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North Andover Scarlet Knights Softball '18

Knights edged out

Samantha Ahlholm scattered seven hits and allowed just one earned run in a 2-0 loss to Newton North in the Division 1 North first round. North's Mia Patriacca fanned 11 in a 1-hitter. Alyssa Roderick had the lone hit for the Knights, who finished up at 16-6 with their first tourney win since 2007.

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Softball, 06/09/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

North Andover softball earns first tourney win since 2007

NORTH ANDOVER — For so many years, Morgan Reitano dreamed of bringing North Andover softball a state tournament victory.
On Thursday, she helped snap a 10-year skid.
 
“We have been working so hard for this,” she said. “We haven’t been to states in so many years, and it’s been even longer since we had a win. I am so grateful to be a part of this!”
 
Reitano’s two-run single was a key strike as No. 10 North Andover beat No. 23 Billerica 4-1 in the Division 1 North first round.
The victory was the first postseason win for North Andover softball since the 2007 season. It is the Scarlet Knights’ first postseason appearance since 2013.
 
“It’s really exciting after all these years to do it,” said pitcher Samantha Ahlholm. “We were confident, but we knew Billerica was a strong team. We played a really good game, and it should be a lot of fun to play on Saturday,”
 
The Scarlet Knights (16-5) will next travel to face No. 7 Newton North (15-4) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
“This is awesome,” said Knights head coach Caitlin Flanagan, now in her sixth season. “This was the first tourney game for all of these kids, and it was important for them to not just make the playoffs but earn a win. We got a little rattled at first, but we settled down. We are very excited for Saturday. Newton North is a good team, but so are we.”
Leading the Knights on Thursday was a brilliant performance by Ahlholm.
The junior threw a complete-game two-hitter. She did not allow an earned run, struck out two, and only three times allowed balls out of the infield. 
“She was amazing as always,” said Reitano. “Everything was working for her. She stayed calm, cool and collected the whole game. She’s the best.”
Ahlholm allowed a bloop single in the second, and a single in the seventh that was quickly erased by a double play. The lone run came home on a throwing error.
“My screwball was really what was working for me,” said Ahlholm. “It was starting in the middle part of the plate and then breaking to the inside. I was also locating my fastballs. I was really feeling good in the second half of the game. I’m really excited.”
Devin McElhiney gave North Andover the lead with an RBI single in the first. 
After Billerica tied it up, the Scarlet Knights opened up the game in the third.
Alyssa Roderick led off the inning with a massive shot off the wall, and scored on a single by Olivia Rondeau. 
Carley Howe followed with a single, and Reitano drove two runs home with a line shot down the left field line.
“I thought our offense made a big difference,” said Flanagan. “We hit like we can. We became more aggressive, and less defensive. If we saw a pitch on the inside, we went after it.”
That was enough offense for Ahlholm. She allowed the one single in the seventh, but McElhiney quickly erased it by grabbing a line shot to first, then stepping on the bag for the game-ending double play.
“That was such a nice play,” said Ahlholm. “It was great to end the game on the best play of the game. It should be so much fun to play in the next round. It will be interesting to take on a team we have never played before.”

Back on top
North Andover softball’s win on Thursday was the first tourney victory for the program since 2007.
The Scarlet Knights’ last postseason win came in the 2007 Division 2 state semifinals, when they beat Coyle-Cassidy 3-1. The Knights then lost the Division 2 title game 2-1 to Hudson. The game was controversial, as it was halted after four innings due to thunder, and completed the following day. The Knights led 1-0 when it was stopped.

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Softball, 06/07/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Reitano on fire

Morgan Reitano was 4 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored as North Andover softball beat Pentucket 12-3. Davin McElhiney drove in three runs, while Samantha Ahlholm struck out six of the nine batters she faced in three perfect innings of relief.

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Softball, 06/01/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Central qualifies

 

Central Catholic continued its late season surge with a 7-6 victory over North Andover and then whipped Lawrence 27-5 to improve to 10-8 and qualify for the tournament after starting the season 0-4. Maddie Kolifrath and winning pitcher Abby Jankowski were both 2 for 4 and scored twice for the Raiders. Kaitlyn Sawyer had a grand slam against Lawrence.

