Front row, from left: Gina Gibson, Kailey Nelson, Mary Temple, Abby Capone, Elaina Evans, Coach Jayne Lyons; second row, from left: Coach Lorna Schwartz, Amanda Hasenzahl, Amanda Fellowes, Sabrina Schwartz, Jess Peck, Lizzie Benway, Julia Vasta, Coach L.D.; back: Coach Dave Schwartz. (Courtesy photo)
The New England Blizzard, coached by Jayne Lyons and assisted by Dave and Lorna Schwartz, went 5–0–1 to win the ASA Junior Olympic 16B Tournament in Lowell last weekend, allowing only six runs while scoring 28. The team includes Harvard residents Kailey Nelson and Julia Vasta.
The Blizzard, which practices from Out of the Batter’s Box in Littleton and calls Pirone Park in Ayer its home field, was leading 1–0 in a rain-shortened opening game on Friday night, that was scored a 3–3 tie because the game could not be completed.
Gina Gibson (Ayer) pitched a 3–0 complete game shutout of the Tewskbury Redmen 16U for the first game of Saturday afternoon, striking out 12. Blizzard runs were scored by Kailey Nelson of Harvard, Jess Peck (Shirley), and Elaina Evans (Westford). With a runner on in the fourth inning and no outs, catcher Sabrina Schwartz (Ayer) threw down to Harvard shortstop Julia Vasta, who put the tag on to catch a runner attempting to steal second base.
The Blizzard extended its streak by defeating the Granite State Rockers 4–2. Abby Capone (Fitchburg) pitched four innings, recording one strikeout, and Gibson came on in relief for three innings, notching two strikeouts. Nelson scored two runs, and Schwartz and Gibson each added one.
Starting Sunday morning from the fourth seed, Gibson tossed another complete game shutout as the Blizzard beat the fifth-seed Reading Rockets 4–0. Gibson struck out six in seven innings for the win, while scoring two runs herself. Nelson and Schwartz scored a run apiece.
Capone pitched a complete game 6–1 victory over the Tewksbury Redmen in the semifinal, striking out six along the way. Nelson and Schwartz each scored two runs, while Gibson and Capone each added one. Schwartz, who caught for the entire tournament, sent a message that stealing wasn’t going to work for the Redmen, by throwing to Gibson to catch a runner going to third in the first inning, and picking off a runner taking too much of a lead from first to first baseman Amanda Fellowes (Leominster) in the fifth inning.
Lizzie Benway (Westford) was called in to pinch hit to successfully move the runners around. Catcher/outfielder Mary Temple (Stow) was sidelined on the disabled list from a previous tournament’s injury, but brought her team spirit to the tournament. Hadley Barndollar (Stow), a pitcher, was unable to play in the Lowell tournament.
The Blizzard went on to capture the final against the Worcester Heartbreakers 10–3 as Gibson pitched another complete game win, striking out six. Nelson scored three runs from the lead-off spot, while second baseman Amanda Hasenzahl (Bolton) scored two. Schwartz, Fellowes, and Peck each added one run. Gibson hit two long shots to deep center field, one for a triple that she stretched to a score with aggressive base running, scoring two RBIs, and another a home run scoring three RBIs.
Peck and Nelson contributed outstanding defense in the outfield, turning any long hits into outs. Vasta and Fellowes made tough plays look routine all weekend long. Schwartz caught for both pitchers in all six games, her pitch calls consistently baffling opposing batters.
