LYNN — A come-from-behind victory highlighted the 22nd Agganis All-Star softball game in 6-5 South win over the North at Fraser Field Sunday.
“I love coaching this game because it’s one more game with my girls,” South coach Erica Richard (Classical), who also coached the South team last year, said. “You get to coach such an awesome group of girls that you see all year and ones you’ve never met. It’s such a nice group and it was a nice come-from-behind win. We had fun.”
Olivia McManus (Revere) picked up the win for the South, throwing five innings and allowing one run on two hits and three walks with one strikeout. Anastasia Bessler (1-for-1, two walks two runs, RBI) had a big day at the plate and Mercedez Pelletier (2-for-2, RBI) earned MVP honors.
“(Saturday) in a tournament game I got a cleat to the knee so I didn’t think I would be playing as much as I did,” Pelletier said. “It means a lot to win MVP. It shows that I worked a lot, and I really did. I’m just proud of myself.”
The South jumped out to an early lead with a pair of runs in the first and second inning. Bessler (Mystic Valley) led the game with a walk and later scored on a wild pitch to give the South a 1-0 lead.
Kayla Morrill (Classical) got things started in the second with a single and moved over to second base on a ground out. Mercedez Pelletier (Marblehead) plated Morrill with a double to stretch the lead to 2-0.
The North answered in the second. Julia Pitman (Beverly) and Janelle Richard (Peabody) laced a pair of singles and Cori Rizzo (Beverly) walked to load the bases. One run scored on a passed ball and two more runs came around to score on an infield error. Jordan Sullivan (St. Mary’s) came through next with a RBI single to give the North a 4-2 lead.
A walk and a sacrifice bunt put another runner in scoring position in the third and Sammy Cooke (Hamilton-Wenham) laced a RBI single to stretch the North lead to 5-2.
The South chipped away in the sixth. Pelletier and Bella Perrotti (Winthrop) led the inning with singles and Colette Skinner (Melrose) drive in a run with another single to cut the North lead to 5-3.
The South capitalized on a few wild pitches in the seventh. Rebecca Walker (Classical) doubled and later scored on a wild pitch. Bessler drove in the tying run later with a single and later scored the winning run on another wild pitch.
The North managed 1-out hits from Nicole Modica (Fenwick) and Cooke in the seventh put McManus forced a flyout and struck out her last batter to seal the win.
St. Mary’s Jordan Sullivan (1-for-2, RBI) earned MVP honors for the North.
“It’s so much fun,” North coach Megan Sudak (Beverly) said. “I know some of the kids from the conference and I coach another team so there are some from that. The Agganis Foundation is amazing to begin with. What they’ve done for all these communities and kids is great. It’s an honor to come in here and coach and just have fun. It’s all about having fun and playing one last game. We all love softball for a reason and it’s always fun to see that in this game.”