DANVERS — One team was dying for payback. The other team was looking to nail down a state tournament berth.
It made for magnificent drama and Danvers eventually received its payback.
In a game of wild momentum changes, the Falcons overcame a two-run deficit in the bottom of the eighth to tie it, then won it in the ninth, 11-10, on a run-scoring single by unflappable freshman Alicia Dean.
The victory enabled Danvers to remain tied with Swampscott (a 7-0 winner over Marblehead yesterday) for first place in the Northeastern Conference South with one game remaining. It also avenged a 5-4 loss to Gloucester earlier this season.
"This is one of the sweetest wins we've had since I've been here," said Danvers' nonpareil senior shortstop, Ashley Burnham, who was 1 for 1 and walked five times, including three times intentionally. "When we lost to Gloucester this season, it left us uneasy. We really wanted this one a lot."
For Gloucester, the loss was damaging but not disastrous. The Fishermen fell to 9-10 with their sixth straight defeat. They've run out of wiggle room in terms of state tournament qualification. Gloucester faces a must-win situation today at home against non-conference foe Masconomet (3-15).
"We're used to these games lately," said Gloucester coach Julie Ferguson, referring to the roller coaster nature of the losing streak. "We had one like this against Marblehead (a 12-11 loss last Friday). Danvers is a really good team. We can't get down about it. We've got another chance to make it."
But how crazy was this one? Danvers was missing its starting pitcher, Diana Bean, in the early innings after she apparently had a bad reaction to macadamia nuts. Sophomore Nicole Morrissey, pitching for the first time, hung in there until the third as Gloucester built a 4-1 lead. "I just asked (Morrissey) to keep us in the game, baby, and that's what she did," said Danvers coach Tara Petrocelli, who was able to get seven innings of relief from the gutsy Bean.
Gloucester's early three-run lead didn't hold up for long. Danvers scored seven unanswered runs in the middle innings for an 8-4 advantage, but Gloucester rapped out five straight hits and got a big sacrifice fly from Addy Blakeley to deadlock it, 8-8, in the top of the seventh.
The Fishermen then made a stab at winning it in the top of the eighth when Lani Kippen's two-run double made it 10-8. However, Danvers senior Jaime Leonard came up with a two-out, two-run single off Gloucester pitcher Jill Lukegord in the bottom of the inning, forcing the teams to go to the ninth.
Bean retired Gloucester easily in the top of the inning, setting up winning time for the Falcons.
Sophomore Joanna Zecha led off with a single to left. Coach Ferguson then elected to walk Burnham intentionally for the third time and it played right into the Falcons hands as Leonard delivered a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners along and the precocious Dean dropped a single just beyond the infield, igniting the Falcons celebration.
"When you get (Burnham) in certain situations where she can make a difference, we'd just as soon walk her," said Ferguson, explaining the strategy that a lot of coaches have utilized against Burnham (.673 batting average) lately.
The Falcons couldn't say enough about the composure and concentration of their young teammate Dean.
"She's been great in the clutch for us all year," said senior Caraline Moholland, who finished with two hits. "She's hitting in the No. 3 spot and she's been fantastic in getting key hits. Dean is a leader on and off the field as a freshman."
"Dean doesn't play like a freshman," said Burnham.
Dean finished 4 for 6. Jillian Carroll and Leonard each contributed three hits.
"The kids wanted this game from the minute they got here," said Petrocelli, whose team can clinch at least a first place tie by beating Marblehead Sunday. "We're controlling our own destiny and that's all we can ask for."
Kippen collected three hits for the Fishermen. Nicole Whipple and Gannon each had two hits.
