LOWELL — Live by the long ball, die by the long ball.
That pretty much sums up the state Division 1 softball semifinal game between top-seeded Central Catholic and No. 5 Peabody Tuesday afternoon at River Central Field on the campus of UMass Lowell – one Central Catholic won 4-2.
With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Raiders’ No. 9 hitter Isabella Boyer, who had already doubled, blasted a game-winning, two-out, two-run homer over the fence in left field to spoil Peabody’s hopes of getting back to the championship game for a second straight year.
While disappointed, Peabody coach Tawny Palmieri said it was a great season.
“People don’t realize it’s a little different from when they are little and everybody is a town team,” she said. “(Central Catholic) is an all-star team that is pulling from every city around us. So to take this group that is only from Peabody to play the way they played today and all season long is outstanding and it says a lot about these kids.”
Through the first three games of the tournament, the Raiders outscored opponents by a whopping 40-5 margin. The Raiders had Peabody on the ropes for much of the game and stranded 11 runners but, thanks to outstanding defense on the part of the Tanners and some clutch pitching from Peabody ace Abby Bettencourt (3 earned runs, 8 hits, 7 strikeouts, 6 walks), the Tanners managed to keep them at bay.
“Abby, mentally, is one of the toughest kids I’ve had and the defense behind her did a tremendous job with the bases loaded and making the plays and getting out of innings,” Palmieri said.
The game could not have started any better for Peabody. Shortstop Logan Lomasney (1-for-3) staked the Tanners to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a line drive homer to left.
Central Catholic tied the score in its half and had the bases loaded with one out, but Abby struck out the last two batters to get out of the jam.
In the second, Peabody missed a chance to regain the lead with runners at second and third after third baseman Kiley Doolin (1-for-3) singled and DP Caitlyn Burke (1-for-3) reached on an error. This time it was Raiders’ pitcher Julia Malowitz’ turn to wiggle out of trouble with a strikeout.
The Tanners regained the lead in the top of the third on another home run, this one by Abby that got out of the park so fast that all the Raiders could do was stand and watch it sail over the left field fence.
Central Catholic tied it at 2-2 in the fourth when three walks proved costly. With one run in, the Raiders had the bases loaded again, but Abby ended the threat with a strikeout.
Abby’s leadoff double in the fifth went for naught. After stealing third, she tried to score on an infield ground ball and was thrown out in a close play.
Down 4-2 in the sixth after Boyer’s blast, first baseman Lizzie Bettencourt (1-for-3) drilled a fastball off reliever Elisabeth Kearny into the corner in right. As she rounded second, Palmieri waved her home, but held her as Lizzie approached third. Lizzie ended up getting tagged out in a rundown after attempting to score on a grounder.
“We weren’t down by one, we were down by two, just to be safe with Kiley coming up who had two great hits today, so she was all over the ball and I thought it would be better (to hold Lizzie at third),” Palmieri said.
Kearny slammed the door shut in the top of the seventh, striking out the side to punch Central Catholic’s ticket to the championship game.
“She (Kearny) seemed a little quick, a little faster I think, and maybe threw us off a little bit,” Palmieri said. “She had a nice move but we fought till the end. I don’t think we ever gave up or didn’t not battle at any time.”
Palmieri took issue with the MIAA for giving the Tanners only one day off from Sunday’s game and the balls and strikes calls for Abby.
“The MIAA gave us one day off and everybody else in the whole entire tournament got at least two or three,” Palmieri said. “I’d like that to be known because we were the only team that had one day off in between our games. I’m not making excuses, but that matters to a pitcher’s arm and their rest and their bodies.”
“That was the smallest and worst strike zone I’ve seen all season,” Palmieri said. “(Abby) doesn’t walk that many. It was just a game changer.”
Nonetheless, Palmieri said the future is bright for next year considering the Tanners graduate only two starting seniors in captains Isabel Bettencourt and Penny Spack, she will miss their leadership.
“All of the seniors will be very missed, just their leadership in itself, never mind that one’s a catcher and in every pitch, but they will all be missed both on and off the field.”
Central Catholic will play the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal game between No. 2 King Phillip Regional and No. 3 Taunton. That game will be played at UMass Amherst (TBD).
