LYNN — A pair of Catholic Central League rivals locked horns in a Division 3 softball quarterfinal on Saturday that received’t quickly be forgotten.
No. 9 Bishop Fenwick (15-9) acquired a two-run single from Katie O’Brien within the prime of the ninth inning to interrupt a scoreless tie in pulling off a 2-0 shocker over No. 1 St. Mary’s (20-2) at Grace Rogato Field.
The Crusaders, winners of 10 straight, transfer on to face Norton within the state semifinals.
“That was just nuts,” Fenwick coach Brian Seabury mentioned. “Katie did a great job of hitting the ball where it was pitched and got us the hit that we needed.”
It felt like neither workforce was going to attain as Spartans hurler Anna Fringuelli and her counterpart, Gigi Aupont, traded zeroes for over two hours. But within the ninth, it was Fringuelli and the Spartans who blinked first.
Walks to Mia Mercurio and Aupont started the body. After a sacrifice from Sophia Longo, O’Brien swung on the first pitch and dumped a single into brief proper to provide her workforce the lead.
The remainder of the job was left to Aupont, who danced out of jams within the fifth and sixth and seventh innings to maintain the sport scoreless.
After Fringuelli reached on a leadoff error, Aupont (CG, 4 hits, 8 strikeouts) acquired back-to-back groundouts earlier than she made a spectacular diving catch on Michaela Walker’s pop-up to finish the sport and spark a wild celebration.
“I kind of equate what Gigi does to being a goaltender in hockey that makes 40 saves a game,” Seabury mentioned. “That’s just the way she pitches and we expect that from her every time she goes to the mound.”
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