RallyNorth.net

Fri, Apr 18, 2008 04:00 PM @ Gloucester

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Final
Marblehead	0	0	0	0	3	5	0	8
Gloucester	0	0	2	3	0	0	1	6

Gloucester can't hold five-run lead against Marblehead

Saturday, April, 19 By Nick Curcuru
Staff writer

In yesterday's matchup with defending Northeastern Conference champion Marblehead, the Gloucester softball team had four innings tit would like to remember and two innings it would rather forget.

After jumping out to a 5-0 lead, the Fishermen watched the Magicians score eight runs on seven hits in the fifth and sixth innings en route to an 8-6 defeat at Burnham's Field.

Magicians head coach Johnny Gold was pleased with the way his team battled back and was quick to give credit to a promising Gloucester team.

"This was a good comeback," Gold said. "Gloucester is much improved this year and they are a really tough team. We just battled and were able to string together some hits in the later innings."

The game was controlled by the offenses, as the two teams combined for 14 runs and 21 hits. There has been a recent increase of offense this softball season, due to the pitchers mound being moved three feet back.

"The game has changed," Gold said. "Moving the mound back takes pitching dominance out of the game. I thought both pitchers (Gloucester's Jill Lukegord and Marblehead's Courtney Colantuno) pitched great, but the game is now revolved around hitting."

Marblehead (2-2) was able to take the lead for good in the top of the sixth inning. Trailing 5-3, the Magicians were able to plate five runs. Silvie Cohen gave the Magicians the lead when her two-run single drove in Laura Kannarski, who reached on a walk, and Lizzy Whitehill who singled. Cohen was driven in two batters later on Ashley White's RBI single to center field. Colantuno helped out her own cause when she drove in White two batters later on a single.

The Fishermen (3-2) however would not go quietly as they got a run back in the bottom of the seventh when Nicole Whipple singled in Olivia Frontiero who had tripled to deep left. Gloucester was able to bring the tying run to the plate with two outs but Colantuno, who is the reigning NEC pitcher of the year, pitched out of the jam.

Despite the loss Gloucester coach Julie Ferguson is happy with the improvement her team has shown coming off of a 5-15 2007 season.

"We can really hit the ball," Ferguson said. "Our bats were on today against one of the top pitchers in the conference. Marblehead is a great team and they were able to get some big hits."

Ferguson lauded Frontiero and Lukegord for the hitting. Frontiero, a junior captain, finished the game with three hits and two RBIs, Lukegord had two hits and a pair of RBIs.

The game could not have started off better for the Fishermen, as they jumped out to a 5-0 lead through four innings. Lukegord made it 1-0 Gloucester when she drove in Alysha Clayton, who doubled, with an RBI single in the third inning. Frontiero would make it 2-0 Gloucester when her double to the gap in left center drove home Lukegord.

Gloucester would add three more runs in the fourth inning. Lukegord would again get things started driving in Addy Blakely, who reached on a single, with a sacrifice fly. Kelly Benson would make it 4-0 on the play of the day. After singling, and moving to third on a single, Benson took an aggressive lead off of third base, she would then steal home plate when the catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher. Frontiero made it 5-0 when she singled in Clayton who reached on a walk.

Gloucester will now travel to Masconomet today (10 a.m.) to take on the Chieftains in a non-conference game.