RallyNorth.net

The Methuen High softball team picked a pretty good time to play its most complete game of 2015. After yesterday’s convincing win, 7-1 over Medford High, the Lady Rangers can claim to be the best team north of Boston after taking the Div. 1 North title game at Martin Field. It was an almost perfect performance by Methuen: n The pitcher, Kayleigh Forgetta, was on her game, with four strikeouts, no walks and allowing seven hits. n Eight different players had hits. n The last three in the lineup — Maddie Adames, Heather McLaughlin and Morgan Adames — ­got on base seven times in eight official at bats. n No Methuen errors. n Junior catcher Kat LeFebre broke open the game with a two-run triple to right center that went to wall. “Wow, that’s what I’d call a total team effort,” said Methuen coach Jason Smith. “We’re a tough team to beat when we get contributions like that from so many players.” After playing a game of survival against Westford Academy on Thursday, a game which ended on an appeal play in Methuen’s favor, the Rangers were sharper and crisper from the opening pitch. In fact, Methuen’s pitcher, Forgetta, was among those who brought her “A-game” to Lowell. She faced only one batter over the minimum through four innings while the Methuen offense slowly did its damage. Methuen got one run in the second inning when senior Maddie Adames doubled and scored on a throwing error. Then fellow senior Nina Correia, who had three hits on Thursday, smashed a triple to left-center scoring senior Kelly Blackwell, who singled. Methuen put the game away in the fourth as Medford began to tire as the Rangers loaded the bases on a walk, error and hit-by-pitch. Amanda Conway got one run home on a sacrifice fly before catcher Kat LeFebre ripped a triple to the wall, scoring two more runs. “I just hit it hard and saw it got past the outfielders,” said LeFebre, one of the few juniors on the team. “And I just kept running and didn’t look up.” LeFebre’s battermate, Forgetta, got out of a jam in the fifth inning with two runners on and one out before giving up a scratch run in the seventh inning. “The one thing I told the girls on the bus was to have fun today,” said Coach Smith, whose team improved to 21-3. “We were a little tight at times against Westford. We hadn’t any experience with them. We played this Medford team in the state tourney last year (and won). We were very comfortable. Honestly, we had a lot of fun today.” The North champs will play Div. 1 South powerhouse Silver Lake on Tuesday at Taunton High under the lights at 7 p.m. “It’s one game at a time,” said LeFebre. “We aren’t thinking about anything other than this game. We like our team a lot, especially when everybody does their job like they did (yesterday).” Methuen 7, Medford 1 Division 1 North Final Medford (1): O’Leary lf 3-0-0, Flynn 2b 3-0-1, Napoleone ss 3-0-1, Eisnor p 3-0-1, Kearney rf 3-1-1, Farrell 1b 3-0-1, Staud 2b 2-0-2, Williams ph 1-0-1, Braga dp 3-0-0, Harbison cf 3-0-0, Mitrano 3b 0-0-0, Totals 27-1-8 Methuen (7): Amanda Conway rf 4-0-1, Coralie Mathieu lf 4-0-1, Kat LeFebre c 3-0-2, Kelly Blackwell 3b 4-1-1, Nina Correia ss 4-0-1, Kayleigh Forgetta p 4-1-2, Maddie Adames 2b 1-2-1, Heather McLaughlin 1b 3-2-1, Morgan Adames dp 2-1-0, Sam Ferraro lf 0-0-0, Totals 29-7-10 RBI: Methuen — Correia, LeFebre 2, Conway; Medford — Williams WP: Forgetta; LP: Eisnor Medford:     0 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 1 Methuen:     0 1 1 3 2 0 0 — 7

LOWELL — Central Catholic will never forget the stunning win over Newton North to get to the Div. 1 North semifinals, the first time ever a 25th seed knocked off the No. 1 seed.

But Central would like to forget the fourth inning yesterday against Medford.

Kendra Butner picked up the win and had two RBIs and Carly Swartz was 1 for 2 with a run scored as North Reading improved to 14-4 with a 3-1 win in eight innings over a strong Medford club.