Redmen Win Ugly, Eliminate Warriors, 7-3

Fortunately for Tewksbury High, they don't give points for style in softball.

The Redmen overcame a sloppy defensive effort and eliminated Wakefield, 7-3, on Thursday in the opening round of the Division 2 North Sectional.

It was the seventh straight win for No. 8 Tewksbury (15-6), and earned the Redmen a date with top-seeded Danvers (19-1) in the quarterfinals, Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Great Oaks School in Danvers.

The two teams know each other well. Last year, Danvers eliminated Tewksbury in the opening round of the tournament. But it's a game from more than a decade ago that Redmen Coach "Doc" DiRocco was thinking about Thursday.

"It was back in 1998 or 99. We went up to Danvers, they were seeded No. 1 and we beat them, 2-1, in 10 innings," said DiRocco. "I don't think they've ever forgiven us for that."

Shannon McLaughlin, who had tossed a brilliant two-hitter against previously unbeaten Concord-Carlisle in the regular season finale, gave up seven hits and walked one against Wakefield. The defense didn't provide much support, committing four errors.

"It wasn't like us at all," said DiRocco. "I don't think we had committed three errors in our last 10 games."

Fortunately, the offense was hitting on all cylinders. Brooke Hardy, McLaughlin and Missy Cordwell had two hits each to lead the Redmen's eight-hit attack.

Tewksbury jumped in front early with three runs in the bottom of the first inning off Wakefield's Amanda Boulter. Singles by Hardy, McLaughlin and Cordwell put Tewksbury on top and a triple from Erin Walsh pushed the lead to 3-0. The Redmen tacked on another run in the second inning, when Kirsten Dick roped a triple and scored on a ground ball out.

"We knew nothing about this pitcher (Boulter) and nothing about this team coming in," said DiRocco. "All we knew was that they could hit the ball."

But Wakefield, the No. 9 seed entering the tournament, was not about to go quietly. The Warriors answered with a pair of runs in the third. Amy Shea and Carianna Gasdia each singled to set the table. A ground out by Abby DiCredico scored Shea and Gasdia came all the way around to score on a throwing error by Tewksbury first baseman Cordwell.

Cordwell was able to redeem herself in the bottom of the third, when her RBI triple helped the Redmen extend their lead to 6-2. Another run in the bottom of the fourth gave the Redmen a 7-2 cushion.

Wakefield's best chance to climb back into the game came in the top of the fifth. The Warriors loaded the bases with no outs thanks to singles by Emma Kraus and DiCredico sandwiching a walk to Gasdia.

Cleanup hitter Kayla LaPierre then ripped a low line drive that Tewksbury second basemen Brooke Hardy got a glove on but dropped. Hardy alertly threw home to force Kraus out at the plate. Catcher Jess Silva then fired to third to force out Gasdia, who had stopped running when she thought the line drive had been caught.

Bailey Finocchio's RBI single made it 6-3 but that was all the offense Wakefield could muster. McLaughlin slammed the door, retiring the last seven batters she faced.

"We had the bases loaded, nobody out and the kid hits a line drive. There's nothing you can really do," said Wakefield Coach Rick Quatrocchi.

Wakefield finished its season at 14-7.