When WHS softball head coach Dave Guffey said two weeks that the best was still to come from his star pitcher, Alex Ferri, the veteran Lady Viking mentor knew what he was talking about.
Ferri turned in a pair of masterful, back-to-back pitching performances this past week, tossing a no hitter against Boston Latin the championship round of the Battle of the Beach Softball Tournament last Thursday and then spinning a dazzling one hitter against Saugus on Tuesday. Alex struck out 10 batters in both contests.
“Alex was superb,†said Guffey. “She’s doing a great job for us.â€
Winthrop won the encounter with Latin, 2-0, pushing across solo tallies in the third and fifth innings. Sophomore catcher Jen Adamson scored in the third frame when she singled and tried to stretch the hit into a double. The Latin throw went wild and Adamson was able to come home.
In the fifth, Rachel DelSolio doubled, moved to third on ground out, and then came home on a double steal in which she took advantage of the rundown for the runner trying to go from first to second.
Despite the meager run production, it proved more than enough for Ferri.
However, Ferri and her teammates did not fare as well against Saugus, coming out on the short end of a 2-1 decision. The Lady Vikings grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Brittany Lento singled. A sacrifice bunt by Liana Ferullo then proved Lento’s ticket home when the throw to get Liana at first sailed wide and into right field.
Ferri made the slim 1-0 advantage stand up all the way into the seventh and final frame, when Murphy’s Law struck. A hit batter, a sacrifice, and a misplayed fly ball put Saugus runners at the corners.
A suicide squeeze appeared to be well played by the Lady Vikings, but a momentary lapse allowed the Saugus runner on third to score and the runner on first to get to third. A passed ball then proved decisive.
The Lady Vikings, who now are 3-4 on the season, were set to face Lynn Classical yesterday (Wednesday) and travel to Beverly tomorrow. They will host Peabody Monday and journey to Lynn English next Wednesday.
WHS girls track team wins two straight
The Winthrop High girls track team is on a roll. After dropping its first meet of the season to Swampscott, the Lady Vikings have bounced back with two wins, defeating Salem and Gloucester/Manchester, to position themselves for another run at the NEC South Division title.
Leading the way in Winthrop’s 69-53 triumph over Salem was Amy Sena, who scored 14 points by taking a first in the high jump with a leap of 4-10, a second in the 200 dash in 29.2, a second in the 400 low hurdles in 72.4, and a third in the triple jump with a total distance of 28-6.
Ashley Jurovich was a double winner for the Lady Vikings, placing 10 points onto the Winthrop side of the score sheet with firsts in the shotput with a throw of 31-7 and the discus with a toss of 86-0.
Christa Vaccaro enjoyed a fine day with nine points, taking first in the long jump with a leap of 13-9, second in the mile in 6:41, and third in the 400 low hurdles in 77.0.
Other winners for Winthrop were Carly O’Keefe in the 100 high hurdles in 17.8 and Maria Rago in the 800 in 2:51.
Second place efforts were turned in by Isabella Kennedy in the long jump with a leap of 13-3 (Isabella also took third in the 100 high hurdles in 20.7); Shanel Turransky in the mile in 6:41; Alexis Lever in the javelin with a toss of 39-0; and Jordan Griffiths in the 400 in 69.0
Facing a combined Gloucester/Manchester team for the first time, the girls responded by stepping up and defeating their first South Division opponent.
Sena once again was the top scorer for the Lady Vikings with 18 points. Amy finished first in three events, the 400 hurdles in 72.0, the 400 dash in 66.0, and the high jump with a leap of 4-8. She also added a second in the triple jump with distance of 29-10.
Jurovich was a double winner once again in the shotput with a throw of 31-7 and the discus with a toss of 87-0 for another 10 point day.
Lexi Vaccaro posted 11 points with a first in the triple jump in 30-6 and seconds in the 100 dash (13.5) and 200 dash (28.4).
Alyssa Mackey took a first in the long jump with her leap of 14-4 and thirds in the 400 dash (72.0) and 100 dash (13.5).
Carly O’Keefe took first place in the 100 high hurdles in 17.4 and second in the 800 in 2:52. Other point scorers for Winthrop were Christa Vaccaro with a second in the 400 hurdles in 78.0; Kennedy with third in the 100 hurdles in 21.2; Griffiths with a second in the 400 dash in 69.0; and Wallace with a second in the high jump with a leap of 4-6.
“With Amy Sena quickly becoming an MVP track caliber athlete and Ashley Jurovich developing into a super star shotput and discus thrower, along with Carly O’Keefe’s hurdling skills, Lexi Vaccaro’s jumping, and Alyssa Mackey’s speed, these Lady Vikings are growing into a very strong team,†said long time WHS head coach Warren MacPhail.
“It’s just a shame the people of Winthrop won’t be able to see these girls compete. They’re amazing competitors,†added the coach, whose squad is unable to perform at home because of the inadequacy of the Winthrop track facility. “With the additions of Christa Vaccaro, the youngest Lady Viking ever to qualify for the states in the 400 hurdles, Isabella Kennedy, whom I expect to qualify soon, and Shanel Turransky, the team looks very solid.â€
Baseball team wins one, drops two
The Winthrop High baseball team defeated non league rival East Boston, 15-2 last week. Zack Mills did it all for the Vikings, tossing five strong innings in the starting role and smacking a two run homer. Tyler Gillis also socked a roundtripper for the Vikings that accounted for three RBI.
The triumph was sandwiched between a pair of losses to NEC rivals Marblehead and Saugus. Winthrop is now 2-5 overall.