Hornets finish 16-0 in CAL play for 3rd straight season
Published in the May 24, 2018 edition
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
NORTH READING — How does 48-0 sound?
The softball program has always been one of the most successful teams at NRHS. Back-to-back 16-0 records in CAL play already cemented this generation of Hornets into NR lore forever. But three straight perfect CAL records? That’s dynasty territory.
The Hornets had perhaps the toughest test of their 50-game CAL winning streak (counting the final two wins of the 2015 season) on Monday against the 16-2 Triton Vikings who came into the contest with a 12-game winning streak of their own. But the Hornets kept two perfect records alive as they improved to 16-0 on the season with a 5-3 win.
The Vikings chose to walk North Reading’s Niagara-bound Tara Driver four times after the catcher hit three homers against Triton during NR’s 6-2 win over the Vikings on April 18. The strategy worked well in the 1st inning, but not so much in the 3rd as it set up Cassandra Pascucci who doubled in a run to make it 1-0.
The Hornet offense got going in the 4th when they loaded the bases after singles from Julia Howse and Abby Paine and a walk to Christina Simblaris. Courtney Luker later hit an RBI single to make it 2-0. Simblaris scored on an error and Jessica Ferrazzani crossed the plate on a passed ball for a 4-0 Hornet lead.
The Vikings picked up a run in the 6th, but Pascucci had already shut them down for the majority of the game as the junior pitched yet another complete game, scattering eight hits and two runs while striking out seven on 132 pitches.
North Reading beat Pentucket on May 16, 7-3, following three home runs from Howse, Simblaris and Guiliana Peppe. Peppe hit a two-run shot in the 1st for a 2-0 lead. Simblaris hit a solo-shot in the 5th and Howse got hers to lead off the 6th.
North Reading will play four non-league games to conclude the season as they play home and aways with both Reading and Tewksbury.
