LOWELL — The Lynnfield softball team didn’t win Friday’s Division 3 North semifinal but the Pioneers gave it everything they had in a hard-fought battle with top-seeded Austin Prep at James S. Martin Field. While the Cougars won the game 7-4, it was far from easy.
Trailing 7-3 going into the top of the seventh, No. 13 Lynnfield loaded the bases with no outs, but only pushed across one run.
Junior Breanna Serabian had a big day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two triples and two runs scored and also had a big catch up against the center field fence to save a couple of runs late. Sophomore pitcher Reilly Ganter (2-for-3) and freshman Sadie Gearan (1-4) knocked in one run each. Junior Sam Lebruska, batting in the No. 9 slot, finished 2-for-3 and scored one run.
“I thought we could hit them and we made contact,” said Lynnfield coach Peter Marinelli. “We did make some mistakes that hurt us, but that’s to be expected with a team that has not been in this type of high-pressure game. Overall we played a good game and we had people on there at the end, so I am proud of what the kids did against a 3-time champion, we held our own and showed no signs of being intimidated.”
The Pioneers came out of the gate swinging. Serabian led off with a long triple to center. One pitch later, senior captain Allie Wing brought her home with a sac fly to right to make it 1-0, Lynnfield.
Austin Prep responded with two runs in its half of the frame, the big hits being a RBI single from Brianna Meroli and 2-out RBI double from Melina Fedele.
The Cougars bumped the lead to 5-1 in the second with three more runs, two of them unearned.
In the third, Lebruska led with a single to left and advanced to second when Wing reached on an error. Sophomore Chloe Shapleigh singled Lebrusaka to third, who then scored on Ganter’s sac-fly to right to make it 5-2.
The Cougars were on the verge of breaking the game wide open in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, a bases-loaded walk to Fedele made it 6-2. Cougars starter Gilbride ripped a line drive to Shapleigh at short, who fired to Jillian Babine at third for an inning-ending double play.
Lynnfield got that run back in the top of the fifth. Serabian led off with another triple and, thanks to a nice piece of baserunning, scored on Wing’s infield grounder.
Austin had the Pioneers on the ropes again in the fifth, thanks to a couple of Lynnfield errors. Amanda Patti reached on the first error only to picked off in a rundown by Shapleigh, who was shaken up on the play after diving to make the tag at first. Sablone doubled home Katie Tarpey (error), but Serabian threw Sablone out at third trying to stretch the hit into a triple.
Wing, in her final high school at bat, led the seventh with single. After Shapleigh (1-for-3) was hit, Ganter singled up the middle to load the bases for Babine (1-for-4). She hit a sinking line drive to right, but was robbed by Alexandra Santostefano. Gearan made it 7-4 with a RBI single up the middle, but Gilbride got the final two Pioneers to seal the win.
“You don’t get to the semifinal without being a good team, we expected a battle,” said Cougars coach Frank Sorrenti. “They’re a good team and showed it right away when they went up 1-0. Their centerfielder (Shapleigh) was killing us and their shortstop (Shapleigh) was terrific too. We walked a tightrope in the seventh, but we got it done.”
The Pioneers will lose only two seniors next year in Wing and second baseman Taylor Tringali.
“I’ve coached both of them for a long time and they both played extremely well as the season went along,” Marinelli said. “I told Allie before that last at bat that it was senior year and let’s end it on a good note, and she did.”
With the win, Austin Prep will play for a fourth straight sectional title Saturday morning at 10 at Martin. The Cougars’ opponent is conference rival St. Mary’s, which defeated Amesbury 3-2 Friday afternoon.
