Bishop Fenwick Softball Through to Semi-Finals

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 is why the Bishop Fenwick softball team will play at least one more game this year.

The Lady Crusaders made the plays they needed to and handed Malden High a 5-2 defeat in the MIAA Division 1 North Sectional quarterfinals yesterday at Callahan Park.

Taylor Ahearn fired a complete game for Bishop Fenwick, striking out eight Golden Tornadoes and surrendering just two runs, while out-dueling Malden ace Kiara Amos.

“She had a heck of a game, she really did,” Bishop Fenwick head coach Paul Lyman said of his ace hurler. “I really respect a lot of (Malden’s) hitters, and that second inning when they got those runs, we made a couple of mistakes, but she didn’t let it bother her. She just settled down and pitched a great game.”

The Crusaders (17-4) will take on Acton-Boxboro of the Dual County League Wednesday in the semis, after the Colonials upset second-seeded Lynn Classical 6-1 in their quarterfinal matchup yesterday.

“It was a great win,” said Lyman. “Malden’s a great team, and we were concerned coming in, because obviously (Amos) is a great pitcher.”

It is the Crusaders first time reaching this stage of the postseason since the days of legendary softball coach Ed (Bud) Henry, who led Fenwick to eight state titles from 1985 to 1997.

Bishop Fenwick hadn’t made the postseason prior to this year since 2007.

Ahearn doesn’t have the blazing heat that Amos possesses, but was locating her pitches with pinpoint accuracy much of the afternoon.

“My strategy is jamming (the hitters) inside,” Ahearn said. “That’s been effective for me all season, so that’s what I was trying to do.”

Lyman knew coming in that with a pitcher such as 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 Malden head coach John 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.”

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 RBI) 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. “Paul (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.”

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, 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 A-B 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.”