Whaler Sports Roundup May 22 & 23, 2023

In this Whaler Sports Roundup, which includes games from Monday, May 22 and Tuesday, May 23, the girls tennis team won their fourth straight match and are playing their best tennis of the season with the state tournament looming. The girls lacrosse team continued their strong season with two blowout wins to begin the week. The sailing team traveled to Barnstable for their final regatta of the season, and the softball team nearly won their fourth game of the season before a walk-off inning by their opponent.

Girls Tennis Stays Hot, Win Streak Now At Four Games

The girls tennis team beat the Sturgis West Navigators on Monday 4-1 to improve their record to 7-9 this season. The victory was also their fourth in a row.

Second single Lauren Cutone won her match in straight sets 6-2, 6-0. In her postgame match report, Cutone said she felt her net game was good on Monday and that her serves were pretty consistent despite some nerves in the first set.

“I would like to work on ground stroke consistency in the future,” she added.

Third single Hannah Gerardi won her match in straight sets 6-0, 6-0. She said she felt like she improved her net game and shot placement in this match. Moving forward with an eye on the state tournament, she said she would like to work on her serve speed and drop shots.

First doubles pairing Chloe Marrero and Fiona Keltz won their match in straight sets 6-2, 6-0. Keltz said after the match that she and Marrero played pretty well overall, but they believe they should practice covering the middle of the court more.

“Our strategies were good, and we set up some good winners,” Keltz added. “Overall, we had a good match.”

Second doubles pairing Julia Swietlik and Andrea Bunlerssak won their match in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. Bunlerssak said Swietlik played very well – showcasing her quick forehands and saves. As for herself, Bunlerssak said she thinks she had good volleys but added that her backhand could use some work.

The Whalers are currently #22 in the latest state tournament rankings and they will close out their regular season on Wednesday, May 24 at home against the Barnstable Red Hawks at 4 p.m.

Pekarcik’s Nine Goals On Monday Help Nantucket Begin Final Week Of Season On High Note

The girls lacrosse team entered this week with an opportunity to close out their regular season with four home games, and they got off to an excellent start to this homestand with an 18-4 win over St. John Paul II on Monday and a 15-2 win over Dennis-Yarmouth on Tuesday. They are now 15-3 this season with two games remaining on their regular season schedule and have won 11 of their last 12 games.

In Monday’s game against the Lions, Emerson Pekarcik led the team with nine goals. Bailey Lower had six goals and five assists. Maddie Lombardi, Mayson Lower, and Dylan Damian each scored one goal.

Mayson Lower was right behind her sister in the assist department, notching three on the day. Cydney Mosscrop had two. Pekarcik, Damian, and Julia Peraner each tallied one assist.

Claire Misurelli finished with seven saves.

On Tuesday against the Dolphins, Nantucket never left any doubt they’d walk away with another win. The Whalers rotated players in and out as they built a sizeable lead and got goal scoring contributions from six players.

Pekarcik led the team with five goals. Cydney Mosscrop scored three goals. Lombardi, Mayson Lower, and Bailey Lower each scored two goals and Damian scored one goal.

Seniors Lana Bresette, Julia Peraner, and Kalina Natcheva were honored before the game, which was senior day.

Nantucket’s record currently stands at 15-3 this season with two games remaining on their regular season schedule. They are also currently the #5 seed in Div. 4. The Whalers will close out the season with a game against Cape Cod Academy, Div. 4’s #9 ranked team on Thursday, May 25 at 4 p.m. They will play their season finale on Saturday, May 27 against Martha’s Vineyard at 11:30 a.m.

Sailing Ends Season With Two Wins In Quad Regatta

It was a successful season for the Nantucket sailing team in their first year under head coach Bruce Turner. The Whalers finished the season with a 9-3 record and their final regatta was Tuesday afternoon in Barnstable against the Red Hawks, Cape Cod Academy Seahawks, and Martha’s Vineyard Vineyarders.

The Whalers entered Tuesday with a 7-2 record and after over four hours of sailing, they came away with wins over the Red Hawks and Seahawks and a defeat at the hands of the Vineyard.

Nantucket’s record earned them second place in the league behind the Vineyard, who finished their season undefeated.

The Whalers will say good bye to senior Eli Fuller, who junior captain Rory Murray said was one of the team’s most powerful sailors and a teammate who helped the entire team improve regatta after regatta.

Softball Comes Up Short Against Mashpee On The Road

The Whaler softball team believed that they had a great opportunity to split the regular season series with the Mashpee Falcons when they met on Tuesday. Despite losing 11-6 earlier this season, they had beat the Falcons in a scrimmage before the year began.

The Whalers entered the final inning of Tuesday’s game with a 14-12 lead and appeared to be on their way to their fourth win of the season as well as snapping their six game losing streak.

But Mashpee scored three runs in the bottom half of the seventh to walk off with the win, sinking Nantucket’s record to 3-14 this season.

Nantucket had a four run second inning and a five run seventh inning, with key contributions from Rhianna Cranston (two hits), Yahely Del Rosario Gomez (two hits), and Allyson Escobar (two hits). The Whalers also generated their runs in large part to some solid plate discipline, drawing 12 walks.

The Whalers next game is Wednesday, May 24 at home against the Nauset Warriors at 4 p.m.

Looking ahead, here are the scheduled games between now and Friday's Whaler Sports Roundup.

Wednesday, May 24 Schedule:

Girls Tennis hosts the Barnstable Red Hawks at 4 p.m.

Softball hosts the Nauset Warriors at 4 p.m.

Thursday, May 25 Schedule:

Boys Tennis will host the Martha's Vineyard Vineyarders at 1:30 p.m.

Girls Lacrosse will host the Cape Cod Academy Seahawks at 4 p.m.

Baseball will host the Barnstable Red Hawks at 4 p.m..

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