FILE PHOTO
Liv Smyrnios and the Pioneers earned their 11th win of the season.
By MIKE ALONGI AND STEVE KRAUSE
With a 14-6 win over Hamilton-Wenham on Thursday, the Lynnfield Pioneers girls lacrosse team set a record for wins in a single season with 11. Lynnfield led 7-4 with under two minutes to play but turned up the heat, scoring five goals in the last 1:43 of the half to bump their lead to 12-4 and seal the fate of the Generals.
Liv Smyrnios led the surge with the a goal on a free position shot from the top of the left circle, then added two more in a 30-second span sandwiched around a man-up strike by Gracie Sperling (from Lilli Patterson).
Sophomore Ashley Barrett capped the first half scoring with a goal with only 3.1 seconds left to play.
Lynnfield got off to a sluggish start and trailed 2-0 just three minutes into the game, prompting coach Ethan Blanchette to call a timeout.
“We came out really flat and didn’t have a lot of energy,” said Blanchette. “I’m not sure it was because of the heat or the junior prom tonight, but you could feel it and see it. Thats why I called the first timeout. After that we still were flat, but started punching in a few goals and winning some draws, so that helped. Most of the time we start fast and have been able to stay close with the really good teams in the first half, so we needed to get things going.”
Lynnfield is 11-5 and has two games left in the season.
BOYS LACROSSE
Lynn 10, Everett 2
At Everett Stadium, the Jets raised their record to 5-10 with Nick Duong leading the way with a hat trick.
Also scoring for Lynn were Shidley Belice (2 goals), and Sam Ennis, Pedro Cesa, Michael Clougherty and Kevin Morgan with one each.
Goalie Chris Johnson had five saves.
“It was a tough day to play a game,” said coach Peter Pappagianopoulos. “But the kids showed up ready to go. It was a good effort.”
BASEBALL
Lynnfield 9, Newburyport 0
Fernando Gonzalez got the win on the mound for Lynnfield on Thursday, tossing five innings of shutout ball with just two hits surrendered and six strikeouts. Matt Collins tossed two shutout innings in relief.
Cooper Marengi had the big bat, knocking a home run and driving in four runs to lead the way on offense. Justin Juliano went 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Bryant Dana and Andre Padovani each went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
The Pioneers (16-1) will host North Reading on Tuesday for the team’s Senior Day.
Marblehead 5, Somerville 3
The Gally brothers combined to pitch the game for Marblehead, with Drew Gally getting the start and giving up three unearned runs in 5 2/3 innings. Chris Gally tossed the final 1 1/3 innings and got the win.
After losing a 2-0 lead and falling behind 3-2 in the sixth inning, Marblehead rallied to tie it up after Somerville’s pitcher balked in the tying run. Chris Gally ended up reaching on an error that scored the go-ahead run, then Braden Haley knocked in James McCarthy to give Marblehead the two-run lead.
SOFTBALL
Marblehead 6, N. Reading 4 (10 innings)
Sammy Treff and Bell Sogoloff hit RBI singles in the top of the 10th as the Magicians (13-3 overall and 11-2 in the Northeastern Conference) handed the Hornets their first loss of the season.
Charlotte Plakans went the entire game giving up nine hits while striking out six.
Marblehead gave up three runs in the first and one in the fifth, but Plakans shut the Hornets down after that.
Marblehead got one of those runs back in the first and then tied the game in the sixth inning with three runs.
Sogoloff was 3-for-5 while driving in three runs, including a big 2-run single in the sixth. Treff was also 3-for-5 with an RBI. Plakans helped her cause by going 3-for-5 with a double, and Montana Joyce doubled in a run in the sixth.
“This was a huge win for us,” said coach Johnny Gold. “We defeated the No. 1 ranked Division 2 team in the North.”
The Magicians won’t have too much time to rest. They play today (5) at Classical.
