Shortstop Lindsay Maroney ’07 slammed two fastballs past the Worcester outfielders lst Saturday, getting four RBI’s for Andover in an exciting game it won 4-2. Andover’s last encounter with Worcester was still fresh in the mind of the Andover veterans. In the ’05 season, Andover had lost to Worcester 4-3 in a tiebreak on a very controversial call. The team was eager to avenge the loss and went into the game looking for a win against a talented opponent. Early in the first inning, Worcester scored a run on an Andover error, but Andover answered back in the third inning, as Maroney’s big hit past the left fielder scored two runs to put Andover in the lead at 2-1. Later on in the game, another Worcester player scored on an error, tying the game at 2-2. The tie would not last long as Andover responded again in the fifth inning. Captain Melissa Tetreau ’06 put down a fantastic bunt to move the runners along, in a vital play that aided in the team’s victory. Then Maroney stepped up to the plate and drove a pitch into the outfield, hitting in Sara Ho ’08 and Nicole Duddy ’08, making the score 4-2. Said Captain Tetreau of the big win, “Saturday’s game showed our true potential. Each person contributed somehow whether it was a hit, bunt or walk. In a close game like that, all the little things add up” From then on, Andover’s defense executed, and pitcher Claire Fox ’06 pitched an amazing game. Throwing a total of 80 pitches, 64 of which were strikes, it was Fox’s smart and successful pitching that held the Worcester offense to two runs. Andover faced its toughest opponent in the most exciting game of the season so far on Monday against Brooks. The game was an enormous nail-biter for both sides, but Andover prevailed, winning 7-4. Pitcher Claire Fox ’06 came through for the team, fending off the pressure and withstanding seven innings of pitching. Midgame, it seemed victory could go either way, with Andover holding a slim 5-4 lead. However, Andover pulled away from its rival in the sixth inning, scoring two more runs to make the final score 7-4. Offensively, Andover executed its short game well, a factor that the team had focused many practices on, and put down several bunts that attributed to the win. The following day, Andover played a gritty New Hampton team, coming through with a 6-2 win. Although Andover’s fatigue showed while playing three games in four days, Fox’s fast-paced pitches proved too much for the New Hampton offense to handle. Fox had taken over for Veda Eswarappa ’08, who pitched four innings. By the fourth inning, Andover was behind 2-0. Through capitalizing on defensive errors made by New Hampton, as well as aggressive hitting, bunting and base-running, Andover scored five runs in one inning alone, giving Andover a 5-2 lead. Andover would go on to extend its lead to 6-2 in the sixth inning, winning it’s fifth consecutive game this season and increasing it’s season record to 7-2. Said catcher Clegg of the wins, “ Heading into this past week’s games, we knew we would be facing some tough competition, and we would need to execute offensively and generate some offense. After four intense games, I can speak for the team and say we achieved our goals.”
