PEABODY — Sometimes it’s the little things that make the difference.
Such was the case Thursday at the Kiley School in a Division 1 North preliminary round game between the No. 18 North Andover Scarlet Knights and No. 15 Peabody Tanners softball teams.
In the end, the tiniest player on the field came up with the biggest hit to lift the Tanners to a thrilling 1-0 victory.
Diminutive second baseman Makayla Iannalfo, the No. 9 batter in the Tanners’ lineup, ripped a 1-out double in the bottom of the sixth inning, plating Janelle Richard (on base with a leadoff double) with the only run.
Starting pitcher Tianna Dawe (seven strikeouts, three walks) pitched a scoreless top of the seventh to polish off a 1-hitter and propel Peabody into the first round, where the Tanners will hit the road and take on No. 2 seeded Acton-Boxborough Saturday afternoon (3:30).
“It came down to one hit to bust it open and Makayla just came up big when we needed it most,” said Peabody coach Tawny Palmieri. “It was just an unbelievable game, the kind of game you want to be in. I loved it. This is so positive for us as it shows that we can play with anyone in Massachusetts. (Thursday) we got an awesome job from everybody from one to nine.”
“These were two pretty evenly matched teams and this is what you expect to see in the first round of the tournament,” said North Andover coach Caitlin Flanagan. “Both teams played great, they just played a little better than we did. I can’t fault my team for that. She (Dawe) kept us swinging from the heels, swinging with our arms and I thought she did a nice job against us.”
Dawe did more than a nice job. North Andover failed to hit a ball into the outfield. The only hit Dawe allowed was a sharply hit grounder (off the bat of No. 9 hitter Jordyn Apperti) into the hole at short in the top of the third. The ball glanced off shortstop Emma Bloom’s glove as she attempted to stab it. Apperti advanced to third on a wild pitch but was stranded after Makayla Rooney ended the inning with a nice play on a grounder to third.
Peabody let a good chance go in the bottom of the inning. Iannalfo drew a 1-out walk. Bloom laid down a bunt only to have Iannalfo doubled up by a country mile at third to end the inning.
“I tried to get too cute on that one, we wanted to fire them up and try to make something happen, but clearly it didn’t work,” Palmieri said.
Meanwhile, Dawe cruised through the next two innings, retiring the side in order in the fourth and fifth.
Richard led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to center. Freshman Gina Terrazzano followed with a single, then stole second, putting Tanners at second and third with one out. Iannalfo battled Scarlet Knight starter Sam Aliholm through eight pitches, then sliced a double to right center to bring Richard home with the game-winning run.
“The entire order was awesome with long, long at-bats making their pitcher work,” Pamieri said. “I thought that at any time someone was going to bust it open and it happened with the bottom of the order in that inning.”
Peabody’s infield played solid defense, especially Rooney at third (five assists) and Iannalfo at second (three assists).
“They were definitely on their ‘A’ game (Thursday),” Palmieri said. “Like I told them, no team we’re going to face is going to be easy. So you have to bring your ‘A’ game and play perfect. In the tournament, you have to tighten up your defense and they did that (Thursday).”
Dawe said the Tanners’ performance showcased their depth.
“We showed how strong our team is all the way through,” Dawe said. “If the top can’t get it done, we have faith that the bottom can like they did today. Defensively we played great. Wherever they hit the ball my defense was making plays.”