BOYS TENNIS
Lynn Classical 4, Revere 1
In a match that was closer than the score suggests, Classical swept the doubles portion and added two singles wins on a scorching day where court temperatures reached up to 102 degrees. Calvin Cheung got the win over Revere’s David Grujic, 6-4, 7-5, while Moses Ba took down Andrea Shehaj in a three-setter in second singles, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6. In doubles play, the team of Stephen Ong and Gerry Ennis took its match, 6-2, 6-3, and the team of Jonathan Chase and Andy Ma won its match, 6-0, 6-1.
With the win, the Rams improved to 10-2 and officially qualified for the state tournament.
Winthrop 4, Danvers 1
The Vikings set a school record for wins in a season with their 12th win of the year on Thursday, breaking the record they set last year by one game. Corey Cherico took the first singles match, 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, Arthur Borasch won the second singles match, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, and Timmy Duyon got the win in third singles, 6-1, 6-0. The fourth point was notched by the doubles team of Kevin Dorr and Jaylin Cordes, 6-2, 6-0.
Winthrop (12-4) will now await its seed in the state tournament.
Latin Academy 3, Marblehead 2
The first and second doubles teams got the point for the Magicians, with captains Sam Orenstein and Garrett Tully defeating Kavos Mutisya and Kakit Wong, 6-1, 6-1, and Dan Litvak and Jack Quigley beating Lawrence Byrne and Andre Gooding-Chavis, 6-0, 6-1.
In singles, it was Justin Faia falling to Sam Pham 6-1, 6-0; Felix Litvak losing to Kevin Kubinec, 6-1, 7-5; and sophomore Billy Ackerman faced a very strong opponent in senior Garrett Sheerin, before succumbing, 6-2, 6-0.
Swampscott 3, Gloucester 2
Sam Mayblyum won first singles (6-4, 6-0), then the Big Blue swept the doubles portion with the team of Owen Madigan-Fried and Steve Santanello (2-6, 6-2, 11-9) and the team of Dan Johnson and Justin Ratner (7-5, 6-2).
Swampscott (10-2) will take on St. Mary’s on Monday.
GIRLS TENNIS
Lynnfield 4, North Andover 1
It’s been a tough couple days for the Lynnfield girls tennis team, playing matches on back-to-back days of over 90-degree temperatures. But still, the Pioneers fought through and improved to 13-1 with a win on Thursday. Sarah Mezini got the win in first singles, 6-0, 6-1, Camie Foley won second singles, 6-3, 6-1, and Alexa Vittiglio took third singles, 6-3, 6-2. The Pioneers also got a doubles win from the team of Katie Nevils and Katie Nugent, 6-0, 6-4.
Lynnfield will travel to Ipswich for a match on Monday afternoon.
Lynn Classical 5, Revere 0
The Rams earned a berth in the state tournament for the third consecutive year with a win on Thursday, sweeping the Patriots on the road. Lizzie Troisi got the win in first singles, 6-0, 6-0, Anh Nguyen took second singles, 6-1, 4-1 (ret.), and Fereshtah Tajiki won the third singles match, 6-2, 6-1. In doubles play, the team of Lexi Ferraro and Abby Stafford fought for a three-set win, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2, and the team of Daphne Pineda and Shanelle Barry also won a three-setter, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
“This year we have six kids playing varsity who have never played in a varsity match before,” said Classical coach Chris LeBlanc. “For us to be 8-4 at this point in the year, I’m impressed with them.”
Classical (8-4) will go up against Beverly this afternoon.
Marblehead 3, Manchester-Essex 2
In a battle of unbeaten teams, the Magicians prevailed in the record heat. The third point was finally decided after a 2 1/2-hour battle between the No. 1 singles players Michelle Shub and Chanel Bullock, with Shub taking it, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
The Magicians’ other points came from their first doubles team of Megan Ryan and Lily Frontero (6-2, 6-0) and second doubles players Kaelyn Attridge and Simone Likterov (6-2, 6-4).
Hannah Porath lost at second singles to Christina Bullock, 6-1, 6-2; and Julie Channing fell, 6-3, 6-1, to August Kahle in second singles.