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Softball, 05/30/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Surging Knights

 

Julia Chittick went all the way for the shutout and six different players drove in runs as the surging North Andover softball team (13-4) defeated Bedford for its fifth straight win and eighth out of the last nine.

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Softball, 05/25/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Rondeau rules

 

Olivia Rondeau was 3 for 3, scored three times and drove in a pair as surging North Andover (12-4) scored in the bottom of the seventh to nip Billerica 8-7.

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Softball, 05/24/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

'Slam' for Roderick

 

North Andover, led by Alyssa Roderick, continued its offensive explosion, crushing Essex Tech 17-4. Roderick was 4 for 4 with 4 runs scored and 6 RBIs as North Andover (10-4) qualifieied for the tournament. Morgan Reitano also had a homer and drove in five runs.

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Softball, 05/19/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

North Andover cruises past Pentucket

WEST NEWBURY — In a game which the mercy rule never became official, the end did come mercifully when 'Uncle' was cried.

Leading 12-1, North Andover went to bat in the top of the sixth needing a run for the 12-run rule to take effect. Twelve batters and nine runs later, Pentucket hadn't yet recorded an out when Sachems coach John Walsh tapped out.

"No," North Andover coach Caitlin Flanagan succinctly replied when asked if she had ever seen that kind of situation. "A program like (Walsh's) is struggling for numbers, and with a large team he tried to put in some kids that hadn't seen some time. They're not used to being out there and couldn't make the outs. But it's experience for them, so I think that's OK."

Already having qualified for the postseason, Pentucket (10-6) had won seven of its previous nine, averaging 9.7 runs in the victories.

"We're mostly seniors, but they didn't show up to play today," Walsh said. "We have to get back to where we were. Back to hitting and fielding. It didn't happen today. It's like this every year — peaks and valleys."

North Andover (9-4) pounded out 22 hits and batted around in the second and sixth while sending eight to the plate in the fifth and seven in the third. It was a far different output than the 18 runs the Knights had scored in their previous seven games combined. They scored two or fewer in four of those seven.

"I was happy with the swings they took today," Flanagan said. "Sometimes when pitching is at a little slower speed you can ... pop up, but I thought they kept their weight back and hit a lot of line drives. It's hard to defend that."

Designated player Morgan Reitano had a big afternoon, doubling home two runs in the second, slamming a two-run homer in the fifth and adding an RBI single in the sixth. She was one of four Knights to score three times.

"It's been rough (at the plate)," Reitano said. "So, this definitely helps. All the practicing on my hitting definitely has helped. We have made so much progress since last year (when the Knights were 8-12).

"It's like a completely different team. We're all way closer, and we're all just making good contact. We're doing everything we didn't do last year."

Of the 12 Knights that made plate appearances, 11 had at least one hit while Alyssa Roderick, Olivia Rondeau, Carley Howe and No. 9 hitter Sophie Mitchell clubbed three apiece. Howe drove in four and had one of North Andover's five doubles. Pinch-hitter Claudia Mabley rapped two hits in the sixth, including a lead-off triple and scored three times. Mitchell also had two of the team's eight hits in the fateful inning.

Starter Samantha Alhom went three innings for the win, allowing an unearned run in the third. Julia Chittick went the final three frames for North Andover, which began a stretch of five games in seven days.
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Softball, 05/18/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Ahlholm on target

 

Samantha Ahlholm struck out seven and didn't allow an earned run and helped her own cause with a home run and three RBIs as rising North Andover pulled out an impressive 8-1 win over Chelmsford. Carley Howe also had a home run for the Knights (8-3).

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Softball, 05/14/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Knights use pitching

 

Julia Chittick and Samantha Ahlholm split the pitching duties, giving up just one earned run as North Andover carved out a huge 3-2 win over Lowell. Alyssa Roderick had two RBIs for the Knights (7-3).

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Softball, 05/11/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
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