Unlikely starter Bateman works out as Saugus handles English

SAUGUS – Less than 24 hours after suffering a 13-7 pasting at the hands of Lynnfield, the Saugus baseball came to World Series Park looking to get in the win column after two losses.But to get that win, Saugus would give the ball to Ryan Bateman, arguably the most unlikely starter the Sachems own. And Bateman, who came to fame as a member of the Saugus American team that reached the Little League World Series in 2002, gave coach Pat Petrone’s team just that.The Sachems scored four times in the bottom of the third inning and added an insurance run in the sixth to beat Lynn English, 5-2, on a cold and rainy Friday afternoon.”Ryan did a great job,” Petrone said. “I was so impressed with him. And he was a last minute thought.”Saugus (1-2) took advantage of a chance given to them by the Bulldogs in the third inning, when a dropped line drive resulted in four unearned runs.”We gave them extra outs and usually when you do that, it comes bnack to bite you,” English coach Joe Caponigro said.English (1-1) had a chance to get on the board in the top of the first as Anthony Ortiz started the game by reaching on an error but was promptly picked off first by Bateman. Jonathan Surrette singled and stole second but would be stranded at second.The Bulldogs would take advantage of a scoring opportunity in the second though.Jonathan Santalisses opened the inning with a double and moved to third on Eric Bransfield’s blooper into short right. With one out, Saugus catcher Tyler Calla tried to pick off Santalisses at third but his throw sailed into right field, allowing the run to score.Eric Bransfield, who singled to short right, tried to go to third on the play but was thrown out by Calla to help thwart the rally quickly.English starter Kyle Moore breezed through the first two innings, allowing only one to reach base. But the third proved to be a different story as Moore wouldn’t get out of that inning.Moore got the first batter on strikes and then got Nick Scenna to line to second, but the ball was dropped. And though it looked innocent at the time, it proved to be a costly mistake.Moore then walked Bateman before getting Harry Rocheville on a liner to second. Dave Ferreira then worked the second of his three walks to load the bases.Calla then roped a single, plating Scenna and Bateman to give Saugus the lead. Mike Silva followed with a double to the fence in left-center, bringing Ferreira and Calla around to double the lead to 4-1 and send Moore to the showers in favor of reliever Sam Hill.”We spotted them some runs and had some baserunning errors that you cant make,” Caponigro said.Spotted to a lead for the first time, Bateman settled down and worked perfect third and fourth innings. But the Bulldogs battled back into the game in the fifth.Bateman plunked designated hitter Pat Cullen to begin the fifth. Pinch runner Brian Maynard then stole second and motored around to score on Alex Fiste’s double over Ferreira’s head in center.But English would get no more runs as Bateman retired Danny Vincente, Ortiz and Esteban Paula to end the inning.Hill also proceeded to shut down the Saugus lineup with 2 1/3 innings of solid relief. In the sixth, English had a chance to tie the game as it knocked Bateman out. But Mike Silva came in from right field to blow away Bransfield on strikes with the tying run at first.The Sachems added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning. Alex Fusco walked and Mike Serino reached on a bunt single, knocking Hill out in favor of Gabe Smith.A Scenna fly ball to right moved Fusco to third and he scored on Bateman’s sacrifice fly to right. Silva then worked a perfect seventh for the save.