Noble, Carrapichosa, and Brown lead Fishermen to Sweet 16

Everybody elevates in the state tournament.

That’s the message Gloucester Softball Head Coach Bryan Aiello has told his players in the days leading up to the Round of 32. Even the lowest-ranked teams are elevating their game in the one-and-down state tournament — ready to battle their way through innings to keep their season alive. So, the moral of the story: never underestimate the opponent, and match their intensity if you want any chance of surviving the postseason.

And survive Gloucester did.

For the first four innings of the game, both Gloucester and #23 Medfield were evenly matched. 2-Time All-Conference Pitcher Abby Noble and her defense allowed just one base runner, but Gloucester couldn’t find much success for themselves on offense either — despite having a total of four baserunners on and multiple in scoring position throughout the frame.

In the bottom of the fifth, however, Gloucester got things started.

Following a single by Angela Russo and a walk to Laila Ciaramitaro, Medfield intentionally walked Mackayla Allen to set up a bases-loaded, two-out situation.

The strategy backfired on Medfield almost immediately. Captain Emma Carrapichosa lined an opposite-field single to bring home Laila Ciaramitaro and Adriana Orlando (pinch-running for Russo). Aleena Brown then delivered the final blow, narrowly missing a home run with a towering two-RBI double that capped off the scoring.

Gloucester’s offense finished the day with five hits, paced by a stellar multi-hit performance from Aleena Brown, who accounted for two of them. Meanwhile, Noble was absolutely dominant in the circle, stifling the opposition by allowing just two hits while racking up an impressive 12 strikeouts.

With this victory in the books, the Fishermen now turn their attention to a high-stakes home matchup against #10 Cardinal Spellman on June 3rd. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 PM as Gloucester looks to keep their postseason momentum rolling.