Golden Tornadoes Ousted by Bishop Fenwick

This time of year, playoff seedings mean little. Regular season stats mean even less.

What counts on the softball diamond in June is execution. And execution, or lack thereof, is why the Malden High softball team’s season came crashing to a halt yesterday against Bishop Fenwick.

The Crusaders made the plays they needed to, and put the Golden Tornadoes on the back foot early with some well executed small ball, and consequently prevailed in the MIAA Division 1 North Sectional quarterfinals by a 5-2 margin at Callahan Park.

Malden finishes what has been a very successful campaign with a record of 18-4, while Bishop Fenwick (17-4) takes on Acton-Boxboro on Wednesday in the semifinals

Small Ball Carried the Day

Crusaders hurler Taylor Ahearn set the tone early, and kept the Malden hitters off balance.

“I tip my hat to them,” said Malden head coach John Furlong. “Ahearn pitched great today. She’s not overpowering, but she’s excellent at hitting locations.”

Kiara Amos (seven innings pitched, seven strikeouts) took the ball and threw well, but the small ball strategy of Fenwick head coach Paul Lyman paid off early and set the tone for the rest of the game.

Lyman knew coming in that with a pitcher like Amos facing his team, the small ball strategy he has favored this season would be a deciding factor in the contest. The tactic paid immediate dividends for the Crusaders.

“We’ve been playing small ball all season,” said Ahearn of the strategy her team employed yesterday. “We have so many fast girls, who, if they get a bunt down, are almost always going to be safe, so what we worked on in practice, since (Amos) is probably the fastest pitcher we’ve seen, was just flat batting.

“So we could just focus on making contact...Not too much power, but just putting the ball in play and making (Malden) make plays.”

That turned out to be a sound strategy.

“We got outplayed; we didn’t execute and they did. It’s simple,” said Furlong. “Any time you play a team that’s good at small ball, and you don’t handle it, it’s going to be a long, long day.”

Crusaders Took Control Early

The Crusaders came out looking to scratch out some offense against the hard throwing Amos, and the first batter of the game, third baseman Kim Shinnick, beat out a bunt single to start things off in the top of the first, and Amos fanned Christine Smaltz. Abby Curran (1-for-3, RBI) then reached base on a throwing error, and Meredith Ross (1-for-3, RBI) doubled home Shinnick. Amos struck out her counterpart, Ahearn, but Gianna Pizzana (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) singled home a pair with two away to stake Bishop Fenwick to an early 3-0 lead.

As it turned out, it was all they would need.

“This is a hard one to swallow, because I got out-coached today, and I’ll be the first one to admit it,” Furlong said. “(Lyman) is an excellent, excellent coach. We just didn’t make plays...We needed to make plays in that first inning and shut them down.”

Golden Tornadoes Fought Back but Fell Short

Malden struck back in the home half of the second, when Amos led off with a single to left and Hannah Calderone (2-for-3, RBI double) doubled home Emily Moran—Amos’ courtesy runner, cutting the lead to 3-1. Senior Francesca Richardson stepped in to the batter’s box with two down and lifted a blooper that fell on the infield for Malden’s second run of the inning, making the Crusaders lead of the precarious one-run variety.

That was as close as Malden would get. Ahearn clamped down, and kept the Golden Tornadoes off the board the rest of the way, and her defense made the plays behind her.

Malden threatened in the bottom of the fifth, when, after Ahearn fanned the first two Golden Tornadoes she faced in the frame, Rebecca Krigman (2-for-3) dropped a blooper in shallow center and managed to stretch it into two bases. Catcher Emily Hoffman lifted a pop fly on the infield which dropped safely, but Krigman was gunned down at the plate representing the tying run.

“That was big, because that (run) would have tied the game up,” Lyman said. And it ends up getting us out of the inning...The kids were a little nervous at the time, but they stayed with the play and they made it. That was definitely a big play.”

Malden never threatened again, as Ahearn breezed through the final two innings, to send the Crusaders into the semis and a date with the Acton-Boxboro Colonials.

“They’re a great group of kids,” said Lyman about his team. “So just to have a few more days with them is kind of fun.”

Tourney Run Caps Careers of Three Seniors

Malden bids farewell to three seniors following the loss. Richardson, Renee Santo and Ashley Powers were class acts on and off the field during their time at MHS, and they will all be missed.

The season can hardly be characterized as anything other than a success, even if the ultimate prize remained elusive. Amos won the Greater Boston League MVP Award, while five Golden Tornadoes were named as GBL All Stars.