Saugus Babe Ruth teams split tourney games

The Saugus Babe Ruth baseball program split its state tournament games last night.The 13s advanced to the championship of their tournament with a 5-2 win over Newton at Joseph J. Moakley Field in South Boston, while the 14s fell to Cambridge, 3-1, at Balch Park in Norwood.The 13s now wait for the losers’ bracket to sort itself out before resuming play Sunday morning (11) in Southie against either Winchester, Plymouth or Newton.Saugus won behind the pitching of Dominic DiPesa and a four-run fourth inning.”Right now, we look like we’re in pretty good shape,” Saugus manager Anthony Guthro said. “Whoever gets out of the loser’s bracket has to beat us twice.”On Friday, Saugus fell behind, 2-0, when Newton scored single runs in the first and third innings, until Saugus came wp with its big 4-run fourth.Ryan Hennihan walked, stole second and went to third on a single by Nick Sweeney, who also stole second. Hennihan scored on a ground ball to the right side by A.J. Guthro, and Sweeney also came home on an error to tie the game.After DiPesa walked, Nick Enos gave Saugus the lead for good when he drove in two runs with a single.Saugus added another run in the seventh on a single by Joe Russo and an RBI double by Justin DeSantis.DiPesa pitched a complete game, allowing one earned run on five hits with seven strikeouts.Sweeney had two hits in three at bats for Saugus.”It was a good game,” Anthony Guthro said. “It got a little hairy when we were down 2-0, but the team fought back.”uCambridge pitcher Brandon Daughtrey allowed just three hits to lead his team to a 3-1 win over Saugus, in the winner’s bracker semifinals of the Babe Ruth 14-year-old state tournament, Friday night, at Balch Park.Saugus next plays Plymouth tonight (7) in an elimination game. Earlier in the tournament, Saugus defeated Plymouth, 12-5.Daughtrey and Saugus pitcher Ken Runge hooked up in a duel that was decided when Cambridge came up with all three of its runs in the fourth inning. A left-hander, Daughtrey walked three and struck out nine.”This was the first time we’ve faced a lefty in either (the state or regional) tournament,” Saugus coach Ed Groark said. “That hurt us a little bit.”Runge pitched six innings and allowed six hits, one walk and hit a batter while striking out seven.”Our pitcher kept us in the game,” Groark said. “We just didn’t give him the run support.”Saugus got its only run in the top of the sixth when Dan Groark reached on a bunt single, went to second on a fielder’s choice and scored on a single to right field by E.J. Webster.Saugus’ only other hit was a single by Runge in the fourth, and only one other runner made it as far was second base.Daughtrey started Cambridge’s 3-run rally in the fourth with a leadoff single, and went to third when Kevin Luciano clubbed a double off the fence in left-center.Saugus tried to issue an intentional walk to Tom Keruick, who had tripled in his first at bat, but Saugus’s catcher stepped out of the catcher’s box before the pitch was thrown and a balk scored Daughtrey.Saugus ecided to pitch to Keruick and he delivered Luciano with a double, then scored on a fielder’s choice and a wild pitch.”It was a well-played game,” Ed Groark said. “I told the kids ‘Don’t hang your heads. We’re a great team.’ There’s no quit in them.”