Baseball Team Beats Winthrop

It has been a long time in coming, but when the final out was made in Monday’s 9-5 victory for the Revere High baseball team at Winthrop, four years of frustration were all but forgotten.

“The team has been working hard all season and never has given up” said first year RHS head coach Nick Faggas. “We knew it was only a matter of time before we put it all together and it finally happened Monday. It was great to see all of their effort finally pay off and they were very excited.”

Sophomore Tom Portrait went all the way on the mound for the Patriots, allowing just two hits and fanning six in a strong complete game effort. “Tommy was in control all the way,” noted Faggas. “He kept his composure and focus and got the job done for us.”

Senior DH Nick Russo was the hitting star for the Pats, socking a pair of two run doubles, including a bases loaded two bagger in the fourth inning that keyed a four run Revere rally that vaulted the Pats into a 6-3 lead.

Jonathan Van Buskirk also was a standout for Revere, both at the plate and in the field at his third base post. Jonathan had two hits, scored three runs, and drove in two teammates. But it was his defense that was lauded by Faggas. “Jonathan has a great arm and made big plays all day at third base,” said the coach.

Junior Keanu Rodriguez also was a key cog in the Patriot victory, accounting for two hits and two runs. Portrait helped his own cause, drawing three bases on balls, scoring twice, and driving in a run with a bases loaded walk.

Faggas and his crew hope that they can maintain their momentum when they take on Lynn Classical under the lights at Fraser Field at 7:00 this evening (Wednesday). They will travel to Beverly Monday.

Softball team takes measure of Winthrop

The Revere High softball team went up against one of the top pitchers in the Northeastern Conference, Winthrop High senior Alex Ferri, but when the final out was made, it was the Lady Patriots who were ahead on the scoreboard by a decisive 5-1 margin.

The contest started inauspiciously for Revere, as Ferri mowed down the first three batters she faced, picking up her 500th career strikeout in the process. Ferri continued her dominance into the third frame, but Lady Patriot Stephanie Gregory battled Ferri pitch for pitch until she finally punched a base hit. “Stephanie must have battled Ferri through 16 pitches,” noted RHS head coach Joe Ciccarello. “It was a crucial at bat for us and marked a turning point in the game because Ferri seemed to take a little bit off her pitches after that.”

With Ferri’s aura of invincibility shattered, the Lady Patriots went to work in the following inning. Lindsay Gurska got the Revere rally rolling with a leadoff triple. After Michaela Maguire was hit by a pitch, Alex Ambrosino laid down a perfect bunt that she beat out to fill the sacks with Lady Pats.

Gregory then punched her second hit of the game to bring in Gurska. That brought up Kristina Stella, who came through with a bases clearing triple. Stella herself came home moments later on a base hit by Jackie Noel.

Although that would prove to be the only inning in which Revere would reach Ferri, the damage had been done. Lady Patriot hurler Sabrina Palermo was tossing a masterpiece of her own, ending up with a line that showed eight scattered hits, but just one walk while fanning seven Winthrop hitters.

“Sabrina pitched a superb game for us,” said Ciccarello. “She threw strikes and we made the plays behind her.”

The victory was yet another key “rebound win” for the Lady Patriots following a loss by an identical 5-1 score to Marblehead last Wednesday. Revere took a 1-0 lead in the opening inning on base hits by Noel and Gurska, but was unable to muster anything more after that.

Ciccarello’s crew, who now stand at 7-6 on the season as they pursue their quest for a state tournament berth, will play at Beverly tonight and will meet Swampscott under the lights at Salem State University Friday night. They stay on the road to Lynn Classical Monday and host Lynn English next Wednesday.

Girls tennis team   tops Saugus, 4-1

The Revere High girls tennis team earned its second win of the season with a solid 4-1 triumph over Saugus Monday.

Mounia El-Arar turned in the most impressive win of the day at third singles, handily defeating her Saugus rival in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.  “Mounia really moved the ball around and she herself moved to the ball well,” said RHS head coach Carla Maniscalco.

Sara Grujic turned in a strong effort at second singles to defeat her Saugus counterpart, 6-1, 7-5. Both Lady Patriot doubles teams dispatched their Salem foes with ease.  The first doubles tandem of Sam Harris and Mariah Rivera cruised 6-2, 6-3, as did Nancy Nguyen and Meiling Theng at second doubles, 6-1, 6-1.

Kristina DiFabio, playing at first singles, played well, but came out on the short end of a 6-3, 6-3 decision.

In a match last week with Beverly, the duo of Nguyen and Theng prevailed at second doubles in three hard-fought sets, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5).

Maniscalco and her crew were set to take on Lynn Classical today (Wednesday), Winthrop on Monday, and Lynn English next Wednesday.

Patriot netmen improving despite 

The Revere High boys tennis put up a good fight against Northeastern Conference rivals Peabody and Gloucester, but came out on the short end of a pair of 4-1 decision.

Last week’s contest with Peabody saw RHS head coach Mike Flynn juggle a shorthanded lineup. Soun Lee, who typically plays at first doubles, stepped up to third singles and came through with a victory. Sela Leng, who usually fills a slot at second doubles, played at second singles and played well in a losing effort.

Mladen Pepic moved up from his second singles slot to first and played a hard-fought match against a strong Peabody competitor. The first doubles pairing was filled by brothers Nick and Ryan Tran, together for the first time, and the second doubles tandem featured Nick Mucci (who usually plays singles) with William Truong.

In the battle Monday with Gloucester, Nick Tran turned in what Flynn called  “the best match of the year” with a 6-2, 6-3 triumph at second singles.

Pepic battled fiercely at first singles, but dropped a 7-5, 6-4 decision. Mucci fell 6-0, 6-2 at third singles. The first doubles duo of Lee and Duong Nguyen lost their first match of the season, 6-2, 6-4, while the second doubles team of Leng and Truong fell 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).

Flynn and the Pats, who now are 3-5 overall and 2-2 in the South Division of the Northeastern Conference, have a bust week on tap. They were set to face Marblehead yesterday (Tuesday); meet Salem in a resumption contest today; take on Lynn English tomorrow; then Salem again Monday; Lynn Classical next Tuesday; and Winthrop next Thursday.

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