LYNN — When two of the Greater Boston League’s best square off, you know you’re in for a treat.
It didn’t disappoint, as Lynn Classical defended its home diamond 8-7 with a walk-off steal, handing Mustang its first conference loss of the season.
Although the Rams held a 6-1 lead heading into the sixth, head coach Joe Morin knew the Mustangs wouldn’t go down lightly.
“They’re a good team. They were 6-0 in the conference for a reason. They had some good at-bats and put the pressure on us. We knew we weren’t going to keep them down for long,” Morin said.
Before you knew it, the game was tied 6-6, and it was time for Classical to respond.
Senior Eliana Alas kicked things off with a standing double. Freshman Brooke Braswell was up next, and you would’ve thought she was a veteran. Braswell waited for the right pitch before hitting a single up the middle to bring home Alas (7-6).
“She’s only a freshman and she must be hitting over .500 so far this year. Defensively, she’s solid and she’s only going to get better,” Morin said.
The Mustangs, once again, proved why they will be battling for the GBL title this season as they tied it up in the seventh inning with a solo shot.
With the Rams back at the plate, Classical pitcher and senior captain MeKayla Poisson took matters into her own hands, as she got on base with a single before stealing second and third base.
“That’s been one of our MOs. We want to be aggressive on the bases and put pressure on the other team,” Morin said.
The aggression paid off. When Medford’s catcher couldn’t handle a pitch, Poisson darted for home plate and, spoiler alert, was safe.
Poisson not only scored the winning run, but pitched all seven innings and struck out 10.
“She was tremendous. I don’t think she gave up a hit until the sixth inning. She attacks batters,” Morin said. “She threw a lot of different pitches and was able to keep them off balance.”
When asked about the mentality of his team, Morin talked about its toughness.
“These Lynn girls are tough. Last year was my first year coaching and the first thing I realized was that these girls are not scared of anything, and they won’t back down,” Morin said.
Considering the Rams responded twice in as many innings, I’d say he’s got a point.
If you missed this one, you have a chance for the rematch as Classical travels to Medford on Monday with first-pitch scheduled for 4:15 p.m.
RBI leaders (Classical)
Braswell: 3
Manuela Lizardo: 2
Alas: 1
