners, they dropped a 10-0 loss to tournament host Jesse Burkett in the East Regional round Monday morning at Ty Cobb Field in Worcester.
“They haven’t let up a run in the tournament,” Lynn manager Chad Wilkins said of Jesse Burkett. “Their starter had a good changeup and mixed her pitches well. Nothing went our way in this game. We made some uncharacteristic mistakes. It was one of those ‘run into a buzzsaw’ type of games.
“It’s more of a challenge keeping our girls comfortable at the start,” Wilkins added. “Once they get over the nerves in the beginning, they feel good. They’re not nervous anymore. Today was just one of those days where nothing went right. One of the biggest challenges as a manager is keeping the girls loose and relaxed. That’s always a challenge.”
Lynn tallied five hits in the loss. Gianna Coito went 1-for-1, with a base hit in her lone at-bat of the contest. Molly Mannion beat out a bunt for a single, while Reese Brinkler, Lily Newhall and Julia Nickolau each also added one hit.
Pitcher Jenna Tobin got the start in the circle and pitched into the third inning. Reliever Newhall entered the game from there, down 7-0, and pitched the rest of the way.
“I thought Jenna looked well but there were some walks and errors,” Wilkins said. “She looked good in warmups and looked good in the first inning.”
Lynn now shifts gears with a quick turnaround as it prepares for Tuesday morning’s (10) game against Connecticut. The two teams met earlier in the regional round when Connecticut grabbed a 9-4 win over Lynn in the opener for both squads. Lynn scored the game’s first run in the top of the second inning but a tough bottom half of the frame saw Connecticut grab a 4-1 lead and it never looked back from there.
“They have a good starting pitcher,” Wilkins said of Connecticut. “We were definitely tight in that game. It was our first game. It took us a while to get going. I feel very confident in playing them tomorrow. I think we have a good shot beating them.”
A win Tuesday morning places Lynn in good position to earn the No. 2 seed coming out of the regional bracket. Jesse Burkett’s undefeated without allowing a run through three games and has clinched the top seed. Rhode Island has yet to win a game, meaning it will be the No. 4 seed. Connecticut’s 2-1 and Lynn’s 1-2.
