SWAMPSCOTT — In Wednesday’s Northeastern Conference softball showdown between Swampscott and Danvers, the Falcons flew away with an 18-1 mercy victory.
Danvers, one of the stronger offensive teams in the NEC, got off to a strong start and poured in 11 runs in the opening inning.
“We knew they were going to get hits,” said Swampscott Coach Brittany Coppinger. “They’ve always been a great hitting team.”
The Falcons tacked on runs in the first, second, and fourth innings. Despite going down big early, the Big Blue continued to battle on every pitch and made plays in the field.
Swampscott delivered a few highlight-worthy plays, including when Lucia Alvarado made a nifty catch on the run to prevent a base hit.
“Lucia had a really nice catch,” Coppinger said.
When asked what her team could take from a game like Wednesday’s, Coppinger spoke about “mental toughness.
“If the first inning didn’t happen, it would have been a closer game,” she said. “Stuff happens with two outs – you just have to deal with it. Luckily, we’re still 5-5 on the season.”
And if someone turned up late and didn’t know the score, he or she may have thought Swampscott was winning based on the energy coming out of its dugout.
“I think they do a good job picking themselves back up. I think that’s a testament to their prior years,” Coppinger said. “They’re pretty good at staying focused, still trying to hit, and swinging the bat. We just need to focus on what’s next.”
In the fourth inning, Swampscott’s CeCe O’Connor hit an RBI single to left field, scoring Amaya Scott from second base.
“I liked the movement. We were doing a lot better with our baserunning and getting home on doubles and hitting the ball,” Coppinger said. “It’s always good to see CeCe hitting the ball.”
Swampscott doesn’t return to the diamond until next Wednesday in Winthrop. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.
“Going into the next game, we need to be hitting a little bit better and be a little bit tougher on defense,” Coppinger said.
