Gautreau makes quick work of Connery

LYNN – Fatigue may have been a factor – Connery was playing its seventh game in eight days – but Jordan Edgett and Bryant Gauthier were the bigger reasons last night why Gautreau broke out of the gate fast and sprinted to a 10-2 American Legion win over Post 6.The Sixers only retired Edgett once – and that was on a scorching liner to Nick Conti at third. The Bowdoin-bound St. John’s Prep graduate got three hits, scored a run, and knocked in three more. And Gauthier, a Lynn Classical product, went the distance, wiggling out of several jams as the Raiders kept their feet on the gas after a five-run second inning put Connery in a huge hole.”Jordan’s been doing this all season,” said Gautreau manager Chris Tgettis. “He hasn’t had much visibility because he’s been playing up at The Prep, but as Lynn baseball players of this age go, he might be the best one right now.”Edgett had help from another Eagle-turned-Raider: Justin Sharkey, who walked once, had two hits and two RBI, and scored two runs.”They played well, and Gauthier pitched well,” said Connery manager Tim Fila, whose team finds itself locked in a race with several teams, including Lawrence, Gautreau and Newburyport, for the final two District 8 playoff spots.”I think it’s great – two Lynn teams doing well and competing for the postseason,” said Fila. “We’ll bounce back.”Gautreau floored it in the second inning, scoring five times and sending batters to the plate. Lymbel Guerrero and Eric Bransfield led off with walks, and after Shawn Walliston moved them over with a grounder to the mound, Sharkey walked to load the bases.Dani Vicente reached on an error, with two runs scoring, and Estaban Paula knocked in another with a double. That was all for starter Jonathan Surette, and reliever Bill O’Donnell fanned Mike Chakoutis for the second out. However, Edgett singled to left, scoring two more runs to make it 5-0.Connery got one back in the bottom of the second when Nick Conti singled and came around to score on Ryan Beliveau’s infield grounder.It stayed that way until the fifth, when Gautreau sent eight men to the plate and scored three times. Vicente knocked home two of them with a single and Sharkey got the other one in with a double.Edgett doubled to lead off the sixth and, with the bases loaded, Sharkey drew a walk to score him. And Edgett doubled in Chakoutis, who had reached on a fielder’s choice, in the top of the seventh with Gautreau’s last run.Vin DeCesare homered in the fifth for Connery’s other run.Gautreau’s win leaves still leaves the Raiders four points behind Connery in the standings, but there are so many teams bunched together that the next week will be interesting (the regular season ends a week from today).Fila spoke after the game about Ray Sharples, who died last week. Sharples was a longtime “Mr. Everything” for Connery, handling all its finances and negotiations with various venues for fields.”He was around when I played, and he was tremendous,” said Fila. “A real good guy. I remember he used to be in charge of the bug juice.”Mayor Chip Clancy, who has long been associated with the Connery program, also praised the late Sharples.”It’s probably corny to say he was Skip Morrison’s right-hand man, but it would be accurate,” said Clancy, whose father, Nipper Clancy, managed the Sixers. “Ray was the absolute best. He was totally dedicated to the Connery program, and the Legion. He will really be missed.”