Sports Roundup: Softball Wins Third Straight Game Following Late-Inning Rally
David Creed •
This Whaler sports roundup includes updates on the softball team after a come from behind victory, the boys lacrosse team following a gutsy road win, the boys and girls tennis teams, and the girls lacrosse team.
Softball Beats DY Following Late-Inning Rally
The Whaler softball team entered the bottom half of the sixth inning on Friday trailing Dennis-Yarmouth 8-7 but orchestrated a late-game rally to come from behind and earn a 10-8 victory over the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins.
The hero of the game was Ava Watson, who hit a two-RBI triple in sixth inning to give Nantucket a 9-8 lead, and then she was able to cross the plate to give an insurance run to the Whalers. She was in the middle of everything Nantucket did offensively against the Dolphins.
“Ava really got us rolling with the hits,” Whaler head coach Grace-Anne Tornovish said. “That was her third hit of the game. Offensively I think it was a great team effort. Everyone picked it up after the third inning.”
Nantucket was unable to score through three innings and found themselves in a 7-0 hole entering the bottom of the fourth. It led to a team huddle before their at-bats in the inning, and they responded to their coach's messaging by scoring five runs in the fourth to cut the Dolphin’s lead to 7-5.
The rally was started with Watson’s first hit of the game – a single – followed by back-to-back doubles by Allyson Escobar and Lola Caron. Seren Cristler also chipped in with an RBI-single to help the Whalers generate their first offensive damage of the day.
“We started out a little flat, but we really got going after Ava’s first hit and we just continued to roll with it offensively and defensively,” Tornovish said.
Nantucket’s defense was sharp despite the weather being rainy and sloppy. Left fielder Rihanna Cranston made two impressive catches in the outfield to save several runs in the final few innings and keep Nantucket within striking distance.
“Those were two huge catches by Rihanna in left field,” Tornovish said. “She really hustled to get to those balls and that saved us at least five runs. Seren Cristler pitched a great game and Aliza (Mansfield) was great behind the plate. But everyone really just worked their butts off (Friday) to get this win.”
The win was Nantucket’s third in a row and they are now 4-8 this season as they try to claw their way up to a .500 win percentage, which would clinch them a spot in the state tournament.
“Everything has been clicking the past few games,” Tornovish said. “Today was a huge team effort and hopefully we can keep that going.”
The Whalers were scheduled to play O’Bryant in a doubleheader on Saturday, May 10th but it was postponed due to weather. Nantucket’s next game is scheduled for Monday, May 12th at home against the Monomoy Sharks at 4 p.m. The Whalers played Monomoy earlier this season on April 2nd and lost 16-1.
Boys Lax Edges Out Shrewsbury For Gutsy Win
The boys lacrosse team went on the road to play Shrewsbury High School, a Div. 1 program poised to make the state tournament this spring. Nantucket was without faceoff man David Cirillo and attacker Nolen Mosscrop but found a way to win 4-3 on the back of strong defense and another strong goaltending performance by Jeremy Jenkinson, who finished with 10 saves.
Nantucket is currently the #4 seed in the latest MIAA Div. 4 state tournament bracket. If they remain in the bracket’s top four after the final two weeks of regular season play conclude, they would be guaranteed playoff home games through the state quarterfinal were they to advance through the tournament to that point and go on another deep postseason run.
Tyler Miller led Nantucket with two goals. Jake Johnson and Arann Hanlon each scored one goal. Canton Jenkinson had the only Whaler assist of the game.
The Whalers, now 8-4, will try to win their ninth game of the season on Wednesday, May 14th at home against the Falmouth Clippers at 4 p.m. Nantucket lost to Falmouth 10-3 on the road May 1st. The Clippers are one of the top teams in Div. 3 and are currently the #2 seed with a 10-3 record.
Boys & Girls Tennis Lose To Martha’s Vineyard
The boys and girls tennis teams lost to Martha’s Vineyard over the weekend. The girls hosted the Vineyard for a doubleheader and lost both matches 4-1. Senior Vicky Todorova won both of her matches representing Nantucket as the #3 single player.
Todorova won her first match in straight sets 6-1, 6-2. She said afterwards that she played consistently and strategically while making the majority of her first serves and kept the ball in play. She said she felt her and her opponent were evenly matched, but had an edge thanks to her ball placement.
Todorova won her second match 11-9 despite some unforced errors. She said she felt like she maintained a consistent level of play and that her mental game was solid in both matches. She added that she felt her opponent was also consistent and had some good points.
“Overall, I think I did a good job staying both physically and mentally in the game,” Todorova said. “Something I need to work on in the future is coming into the net after I hit deep balls and improving my slicing.”
The girls are now 5-5 this season and their next match is scheduled for Wednesday, May 14th at home against the St. John Paul II Lions at 4 p.m. Nantucket lost to SJP 4-1 earlier this season on the road.
As for the boys tennis team, they lost to Martha’s Vineyard on the road Saturday afternoon 5-0. The Vineyard is undefeated this season and the #1 seed in Div. 3, which means Nantucket’s placement in the Div. 4 bracket should not be impacted too much.
The Whalers are 4-8 this season and are currently the #15 seed in Div. 4. Their next match is scheduled for Wednesday, May 14th on the road against St. John Paul II at 3:30 p.m. The Whalers beat SJP 5-0 earlier this season at home.
Girls Lacrosse Loses To Falmouth
The girls lacrosse team lost to the Falmouth Clippers 10-9 Saturday afternoon. The loss dropped Nantucket’s record to 7-4 this season. The Whalers have now lost two straight games by a combined three goals after winning five of their previous six games. They will try to snap the losing streak on Wednesday, May 14th against Cape Cod Academy at 3:30 p.m. on the road.
Nantucket lost to CCA 11-7 earlier this season on April 17th at home. CCA is currently the #10 seed in Div. 3 while Nantucket is currently the #9 seed in Div. 4.
SCHEDULE AHEAD:
Monday, May 12th:
The softball team will be at home playing the Monomoy Sharks at 4 p.m.
Tuesday, May 13th:
The sailing team will be on the road for a regatta against the Nauset Warriors at 4 p.m.
You can view all of the MIAA power rankings here.