RallyNorth.net

Wed, Apr 30, 2008 03:45 PM @ Manchester Essex

Team	Final
Lynnfield	5
Manchester Essex	1

Hornets offensive slump continues

Thursday, May, 01 By Nick Curcuru
Staff writer

In the game of softball, a win or a loss can come down to who gets timely hits, especially when the two teams are evenly matched. Sure enough, timely hitting was the difference in yesterday's Cape Ann League softball game between Manchester Essex and Lynnfield.

Unfortunately for the Hornets, they didn't get the hits they needed and the Pioneers did in a 5-1 loss at Sweeney Park.

"(Lynnfield) was able to push their baserunners home and we weren't," Hornets head coach Mike Mullarkey said. "Hats off to them, they played a good game and they did what they were supposed to do."

Pioneers head coach Michelle Perrone agreed that her teams ability to string hits together was the difference in the ball game.

"This was an evenly matched game and both teams played well," Perrone said. "The difference in the game was that we were able to get our hitting together and we ran the bases very well. We played good situational softball."

Lynnfield (3-5) took the lead for good with a two run top of the fourth inning. The Pioneers took a 2-1 lead when Dianne Dibiase was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded driving in Alex Williams who led off the inning with a double. One batter later, Sarah Goldstein was driven in by a Jamie Harris ground out.

The Pioneers were able to increase their lead with two more runs in the sixth. Dibiase made it 4-1 when she singled in Abby Tobin who had walked. Dibiase would come into score on another Harris ground out.

"This was a big win for us," Perrone said. "We needed this win to get us a step closer to the tournament."

Despite losing by four runs, the Hornets (2-6) had their chances, but Pioneers pitcher Sam Harris was able to eliminate any Hornet threat by pitching out of a number of jams. Manchester Essex finished the game with seven runners left on base and recording three costly outs on the base paths.

"We missed a lot of signs today," Mullarkey said. "We got the lead runner in scoring position a couple of times and didn't drive her in, you can't do that and expect to win."

Lindsey Cambridge led the Hornets offense with two of the team's four hits. Dibiase lead the Pioneers with two hits out of the number nine spot.

The Pioneers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Jamie Harris scored on a wild pitch after leading off the game with a single. The Pioneers lead was short lived however, as the Hornets tied the score at one in the bottom of the first when Cambridge singled in Alex Zager who had walked.

The Hornets will next host Masconomet on Friday. At 2-6, Manchester Essex is looking to right the ship and start a run towards the tournament. Mullarkey says the team needs to be more confident at the plate.

"The girls need to know they can hit off of any pitcher in any situation," Mullarkey said. "Right now we are lacking confidence at the plate, but we are a young team and young teams go through growing pains. We have talent and we have showed flashes of it this year. The girls inexperience shows at times but we will get better."