Evelyn Julieano Pitches Lenox Past Drury in Tournament
LENOX, Mass. – Evelyn Julieano Monday fought off the heat and held off the Blue Devils as the Lenox softball team beat Drury, 4-1, in the quarter-finals of the Western Massachusetts Class C Tournament.
Julieano struck out 11, walked none and allowed three hits for the Millionaires, who scored three times in the top of the first and held on to earn their second win of the year against Drury.
As the afternoon wore on and the pitch count rose, Lenox used a defensive timeout to get Julieano a water break in the top of the seventh, which she then finished up with a pair of ground ball outs for her fourth clean inning of the game.
“This was actually her first complete game all season,” Lenox coach Amy Pires said of the sophomore twirler. “It’s been tough not having somebody really stepping into the catcher role. So normally, [Julieano] will pitch a few innings and then she’ll go catch for Cassidy [Flynn].
“So that was good for [Julieano] to get 11 strikeouts. I’m very proud of her. And we played errorless ball, which doesn’t happen quite often for us.”
Drury committed just one error, but it cost Blue Devils pitcher Evelyn Richardson an unearned run on a day when she gave up seven hits.
Overall, a young Drury team put on a much better battle than it did in a 14-1 loss at Lenox back on April 8.
“They played really hard,” Drury coach Michelle Darling said. “They didn’t get up.
“My seventh-grade pitcher did amazing, and everybody played really hard. They all helped out, whether they started or came off the bench. I couldn’t ask for more.”
After a 1-2-3 top of the first for Julieano, the Millionaires took control of the game in the bottom of the inning.
Evelyn Julieano worked a leadoff walk, and sister Grace Julieano crushed a triple to right field to drive her in. Grace then scored on an RBI groundout from Flynn to make it 2-0.
That cleared the bases, but Amaya Alger drew a walk, moved up on an error and a pitch to the backstop and scored when Tessa Soules reached on an RBI infield single to make it 3-0.
Richardson then closed the door, leaving the bases loaded in the first with an inning-ending strikeout and stranding more runners in scoring position in the second and third innings.
In the bottom of the fourth, Drury center fielder Madilyn Demary made a couple of big catches roaming into left-center to keep the bases empty. And in the top of the fifth, the Blue Devils scratched out a run to get back within two.
Emily Lyons hit an infield single with one out and stole second and third before scoring on a pitch to the backstop.
But that was all Julieano allowed, despite giving up a one-out double to Jayda Klein in the top of the sixth.
And Lenox’s offense got back the run its defense allowed right away.
In the bottom of the fifth, Alger hit a one-out double to right, moved up on Lexi Witherell’s infield single and scored on a passed ball to make it 4-1.
For a Lenox offense that scored in double figures in nine of its first 12 games, Monday marked the fifth straight game of four runs or fewer. But it was enough the way Evelyn Julieano was dealing.
“It was tough for us today,” Pires said of her offense. “I think we were just too far ahead of the ball. We’ve just got to work on that in practice. That’s what we’re going to do tomorrow and Wednesday before we go to the semis.”
The second-seeded Millionaires (11-6) will be home in the Class C Final Four against either Greenfield or Springfield International Charter, who play on Tuesday.
Drury (5-13) will have a consolation game against a team to be announced to finish out its regular season before heading to the Division 5 State Tournament.
Whatever happens the rest of the way, the 2026 campaign has been a positive experience for the Blue Devils, Darling said.
“We’re losing two seniors,” she said. “We’re going to come back with the core of our team. We’re young. We knew we were going to rebuild. And they did amazing – in key spots. So that gives us a lot to look forward to next year.”