Sports
Danvers Softball Turns Up Heat on Big Blue
The Lady Falcons, on the road for their season opener, blasted eight runs in the first inning in Swampscott, ultimately beating the Big Blue, 14-7, Friday afternoon.
In weather better suited for the NHL’s Winter Classic or a football game, Danvers opened up its 2011 softball season with a 14-7 win in Swampscott Friday afternoon.
Temperatures hovered around 38 degrees all game, but the Falcons got off to the hot start, scoring eight times in the top of the first, the big blow a three-run double by Carly Powers off Swampscott starter Stephanie Collins.
Swampscott did pick up a run in its half of the inning when Merry Ball came home on an illegal pitch by Danvers' Kendall Meehan.
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The Falcons pushed ahead with four more runs to move ahead 12-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth. Lindsay Marini and Tessa Beane crossed the plate for Swampscott to cut it to 12-3 after four innings.
The Danvers girls played their first game of the season Friday afternoon following a rainout against Saugus on Wednesday.
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Swampscott entered the game with a 1-1 record after losing its opener to Everett and pasting Gloucester 23-0 on Wednesday.
Danvers picked up a single run in the top of the fifth and the Big Blue answered with two in the bottom of the inning Friday.
Danvers made it 14-5 after five and a half, with Swampscott still trying to get back in the game with two of its own from the plate, making it 14-7 heading into the seventh inning.
Danvers’ Devin Johnson struck out Beane and Bridget Genoversa-Wong to end the game, with Swampscott’s Kelly Birchmore stranded at second.
Danvers pounded out 15 hits to nine for the hosts, Meehan picked up the win with Collins taking the loss.
“We’re a very young team, we made a few mistakes, but we’ll work on that,” Big Blue coach Frank Kowalski said after the game. “I thought Stephanie pitched well, and Angela (Vousboukis) came in and pitched well too.”
“It was cold today, but we were glad to get started and start off with a win,” Danvers coach Tara Petrocelli said. “We stress over and over, that we’ve got to play hard for seven innings and get 21 outs, and we did that today.”
Swampscott, the defending Northeastern Conference South champions, took two emotional wins over the Falcons last season, but Danvers never let the Big Blue get started Friday with their first inning explosion.
The Danvers girls host Winthrop Saturday at 2 p.m. at Tiggie Field at the.
