Ziner Shines as Danvers Girls' Tennis Splits Matches

Sophomore Rachel Ziner is off to a strong start for the Danvers High girls' tennis team, posting wins in each of her matches to date. After opening the season with a 5-0 whitewash of Salem, the Falcons fell to Marblehead on Monday, 4-1.

Ziner collected the lone point against Marblehead with a 6-1, 6-3 decision at second singles in what coach Karen Corcoran termed “an outstanding performance.” Ziner played first singles against Salem, posting a 6-0, 6-2 win.

Danvers didn't surrender a single set to the Witches. Senior Becca Sands posted a 6-0, 6-0 whitewash at second singles; senior Paige Clarizia registered a 6-3, 6-0 decision at third singles; the first doubles team of seniors Mary Kate Grace and Kristen Kulakowski won convincingly, 6-1, 6-0; and the second tandem of senior Rebecca Hayden and junior Danielle Comb coasted in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.

The Falcons (1-1) return to action Friday afternoon against Saugus and face Beverly and Winthrop in back-to-back matches on Wednesday and Thursday of next week.

In Other Action

GIRLS LACROSSE improved to 1-1 with a 19-10 romp past Salem on Tuesday, powered by Sara Perry's seven goals. The Falcons play at Peabody this afternoon, then take on North Andover and Swampscott on Tuesday and Thursday of school vacation week.

BOYS TENNIS split matches. The Falcons won a pair of tough three-setters to outlast Ipswich, 4-1, in a non-league match; however, Marblehead pinned a 3-2 defeat on Danvers in league action. The Falcons play Peabody today at home (4 p.m.) and then have two more home dates with Salem and Beverly next Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.

BOYS LACROSSE fell to Marblehead, 16-7, on Thursday and resumes action this afternoon against Peabody. A busy vacation week slate finds the Falcons at home against Pentucket on Tuesday (11 a.m.) and against Wakefield on Friday (11 a.m.), bracketing a visit to Waltham on Thursday (11 a.m.).

BASEBALL blew out Saugus on Thursday, 19-4, in a make-up of Wednesday's rained out contest. Starting with today's home game against Swampscott (4 p.m.), the Falcons kick off a rugged stretch of five games in seven days. Danvers plays league games against Winthrop on Monday (home, 10 a.m.) and Marblehead on Wednesday (away, 10 a.m.) and takes part in an in-season tournament at David Prouty High School in Spencer on Tuesday and Thursday.

GIRLS TRACK tumbled against Beverly, 81-55, Monday in its season opener. The Falcons return to action on Wednesday at Saugus (2 p.m.). [Scoring was not immediately available for the girls' team.]

BOYS TRACK suffered a loss as well to the Panthers, but only by two, 69-67. The Falcons did finish with a number of firsts: Brian Hebert (2-mile, 11:34), Drew Piazza (mile, 5:04), Nick Caldarone (high hurdles, 18.5), Ethan Collins (400m, 56.6), Matt Hogan (800m, 2:22.5) and the 4-by-400 relay team of Hogan, Mike Drew, Piazza and Collins (4:07). The boys' squad races Saugus on Wednesday.

SOFTBALL'S season opener against Saugus was postponed by Wednesday's rain. The Falcons kick off the season this afternoon at Swampscott (4 p.m.) and travel to Winthrop tomorrow.

St. John's Prep

TRACK piled up 13 first-place finishes, paced by double-winners Nick Pesaturo and Sean Enos, while running away from Malden Catholic in Tuesday's season opener, 110-26. Pesaturo stretched out to 20 feet, seven inches to win the long jump and sprinted to a 100m win in 11.5. Enos captured the discus (143-0) and shot put (53-9).

Other winners were: Mike Galasso (400, 51.1), Taewook Ha (high hurdles, 16.5), Mike Hayes (high jump, 5-10), Deklan Robinson (triple jump, 38-6), Scott Sheehan (javelin, 157-8), Jarret Harrigan (mile, 4:43.45), Patrick Murphy (800, 2:04.8), Tim Cotnois (two-mile, 10:52.3) and the 4x1oo relay team of Louis Soto, Pesaturo, Josh Hubbell and Joey Dumas in 46.1 seconds.

The Eagles will take part in tomorrow's Haverhill Invitational and the Catholic Conference Relays next Tuesday at Xaverian.

TENNIS didn't surrender a single set as it picked up wins against B.C. High (5-0) and Exeter Academy (7-0) to improve to 3-0 on the season.

Against B.C. High, No. 1 Cameron Trosin (6-0, 6-1), No. 2 Spencer Canny (6-2, 6-0) and No. 3 Chris Toner (6-4, 6-2) dominated in singles while the doubles duos of No. 1 John Corvi and Bradley Noyes (6-2, 6-2) and No. 2 Ian Wright and Dan Cunningham (6-3, 6-4) were equally impressive.

The match against Exeter Academy was scored under a college format. Each of six singles matches counted for one point while doubles victories yielded a half point. Singles winners were Trosin (6-1, 6-4), Canny (7-5, 6-3), Toner (6-0, 6-3), Corvi (6-4, 7-6), Noyes (6-0, 6-1) and Mike Beluch (6-2, 6-0). Trosin and Canny (8-1) and Toner and Beluch (8-4) teamed up for doubles wins.

The Eagles resume action following school vacation week.

BASEBALL knocked off Xaverian on Monday, 3-2, as sophomore Brandon Bingel pitched a complete-game six-hitter in his first varsity start for his second win of the year. Bingel also stroked a two-run triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Coppola.

The Eagles (3-1) suffered their first loss on Thursday as they were shut down by Catholic Memorial's ace pitcher John Gorman, 5-0. St. John's plays at Everett Saturday morning (11), followed by vacation week games at Arlington on Monday (11 a.m.) and against Hopkinton on Tuesday (11 a.m.).

RUGBY ran its record to 3-0 with a hard-fought 12-7 decision of Belmont on Monday. The Eagles previously defeated Lincoln-Sudbury, 55-5, and B.C. High, 22-5. St. John's next action won't come until an April 29 visit to Xaverian.

VOLLEYBALL split home and away matches against Medfield, winning at home (3-2) while getting shut out (3-0) on Thursday. St. John's (4-2) travels to Catholic Memorial next Wednesday (5:30 p.m.)

SAILING picked up wins against Hingham, 4-1, and Winchester, 3-0, this week to improve to 5-2. The Eagles will take part in tomorrow's O'Day Qualifier in Portland, ME.