Abby Bettencourt (13 K) did her thing for the fifth-seeded Tanners, retiring the first 19 batters she saw in a 6-0 victory in the Round of 32 against No. 28 Westford Academy Sunday at the Kiley Brothers School in the Division 1 softball tournament. She allowed just one hit and also helped the cause at the plate, banging out two hits and scoring one run against the Ghosts.
Sophomore sister and first baseman Lizzie Bettencourt (2 RBI) had just one hit, but it was a big one, another home run, her eighth of the season, tying her for the team lead with senior captains Abby Bettencourt and Logan Lomasney.
Kiley Doolin (2-for-2, 2 runs) had a monster game with a double and triple. Lomasney (2-for-3, run, walk), Jess Steed (1-for-1, double, 2 walks, RBI) and senior captain Avery Grieco (RBI) also contributed to the attack.
The Tanners wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning. Abby Bettencourt led off with a single and stole second. Lomasney followed with a walk and both advanced a base on a double steal. Abby Bettencourt scored on Lizzy Bettencourt’s grounder to short, then Lomasney scored on Grieco’s grounder to short. Doolin and Steed followed with back-to-back doubles to make it a 3-0 game.
Peabody bumped the lead to 4-0 with an unearned run in the second. Kaylee DiNicola walked, stole second and third, then scored on an error.
Lizzy Bettencourt blasted a leadoff homer to right in the bottom of the third. Doolin followed with a triple and scored on Caitlyn Burke’s grounder to first making it 6-0, Tanners.
Abby Bettencourt carried a no-hitter into the seventh, only to see it broken up with one out.
Peabody was scheduled to host No. 21 King Philip at 4 p.m. on Tuesday (too late to print).
