PEABODY — The Swampscott softball team saved its best for last Saturday, knocking off host Peabody 12-3 at the Kiley School.
The Big Blue came into the game with only four wins, while Peabody came in riding a six-game winning streak and hoping to pick up its 14th win and boost its chances for a top seed in the tournament.
Instead, it was Swampscott that looked to be tournament-ready, while the Tanners looked anything but.
Shortstop Katie Watts had a monster all-around game. She was 3-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored and also played flawlessly in the field. Chloe Rakauskas had a bid day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Nikki Fraser was 2-for-4 with an RBI and one run scored.
For Peabody, Mackenzie Marmion (1-for-3), Dawe (1-for-2, run) and Elayna Capone (1-for-2) had one RBI each, while Kristina Rossignoll had two base hits.
“Our first game against Peabody was one of many lopsided games this year and we played poorly, but we played very well today,” said Big Blue coach Gary Moran. “I know their pitcher (Dawe) was down today, But we caught a few breaks and also took advantage of the breaks we had. To beat a team like Peabody we needed to play out best and we did.”
“Honestly, their record doesn’t reflect their ability,” said Peabody coach Tawny Palmieri. “They made the plays they had to and we didn’t. We made too many mental and base-running errors. Physical errors are going to happen, they happen in the pros, but it’s the mental mistakes that kill you, and they certainly did today.
The Tanners jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. With one out, Makayla Rooney walked. Dawe plated Rooney with a long double to center, then Dawe scored on Marmion’s RBI single.
After that, it was all Swampscott, which jumped over Peabody reliever Janelle Richard for four runs the big hits being a 2-run double by Sydney Cresta, an RBI double by Rakauskas and RBI single by Fraser.
Peabody cut the deficit to 4-3 with a run in the fourth. Rooney reached on an outfield error and scored on Capone’s ‘s 2-out single.
The Big Blue took the wind out of the Tanners’ sails with three unearned runs to bump the lead to 7-3. Tiara Teel led off with a walk. Watts singled her to second. Next up was Cresta, who laid down a bunt. All three scored on the play after the throw to first ended up in right field and a relay throw was botched..
“You have to know where you are going with the ball, where to go on the relays,it’s just mental mistakes are killers,” said Palmieri. “You have to be in the game to realize what is going on and who is running where and where to throw the ball and we certainly we not in the game on that play and several others today.”
Swampscott went to town in the top of the seventh, capping the scoring with five more runs, the big hits coming from Raskauskas (RBI single), Riley Scanlon (RBI single) and Sophia Mento (2-run double).
Caleigh Hopkins went the distance for the Big Blue. She settled down after the first inning and allowed only three hits the rest of the game.
“she beared down and attacked the hitters with first-pitch strikes which worked really well,” said Moran. “We played great defense with only one error and that’s the way to beat great teams like Peabody. We won only five games, but we ended with a nice three-game win streak, so we are moving in a positive direction. We have eight freshmen who will all be back next year. It will be impossible to replace (Endicott-bound) Katie, but we beat a great today, which should boost our confidence going forward.”
Palmieri said the Tanners need to put this game in the rear-view mirror.
“I told the girls we need to move on, and that’s what we will do,” she said. “I think this team has the potential to go really far in the tournament. But we need to tighten up the mental errors and the baserunning errors before the tournament.”
