Warriors host Swampscott tomorrow in Div. 2 North first round game
AMANDA BOULTER, a senior, was named a Middlesex League Freedom Division All-Star. Boulter and the rest of the Warrior softball team are seeking a first round tournament win when it hosts Swampscott tomorrow at Vets’ Field. (Donna Larsson File Photo)
By DAN MARGARITA
WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield Memorial High softball team will host Swampscott on Wednesday afternoon as it begins tournament play and coach Rick “Coach Q.” Quattrocchi will be bringing a roster of all-stars with him.
The Warriors (14-6) were seeded seventh in the 16-team Div. 2 North field and will host 10th-ranked Swampscott (13-9) tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. at Vets’ Field in a first round game.
Emma Kraus was selected as a Middlesex League All-Star for the third time. Pitcher Amanda Boulter was selected as was sophomore Alexi Truesdale and freshman Meghan Burnett. Nicole Gasdia was named Honorable Mention.
“I’m real happy about it. We had the most all-stars in the Freedom Division. Plus, a freshman and a sophomore. A sophomore, yeah once in a while. A freshman, never,” said the coach.”
Kraus named League MVP for the second season in a row, which, as “Coach Q.” noted is, “unprecedented in Wakefield history.”
With a large gap of time between the end of the regular season and the start of the tournament, “Coach Q.” has had to work to keep his team sharp.
“We practice every day and we had two scrimmages against Lynnfield, home and away, and we did very well against them. There’s only so much you can practice so we’re just itching to get back,” he noted.
The coach has an idea of what his team will be facing on Wednesday.
“I got a real good scouting report on them. Their main pitcher is a girl named Hannah Leahy. She throws pretty well and either bats first or third for them. They have a very good center fielder named Rizza who’s hit five or six home runs. They have a very good catcher.”
The Swampscott lineup will prove a challenge for Wakefield, as “Coach Q.” noted, “They don’t play small ball. They swing for the fences and they’re a free-swinging team. They’re in a good league and finished 13-9 overall. But now they’re going to play somebody from the Middlesex League and we’re looking forward to it.”
The Wakefield-Swampscott winner will play in the quarterfinals on Friday at 4 p.m. The winner will take on the winner of a first round game tomorrow at 4 p.m. between second-seeded Marblehead (16-3) and 15th-ranked Newburyport (10-10). The quarterfinal will be at the home field of the higher seeded team.
Also in Div. 2 North from the Middlesex League are Reading, Arlington, Burlington, Melrose and Wilmington.
Reading (17-3) was the top ranked team and it will face 16th-seeded Dracut in the first round tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Reading High School.
Arlington (15-5) was seeded fourth and the Spy Ponders will take on 13th-ranked Wilmington (10-10) in a first round game tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. in Arlington.
Burlington (13-5) was seeded sixth and the Red Devils will take on 11th-ranked Melrose (10-8) in a first round game tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. at Burlington High School.
The details of the rest of the quarterfinal games and semifinal games are to be announced. The Div. 2 North final is scheduled to be played on Sunday, June 14 at 2 p.m. at Martin Field in Lowell.
Lexington and Woburn are in the 25-team Div. 1 North sectional.
Lexington (13-6) is seeded eighth and it will face 25th-ranked Central Catholic (10-10) in a preliminary round game tomorrow at 4 p.m. in Lexington. The winner will face the winner of preliminary round game tomorrow between ninth-ranked Lynn Classical (13-7) and 24th-seeded Peabody (10-10) in a first round match-up on a day, time and venue to be announced.
Woburn (12-8) is seeded 16th and will face 17th-ranked Newton South (12-8) in preliminary round game on Thursday at 4 p.m. in Woburn. The winner will take on top-ranked Newton North (18-2) in a first round game on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Newton North.
Like Div. 2 North, the dates, times and venues of the quarterfinal and semifinal round are to be announced. The Div. 1 North final is scheduled for Sunday at 4 p.m. at Martin Field in Lowell.
(Sports Editor Jim Southmayd contributed to this report).
