Belmont Baseball, Softball Sweep Watertown in League Openers

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The wind was howling out of the northwest Wednesday, April 9; it was not a day that a home run was going to decide the games at the softball and at Brendan Grant Field at Belmont High School as the school’s softball and baseball teams got their Middlesex League seasons underway against arch rivals Watertown High.

But the Belmont teams didn’t need the long ball as both squads saw their lead pitchers make opening day statements as the Marauders swept the visiting Raiders.

Senior co-captain Brendan Shea gave up a single run to the Raiders as his teammates made Watertown pay for some sloppy early season play to win 7-1. The southpaw, who has signed a letter of intent to play for Div. 1 UMass-Lowell next year, struck out 11 while limiting Watertown to a handful of hits.

“[Shea]’s our number one and pitched out of a couple of tight spots. He’s a gamer and that’s why he’s a scholarship player,” said Head Coach Jim Brown.

Belmont scored four runs in the first three innings on a single hit – a single by sophomore shortstop Cole Bartels –  capitalizing on four miscues by the Raiders. That was more than enough support for Shea who got out of a fifth-inning bases loaded, no out jam with a strike out and a double play created by a base-running mistake by a Watertown player.

“We did some small ball stuff but could have done a little better in our execution. That’s how we are going to win this year, with bunting players over and sac flies,” said Brown.

Over at softball, a very familiar athlete was having her way with the Raiders; senior pitcher Kendel Brown – the stellar defender on both field hockey and Girls’ ice hockey – simply kept Watertown batters off balance while the Marauders’ batters had a field day as Belmont swamped the visitors, 22-4, in a shortened five-inning game.

“We had played one non-league game before this (a 16-2 loss to Cambridge Rindge and Latin) and we weren’t ready having only been outside twice before that game,” said first-year coach Steve Price.

“But I had a good feeling coming into this game after a week of practice and we had our line up ready to go today,” he said.

On the offensive end, sophomore shortstop Julia Rifkin had an inside-the-park home run and batted strongly during each at bat as did senior Micaela McKay and sophomore Lia Muckjian had a pair of hits.

“Really, the entire line up swung the bat very well today as evident by the score,” said Price.

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BAT’s Can Swim: Three PR at National Junior Championships

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They made names for themselves in Massachusetts swimming circles this season and now three members of the Belmont Aquatic Team , the Belmont-based USA Swim Team and member of New England Swimming, have begun to make their presence known on the national scene.

Lead by long-time BAT and Belmont High School Girls’ Swimming Coach Ev Crosscup, Jessica Blake-West, Belinda Donohoe and Andrew Kelley swam many personal best times, including six top-ten times in the 16 & Under age group at the NASA (National Age-Group Swimming Association) Junior National Championship Cup held in Clearwater, Fla during the last week of March.

In their specialties, Blake-West swam a 55.39 in the 100-yard butterfly for fourth and 24.83 in the 50-yard butterfly to finish third, Kelley swam a 51.57 in the 100-yard backstroke for seventh and Donohoe swam a 52.45 in the 100-yard freestyle, all personal best times.

Belmont High sophomores Blake-West and Kelley were crowned state Div. 2 champions (Blake-West in the 100 butterfly and 4×100 medley relay, Kelley in the 100 backstroke) during their swim seasons while Dana Hall student and Carlisle resident Donohoe was named an Eastern Independent League All Star as a freshman.

 

This meet, which wrapped up the team’s short course season, rewarded the hard work and dedication of the coaches and swimmers throughout the season.

Additional highlights from the meet included 17-year old Simone Manuel of Texas-based First Colony Swim Team breaking Natalie Coughlin’s three-year old American Record in the 100 freestyle with a time of 46.83, and Indie Swimming member, 14-year old Michael Andrew breaking two of his standing National Age Group records in the 100 freestyle and the 100 breaststroke.

Belmont Boys’ Lacrosse Gets A Slow Start to the Season

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It was perfect conditions to play a lacrosse match in Belmont on Wednesday, April 2: bright sunshine and temperatures in the low 50s.

But for a young Belmont High School Boys’ Lacrosse team, the outcome was less than ideal. After playing visiting Watertown High School to a 2-2 draw in the first quarter, “the game got away a little quickly” in the second quarter, according to Belmont’s new Head Coach Josh Streit.

And while the Marauders got back to playing the scheme in the second half they had been practicing, Watertown was able to expose Belmont’s new defensive back line – three of the four are new to the top level – and headed down Common Street with the win, 15-8, in the season and home opener for the Marauders.

“Were a very young team almost exclusively sophomores and juniors with 11 new to varsity but there was a lot of real positives to be had,” he said.

Leading the Marauders on offense was sophomore midfield Trey Butler who tallied five goals including a underhanded improvisational goal in close that caught the eyes of the crowd.

“There will be growing pains so there will be a learning curve in the season,” said Streit.

“But there were moments of great lacrosse and great hard work. Even down by nine late, we never gave up.”

Belmont Club Rugby Hits Season Running

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It was the first chance for Head Coach Greg Bruce to see Belmont High School’s Club Rugby’s First XV (a team is made up of 15 players) in action. And while the game was with a very young team from Kearsarge High School from Sutton, NH and the final score, 52-0, fairly indicated the difference in depth, Bruce liked what he saw.

“The boys looked good but there is a lot of work that we need to do. But for the first real contact of  the year, the guys handled themselves real well. They showed a lot of energy tonight, they tackled well and its a good start,” said the always reserved Bruce of this team which won the state’s Div. 1 state championship in May.

Next up for the club (the team can no longer be referred simply as Boys’ Club Rugby as they have a female member) is a match against Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood on Wednesday.

“That will certainly be a big step up in competition,” said Bruce.

Wet Start for Girls’ Lacrosse

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The good news from Friday’s season opener for the Belmont High School Girls’ Lacrosse against a talented Newton North team on March 28 was that the Marauders played the Tigers to a draw in the second half – in fact, outscoring Newton until a Tiger goal in the final 10 seconds of the 30 minute half.

The bad news was that a young Belmont team dug themselves a 10 goal deficit in the first half, trailing 12-2 at half time, ultimately losing 17-7 to Newton North in the first game of the season.

One bright spot for the Marauders was a willingness of the forwards to take goal scoring shots as six players scored with Elena Bragg pocketing two goals.

The team takes on Newton South today, Monday, March 31, at 4 p.m.