Connie Mack Athletics U-11 softball win close games

The Connie Mack U-11 softball Yankees and Athletics met for the first time this season on a warm, sunny evening at Dellwood South. The Athletics won 10-9.

Heather Sidell led off for the Yankees with a sharp hit between first and second and stretched it to a double on an overthrow to first. A's pitcher Rachel Callea struck out the next batter but the bases were loaded with walks to Chloe Dean and Terese Regan. Callea then tallied her second strikeout before Sarah Shallowhorn drove a ball deep to center field for a two-RBI double. Walks to Bethany Jones and Samantha Hyatt gave the Yankees their three-run limit for the inning.

The Athletics answered with three runs in the bottom of the first. Alison Staebell singled and Brigid Ryan reached on a walk. The next batter was out on strikes pitched by Brianna Barbarossa. Megan Mallon then hit to center field to score Staebell but was held to a single by the quick fielding of Terese Regan in the outfield. Ryan and Mallon scored on walks to Sammy Dispenza, Callea, and Kelsey Dwello.

The Yankees added three more runs in the second on multiple walks to Barbarossa, Heather Sidell, Marisa Harling, Dean, Regan and Taylor Sidell. Melissa Mallon led off for the A's with rocket to deep center field for a triple but was stranded at third when Barbarossa struck out the next three batters.

The Yankees added to their lead in the third with three more runs on walks. The determined A's got their bats going in the third to edge closer with three runs. Staebell beat a throw from shortstop to first, Ryan worked the count with multiple foul balls and walked, and Sophia Militello hit a liner passed third base to score Staebell.

Regan, playing at first base, fielded a liner hit by Megan Mallon and held the runners from scoring. The bases were loaded when Dispenza walked and slugger Melissa Mallon sent another ball to center field for a two-RBI double.

The Yankees were held scoreless in the fourth on a combination of walks and strikeouts but still led by three runs. The A's got one run after newcomer Kaitlyn Schinaman singled and scored on a hit by Staebell. Yankees pitcher Heather Sidell had two strikeouts and the third out came on a caught pop fly at home plate by then catcher Regan.

The Yankees were unable to score in the fifth after pitcher Megan Mallon struck out two and Ryan fielded a sharply hit grounder down the first base line for the unassisted putout.

The Athletics took the lead in the fifth with a single to short left field from Megan Mallon, a sacrifice from Callea and walks to Dispenza and Dwello, who scored on the third multiple base hit from Melissa Mallon for the night.

The Yankees were again held scoreless in the sixth when pitcher Megan Mallon fielded a grounder and threw to her sister Melissa at first for the first out and then struck out two batters.

The Athletics' game ball was awarded to Megan Mallon for her outstanding pitching, hitting and fielding. Both teams' fans were impressed by the fielding of the Yankees' Regan. Rebecca Regan, Taylor Gibbon, and Elizabeth Pittari were late arrivals but played well for the A's in the field.

Athletics 11, Red Sox 10

The Red Sox and the Athletics met for the second time this season on a sunny Saturday morning at Dellwood North.

The Athletics persevered after trailing the entire game to pull ahead on their final at-bat for the one-run win.

The Red Sox took the early lead with three runs in the top of the first, starting with singles from Jen Krajik and Dominque Jones and walks to Patricia Andrews, Gina Maisano, Grace Garlick, and Shannon DesRosiers. Garlick then took the mound for the Red Sox and tallied two walks and three strikeouts to keep the A's scoreless.

Taylor Gibbon came back in to pitch for the A's in the second but was unable to stop the powerful Red Sox batters. Amy Trabert led with a single to right field and scored on a double hit by Madeline Grisko. Jordan Tiras and Sarah Parrish loaded the bases on walks. Jen Krajnik then drove a long fly ball to left field to score Grisko and Tiras for the three-run limit.

The A's were able to put one run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning. Melissa Mallon singled past the shortstop, advanced on steals to third, and scored on a hit by Rachel Callea. The bases were loaded on walks to Lizzie Pittari and Sammy Dispenza but the Red Sox defense held as Gina Maisano caught Brigid Ryan's pop fly towards first base for the third out. Callea, in relief, struck out the first Red Sox batter.

Maisano was held to a single on a sharply hit ball well fielded by Pittari but bases were loaded on walks to Garlick and DesRosiers.

Jones then scored Maisano with an infield hit. Garlick then scored on a walk to Amy Trabert. Madeline Grisko hit a long fly ball to left center that was caught by Megan Mallon, who then ran in to touch third base to get the third out before the runner could get back to tag up, holding the Red Sox to two runs for the inning.

The Athletics brought the score to 8-4 by adding three runs in the bottom of the second. Taylor Gibbon, Sophia Militello, and Megan Mallon loaded the bases with walks and Gibbon scored on a walk to Rebecca Regan. Melissa Mallon then scored her sister Megan and Militello with a two-RBI single to center field.

Neither team was able to score in the fourth inning as A's pitcher Megan Mallon struck out three out of four batters as did Red Sox pitcher Grisko.

Mallon then retired the Sox in the fifth with three strikeouts and the A's came within one with three more runs in the bottom of the inning. Dispenza and Ryan walked, Gibbon hit to center field to score Dispenza and advance Ryan to third, but was out on the tag at second on sharp fielding by Andrews and DesRosiers. Militello reached on a walk and advanced on a grounder to left field hit by Megan Mallon that scored Ryan. Militello crossed the plate on a hard hit ball by Melissa Mallon.

The Red Sox looked to significantly expand their lead in the unlimited run sixth inning but were only able to add two more runs. Trabert led off with a walk and advanced on a single from Grisko, but was out on the force at third base when Kaitlyn Schinaman fielded a grounder hit down the third base line by Amanda Krajnik and beat Trabert to the base for the first out. Gibbon, playing at first, grabbed a grounder hit by Jordan Tiras for the second out but Tiras got the RBI as Grisko scored.

Jen Krajnik scored her sister Amanda on an infield single towards the short stop but then Callea who had returned to the mound for the A's , was able to get her second strikeout of the game for the third out. Trailing by three runs, the Athletics completed their rally. Kelsey Dwello, Schinaman and Dispenza loaded the bases on walks.

Red Sox first baseman Maisano fielded a grounder from Callea for the first out. Pitcher Grace Garlick got her fifth strikeout for the second out.

Down to their last out and still behind by three runs, Ryan came to the plate for the A's and fouled off a number of pitches before ultimately getting a walk which scored Dwello. Schinaman scored on a timely hit from Gibbon. Fortune was smiling on the A's as one of their most consistent hitters, Megan Mallon came up to bat and delivered with a long shot to deep center field scoring Dispenza and Ryan for the win.