Palermo Hurls Perfect Game in Win over Salem

Freshman Sabrina Palermo tossed a perfect game to lead the Revere High softball team to a 12-0 win over Salem last Wednesday.

“Sabrina pitched a tremendous game, especially for a freshman,” said RHS head coach Joe Ciccarello.

Teammates Jacqui Noel (a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate), Logan DiCarlo (two hits), and Kristina Stella (two doubles for four RBI) provided more than enough offensive support for Palermo’s no hits, no runs, and no walks performance, while also playing perfect, errorless defense behind her.

“We swung the bats well and played strong defense,” noted Ciccarello, who lauded the defensive efforts of freshman Stella at second base and Noel in centerfield. “It was one of those games where we put it all together.”

The next day the Lady Patriots showed they also can win the close ones, pulling out a 7-3 win at Medford, a contest that was a 3-3 affair until Revere broke it open with four markers in the sixth. Lindsay Gurska’s two run triple was the key blow of the rally. Stella laid down a perfectly executed suicide squeeze to add the exclamation point to the Revere uprising.

Revere had grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to some Medford errors and an RBI base hit by Michaela Maguire, but Medford would knot matters with three markers in the third.

However, that would prove to be the only time that the Lady Mustangs would reach Palermo, as Sabrina once again turned in a strong performance on the mound, going all seven innings in which she yielded just seven hits to pick up the “W.”

Ciccarello and his crew hope to keep their momentum going when they host Saugus today (Wednesday) and Danvers tomorrow.

Baseball team falls short in extra innings

The Revere High baseball team came oh-so-close to notching its first win of the season Friday, rallying for four runs in the seventh inning to force their game with Northeast Regional into extra innings. But the Patriots were unable to push in the go ahead run in the next three frames, a feat Northeast accomplished in the bottom of the 10th for an 8-7 victory.

“We have a young team that is working hard and improving with every game,” said RHS head coach Nick Faggas. “We’re playing well, but we just need that little bit extra to get us into the win column.”

The Pats grabbed a 3-0 lead in the opening inning with a double by R.J. Tiorano and a base hit by Keanu Rodriguez (who had two hits on the day and played a solid game defensively in centerfield) keying the rally.

Tom Portrait pitched well and maintained the lead into the fifth inning before some miscues behind him allowed Northeast to put some runs up on the board in the fifth and sixth innings.

T.J. McDonald, Tiorano, and John Papasadora came through with base hits in the big Revere rally that tied the game. Mark Maloney came on in the seventh and pitched three outstanding innings, the lone marker off him coming on an RBI double with two outs in the 10th.

The Patriots played well against two of the perennial powers of the Northeastern Conference, Lynn English and Salem, earlier in the week. Southpaw senior captain Jim Ortiz spun a fine five hitter against English, fanning five enemy batters, but the Pats managed only three hits in a 4-0 loss.

The contest with Salem was a tight 3-2 affair into the sixth until some Patriot miscues allowed Salem to break the game open for an eventual 8-3 triumph.

RHS boys tennis team drops close encounter 

The Revere High boys tennis team, who the week before had defeated Winthrop in a contest that lasted more than three hours and eventually was shortened on account of darkness,   remained in Marathon mode in their lone match during the vacation week, engaging in a three hour duel with Gloucester. However, the Patriots were not as fortunate in this marathon affair, eventually coming out on the short end of a 3-2 decision.

The first doubles tandem of Soun Lee and Duong Nguyen continued to roll along, handily dispatching their Gloucester counterparts, 6-1, 6-1. “Soun and Duong are undefeated and playing great tennis,” said RHS head coach Mike Flynn of the duo, who are 4-0 on the season.

Malden Pepic, playing at second singles, won his match in about as hard-fought fashion as is possible, winning the two needed sets in tie breakers by identical scores, 7-6 (7-5) and battling fiercely in the set he dropped, 4-6.

The Patriots’ number one singles player, Nick Tran, also fought point-for-point with his Gloucester rival, but fell short, 3-6, 6-1, 4-6. “Nick made a great comeback bid in the third set,” said Flynn. “He was down 5-1 and made it 5-4, but the Gloucester boy held his serve in the final game.”

Nick Mucci at third singles also came close to victory, but fell in two tough sets, 6-7 (4-7), 5-7. The second doubles team of Sela Leng and William Truong fell in their match, 0-6, 1-6.

Flynn and his crew, who now stand at 2-2 on the season, have a busy stretch ahead with six matches in 11 days.

RHS girls tennis in close match       

The Revere High girls tennis team dropped a close 3-2 contest to Salem last Wednesday.

Sara Grujic, playing at second singles, won her contest over her Salem counterpart, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. The Lady Patriot first doubles tandem of Captain Samantha Harris and Venous Hamza also triumphed, 6-3, 6-1.