The nicest day of this rainy spring season saw a dominant pitching performance by Winthrop junior Alex Ferri, who tossed a no-hitter against Swampscott Tuesday in which she fanned 14 enemy batters to lead the Lady Viking softball team to a 5-0 win.
As is the case with all no hitters, the defense has to make some big plays and Ferri’s teammates came through on a number of occasions. In the fifth, a soft pop fly to left looked like it would spoil the no hit bid, but Alyssa Moore pulled the ball off her shoe tops.
In the sixth, Michele Lasala ranged up the middle at short and fielded a ball that looked like it was going to find its way to the grass, but made a bangbang play at first to get the runner.
Then in the seventh, Kristen Lanza broke back nicely on a pop fly behind third to make the catch.
The Lady Vikings gave Ferri all the runs she would need in the opening inning when Moore doubled home Jen Adamson, who had walked, and Taylor Brown, who had reached on an error. Winthrop added three more markers in the second. Brittany Lento singled and a sac bunt by Liana Ferullo was misplayed, leaving runners at first and third. After Liana stole second, a base hit by Adamson rescued Lento. Andrea Martucci then banged a double to the fence to bring around Ferullo and Adamson.
Ferri struck out the last batter of the contest to put an exclamation point on her no hitter.
Last Friday the Lady Vikings hosted Gloucester under the lights for Senior Night and came away with a 4-3 triumph A three run outburst in the opening frame on RBI hits by Taylor Brown and Rachel DelSolio got Winthrop off to a fast start, but the Lady Vikings managed only one more marker the rest of the way when Brown tripled and scored on a ground out.
Lady Viking hurler Jackie Heatherton recorded her first varsity win, pitching six innings and allowing just three hits and one earned run while fanning eight. Gloucester made it a 4-3 affair in the final inning (thanks to a Winthrop error) and had runners on first and second with two outs, but Jackie nailed down the win by inducing a ground out to end the game.
Winthrop took on fifth ranked Lynn Classical, the top team in the Northeastern Conference, on Saturday at Breed Field in Lynn. Although the Lady Vikings came out on the short end of a 4-3 decision, the contest was one of the top softball games on the North Shore this season.
After spotting Classical an early 2-0 lead, Winthrop eventually came back to forge ahead with a solo run in the third (Lento walked, stole second, moved to second on a ground out, and scored on a passed ball) and with two in the fifth on a bases loaded single by Martucci.
Ferri meanwhile, pitched expertly after the first inning and did what she had to do to get out of jams. But in the bottom of the seventh, Classical showed why they are the two time defending NEC champs, as they rallied for two runs. Chelsey Bartlett (whom Winthrop fans know as a member of the Winthrop Lady Bulldog hockey team) blooped a single into left field with two outs for the game winning RBI.
The Lady Vikings also played on Sunday, dropping an 11-1 decision to Danvers. Brown had two hits for Winthrop and Lasala had the RBI.
WHS head coach Dave Guffey and his crew were set to wrap up their regular season campaign yesterday (Wednesday) at Saugus. Winthrop has qualified for the state tourney and will await the announcement of seedings and pairings next week.
Leading hitters for Winthrop are Brown with a .371 average, followed closely by Ferullo at .368 and Adamson at .365. Brown also has 18 RBI, three triples, and four roundtrippers.