LYNNFIELD — Sometimes, you have to find a way to win the ugly ones.
That’s exactly what the Lynnfield Pioneers (1-0) did Wednesday against visiting Newburyport (1-1), overcoming a 5-3 early deficit and handing the Clippers a 16-6 loss in a game that took more than three hours.
Lynnfield Coach Hector Longo jokingly described the game as “the longest softball game in history.”
The Pioneers broke the game wide open with a six-run fourth inning to take the lead for good at 10-5. Third baseman Olivia Kelter (1-for-2, 2 R, 3 BB) provided the fireworks with an inside-the-park grand slam down the right-field line.
“We have to play good defense and we didn’t exactly do that at times, but getting the win is a testament to the girls out here,” Longo said. “We stayed in and played better defense in the last half of the game. We have new people on the field and they made some plays, although they may not have been pretty, so it was a good opening-day win.”
The game didn’t start well for Lynnfield. Starting pitcher Gia Gagnon walked two of the first four Newburyport batters in the top of the first. With one run already in, the Clippers had the bases loaded with no outs, but Gagnon dug deep and struck out the next three batters to get out of the jam.
“Gia kind of buried herself there with the hits and walks, then unburied herself with the three strikeouts,” Longo said. “When she gets ahead in the count, her stuff is pretty good. She’s not overpowering, but if she’s ahead in the count, she can get hitters out. That’s what she did there as opposed to a couple of good hitters who hit the ball when Gia was behind in the count. But again, it was day one, and it was a day-one type game.”
Lynnfield took a 2-1 lead in its half of the inning – the big hit an RBI triple from Libby Considine (2-for-5, R).
After Newburyport tied it up with a run in the second, Considine again came up clutch. She fired a bullet to third that was mishandled, allowing Kaila George (2-for-3, triple, 3 BB) to score her second run of the game.
Newburyport regained the lead with three runs in the third to lead, 5-3. After cutting the deficit with an unearned run in the third, Lynnfield sent 12 batters to the plate in the fourth – the big hits coming off the bats of Kelter, shortstop Morgan Hubbard (2-for-4, R, BB) and right fielder Angelina O’Hara (1-for-3, R).
The Pioneers kept their foot on the gas with four more runs in the fifth to bump their lead to 14-5. George capped the inning with a two-run triple, scoring first baseman Julia Corrente (1-for-3, 4 R, 2 BB) and Kelter, on base with walks.
Gagnon struck out 12 and walked six, allowing 11 hits.
“I have to say that I was nervous when we were down 5-3,” Longo said. “I was ready to pull Gia three or four times, but she just kept fighting. It was tough with a new starting pitcher – opening day and it’s cold – but she threw a million pitches and did well considering all that.”
Longo highlighted the defensive play of catcher Lily Williams, who missed the preseason with an arm injury.
“She had a tender arm and we just said that she had two or three weeks to get ready and heal,” Longo said. “She calls every pitch. She sees every pitch. Her arm is as good as anybody’s. We are so lucky to have her.”
Williams said she was “really proud” of her team’s win.
“When we were down, 5-3, in the third inning, Olivia got that grand slam that got everyone excited and that really just drove the team,” she said. “It’s always so important to have everyone cheering each other on. It’s only one game, but I think we are heading in the right direction. It was a long wait to get to opening day, so it feels great to come out with a win today.”
Lynnfield’s next game is Thursday at home against Essex Tech (4 p.m.).
“They will be tough,” Longo said.
