RallyNorth.net

LOWELL — After more than seven innings of outstanding pitching and spotless defense, a few inches led to heartbreak for the Central Catholic softball team yesterday.

With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and a runner at third, No. 10 Revere’s Victoria Russo was able to bloop a ball barely over the infield and just a hair inside the first base line scoring the run that dealt the No. 11 Raiders a devastating 1-0 loss in the Division 1 North semifinals at Martin Field.

LAWRENCE — The Central Catholic softball team wasn’t going to let the rain get to them.

Meg Hanley fired a 3-hitter with three strikeouts as Central Catholic beat Burlington 3-0. The Devils dropped to 15-2. Madison Borrelli, Devlin Frost and Dylan Parsons drove in the Raider runs.

Karoline Leavitt (4 for 4) and Krista Maloney both had home runs and combined for seven RBIs as Central Catholic smacked Chelmsford 12-8. Caleigh Finneral added a bases-loaded double for the Raiders (10-4). 

Methuen's softball team swept Central Catholic, winning its second matchup 12-3 behind a grand slam by Meghan Murphy and a two-run homer by Amanda Lemire. Murphy was 2 for 3 with five RBIs for the Rangers (12-3) and scored twice and Kayla Potter was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and scored twice. 

Dylan Parsons hit a walkoff two-run double to right-center field to give Central Cathoilc a 5-4 comeback win over Dracut. Parsons drove in Karoline Leavitt and Madison Borrelli who scored easily from second and third to give the Raiders the win.

Behing Kayleigh Forgetta's nifty four-hitter, Methuen picked up its first win over Central Catholic in at least four years, 2-0. Kayla Potter and Amanda Lemire had RBI singles for the Rangers, who improved to 9-1, and Kat LeFebre had a key pickoff throw to nail a runner at first base in the sixth.

Karoline Leavitt slugged a three-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the fifth and totalled four hits and seven RBIs as Central Catholic beat whipped Haverhill 18-2. Dylan Parsons also had four hits while Krista Maloney, Ally Cavanaugh and Devlin Frost had three apiece.