Vikings Receive Strong Pitching from Goddard, Fucillo

Steve Goddard and Chris Fucillo turned in a pair of strong pitching performances for the Winthrop High baseball team in the Vikings’ contests with Gloucester and Everett this past week.

In a 3-2 triumph over Gloucester last Thursday, Goddard went the entire seven-inning route, allowing just seven hits and only one earned run. “Steven pitched a real gem,” said WHS head coach Frank DeMarco. “He had only two strikeouts, but he was around the plate all day and made them hit the ball.”

Winthrop scored all of its runs in the fifth inning to erase a 1-0 deficit. After Bobby Fisher walked and the next Viking reached on an error, James Baxter singled to bring in Fisher to tie the game. Brendan Van Dalinda then drew a base-on-balls to fill the sacks with Vikes. Jeff Collignon was hit by a pitch to force in a run and Matt Feeley drew a walk to bring Baxter trotting across the plate for what would prove to be the eventual game-winner.

On Monday Winthrop faced Everett in a non-league contest that also was an exclusion game, meaning that it does not count in the Vikings’ official win-loss record for purposes of the MIAA post-season state tournament — a school has the option of counting only 20 games for the tourney and any games beyond that are excludable if declared so at the beginning of the season.

Although the Vikings came out on the short end of a 6-5 decision, Fucillo’s pitching performance in relief was awe-inspiring. James came on in the middle of the fourth frame and finished out the game by recording 10 strikeouts of the 11 Everett batters he faced.

“James’s fastball was overpowering,” noted DeMarco. “He barely threw a curve and just kept throwing fastballs for strikes. They couldn’t  touch him. ”

DeMarco and his crew, who now stand at 4-2 on the season, meet Lynn Classical tomorrow (Friday), host Beverly Monday, and travel to Salem Wednesday .

Tough losses for WHS softball team

The Winthrop High softball team dropped a pair of one-run decisions this past week.

In an 8-7 loss to Gloucester last week, Michelle Lasala had a big day at the plate for the Lady Vikings, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, two runs scored, and an RBI. Ally Scarfo ripped a bases-loaded triple in the second inning that gave the Lady Vikings a 5-1 lead at the time.

Taylor Thomas went the distance for Winthrop, yielding eight hits and a walk, while fanning six enemy hitters. However, some shaky Winthrop defense proved fatal to the Lady Viking cause.

Defense once again was an issue for the Lady Vikings in a 6-5 loss to Woburn Tuesday in the first round of the North End tourney. Woburn scored all six of its runs in the opening frame, of which only two were earned. WHS ace pitcher Maura Lanza, returning for the first time after being sidelined for more than a week with a rotator cuff issue, started and settled down after the rough first inning  Thomas came on in the fourth and gave up only three hits the rest of the way.

After playing in the consolation game of the North End tourney yesterday (Wednesday), the Lady Vikings will host non-league rival Georgetown today for a doubleheader. They will trek to Beverly Monday and host Salem Wednesday.

Sen. Petruccelli finishes Boston Marathon

Senator Anthony Petruccelli never thought in a million years he would run and also finish the historic Boston Marathon but he did just that on Monday.

Last year after the Marathon Bombing emotions were high across Boston and Petruccelli’s were no different.

“It was the Friday when they caught the brothers I told my 5-year-old son Anthony that the police had caught the bad guys,” said Petruccelli. “He looked at me and said ‘now we can finish the race’.”

It was at that moment Petruccelli decided he’s run this year’s Marathon.

“I think I wanted to run to show my two kids and my nieces and nephews what the Boston Marathon suppose to be,” said Petruccelli. “The Marathon is a great sporting event for our city that brings out the best in people and that’s what this year’s race was all about.”

Petruccelli began training last summer, running three miles, then five and leading up to the race was running 19 miles.

However, last week he pulled a calf muscle that he thought would sideline his attempt to run and finish the race.

“I knew I still had to do it,” said Petruccelli.

At 16 miles the calf started to bother him and Petruccelli walked the middle leg of the race after the half waypoint.

“From Hopkington to Boylston Street it was just rows of people cheering us on,” said Petruccelli. “These are people I don’t know and will probably never meet again but it was emotional.”

Petruccelli said he saw one bystander holding a sign that read ‘We Own the Finish Line’ and once Petruccelli hit Kenmore Square he picked it back up and ran to the finish line.

“People were telling us we are running for those who can’t and that made me want to finish,” he said.

It was that and the fact he rode on the bus out to Hopkington with team MR8 (Martin Richard), runners that were running in memory of Martin Richard, the 8-year-old boy from Dorchester killed during last year’s bombing.

“That was a very emotional scene,” said Petruccelli.

All in all Petruccelli finished the race 6:30.

Not too bad for his first time out.

“I don’t know if I have another one in me,” Petruccelli joked while recovering Tuesday. “I have nothing but the utmost respect for the runners that do this every year.”

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Senator Anthony Petruccelli crosses the finish line during Monday’s Boston Marathon.

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