Berry twins head to UMass-Lowell
Twins Megan and Molly Berry of Ipswich are headed to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Megan, an All-league basketball player for Ipswich High, will suit up for the UMass-Lowell women's hoop team. Molly, cocaptain of the Ipswich softball team and a Cape Ann League field hockey all-star, is planning to try out for the UMass-Lowell field hockey team, which won the NCAA Division 2 national championship last fall. The twins rebounded from torn anterior cruciate ligaments to lead the Ipswich girls' basketball team to the CAL Division 3 title, the school's first league title since 1990. Molly also helped the Ipswich field hockey team win its first CAL title since 1982.
The twins didn't plan to attend the same school. ``If it happened, it happened and if it didn't we wouldn't be upset," said Molly. ``It's just kind of the way things worked out."
Molly was slated to attend Virginia Wesleyan College, where she would have had a spot on the field hockey team, but after visiting the school had a change of heart. ``I liked it, but I didn't love it," she said. ``I felt like I was wasting money if I went all the way down there and I didn't love it."
So, she applied to UMass-Lowell and made contact with head coach Shannon Hlebichuk , who said she already had a full squad but invited Molly to the team's preseason tryouts.
Megan had planned to attend prep school for a year, but decided she didn't want to wait to attend college. She was set to go to Division 3 Emmanuel College, before UMass-Lowell and a host of other Division 2 colleges, including Adelphia University and Le Moyne College, came calling for the point guard. Division 1 Fairfield (Conn.) University was also interested if she was willing to redshirt a year.
``I'm happy with UMass-Lowell," said Megan. ``I really like it. I thought I could take college courses at prep school and I couldn't. I didn't want to be a year behind my friends. A lot of teams came in late and it's just frustrating that they came in so late."
Nuzzo cranks two in Cape League
Matt Nuzzo made a memorable first impression in the Cape Cod League. The former Everett High football and baseball star, who led the Crimson Tide to three Division 1 Super Bowl titles as a quarterback, cranked a home run in his first Cape League at-bat for the Falmouth Commodores on June 16. Serving as Falmouth's designated hitter, Nuzzo went 1 for 3 as the Commodores topped the Bourne Braves, 4-0. He followed that up by hitting a two-run shot in Falmouth's 5-1 win over the Cotuit Kettleers on June 18. Nuzzo, who is playing football and baseball at Brown University, hit just one home run in 32 games for Brown this season, while batting .224. Nuzzo entered the week batting .273 (6 for 22) for Falmouth. Playing with wood bats on the Cape seems to suit Nuzzo, who had to hit with wood in high school because Everett played in the Greater Boston League.
Pace a big hit in all-star game
Five local players were chosen to play for the Massachusetts State High School all-star team, which was scheduled to face a team of Connecticut all-stars last Saturday at Central Connecticut State University. However, the all-star clash was canceled because of rain. Matt Small of Ipswich, Ryan Healey of Lynn English, Jay Banos of Lynnfield, Nick Nobit of St. Mary's of Lynn, and Joe Pace of Newburyport were selected to the team following the Eastern Mass. All-Star game at Lynn's Fraser Field on June 19. The game between the North and South EMass stars ended in a 5-5 tie. Newburyport's Pace was named Most Valuable Pitcher, striking out two in an inning of work, and also drove in two runs.
North Reading coach Frank Carey , who oversees the all-star game, said the game will not be rescheduled. ``Connecticut didn't have another suitable site, so we agreed that if it did rain, we wouldn't play it and it rained," he said.
Antonelli debuts in Padres system
Former St. John's Prep star Matt Antonelli made his professional baseball debut with the Eugene (Ore.) Emeralds, the short-season Single A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, on June 19. Antonelli, who was the 17th pick in the first round of this year's draft, started at third base and went 0 for 3 with a walk. He picked up his first professional hit the next day in Eugene's 10-4 win over Boise. The Peabody native signed with San Diego out of Wake Forest University for $1.575 million. In seven games, Antonelli was batting .182 (4 for 22) with 4 RBIs. However, he was 5 for 5 in stolen base attempts.
Christopher L. Gasper can be reached at cgasper@globe.com. 
