Mother Nature rules again in District 16 tourney

LYNN – To say that this has been one of the strangest District 16 Little League tournaments in recent memory is being kind.For the fourth time in a little over two weeks, heavy rains put a halt to play. This time, it came with Lynnfield leading Swampscott 5-1 in a losers’ bracket semifinal at Wyoma’s Reinfuss Field on Wednesday.The game will be resumed today (5:45) at Wyoma with a runner on first and no outs in the top of the fourth inning.The suspension of play also resulted in a change of the remaining tournament schedule.The district final, which Wyoma has already clinched a spot in, will now be played on Sunday (5), with an if-necessary game to follow on Monday, and the losers’ bracket final between Saugus National and either Swampscott or Lynnfield will now be on Friday (5:45) with a day off on Saturday for the winner of that game.Despite the inclement weather, Lynnfield and Swampscott packed a lot of excitement into the three innings they completed.Swampscott threatened in the top of the first against Lynnfield starter Steve Carangelo, who walked David Reichert and James Collins. But Carangelo got Greg Collier on a grounder to second to end the inning.Swampscott starter Nick Agresti breezed through the first, working around a one-out walk to John Festa, before his teammates got on the board in the second.Carangelo’s struggle to find the strike zone continued as he issued three more free passes in the second. Drew Gentile drew a leadoff walk and Nunzio Morretti followed suit with one out.The two runners moved up 60 feet on a passed ball before Carangelo struck out Agresti. But another walk, this one to Trevor Massey, loaded the bases. Gentile scampered home on a wild pitch to make it 1-0 before Carangelo prevented further damage.Swampscott had a chance to add to its lead in the third when pinch-hitter Ben Faulkner was plunked with one out and Brendan McDonald followed with a single to put runners on the corners. But Carangelo got Gentile and Griffen Hunt on strikes, his sixth and seventh of the game, to defuse that threat.After struggling for two innings against Agresti, who needed only 23 pitches in that span, Lynnfield finally got its offense rolling in the third.No. 9 batter Brendan Franco led off with a single, but was erased at second on a Jordan Roper fielder’s choice. John Festa then ripped a double, putting runners on second and third.Carangelo’s high chopper to short got Roper home to tie the game at 1-1. Catcher Jake Burt gave Lynnfield the lead moments later when he tomahawked a letter-high fastball to right-center for a 3-run homer that made it 4-1.Pat Scanlon made it back-to-back homers for Lynnfield when he ripped a shot just over the right-field fence to up the gap to 5-1.Pinch hitter Pat Kearney was hit by a pitch and Andrew Crampe walked to become the seventh straight man to reach base. Agresti, however, got Matt Kramich and Franco to end the inning.While Lynnfield was busy doing its damage against Agresti, the wind began howling from right, and storm clouds began to move over the field, giving everyone in attendance reason for concern.Pinch hitter John King began the Swampscott fourth with an infield single and Agresti was in a one-ball count when the weather finally arrived, forcing home-plate umpire Joe Baglieri to call the teams off the field. Moments later, the impending deluge began and play was called for good at 6:45 p.m.When the game resumes today, Agresti will face a new Lynnfield pitcher as Carangelo will have to leave the game per Little League rules that govern pitch count and rest. Agresti will also have to be replaced under the same rule.