English opens with a rout

LYNN ?Finally able to get its season started on Thursday, the Lynn English baseball team didn’t waste a lot of time in getting off to a fast start.The Bulldogs got a stellar 11-strikeout effort from senior Jonathan Surette and a five-run first inning en route to a comfortable 11-4 win at Fraser Field.”Jonathan pitched well and we were able to get some timely hits,” English coach Joe Caponigro said. “That was good to see.”Surette was in complete command throughout, scattering six hits and two walks while also going 3-for-3 with three RBI at the plate. He was one of six players to drive home runs for English.Saugus (0-3) had a small threat in the top of the first as Dave Ferreira doubled, but he was stranded at third. The Bulldogs then exploded against Sachem starter Cam Maguire.Esteban Paula led off the inning with a triple to right-center. Eric Bransfield reached on an infield hit and Surette walked to load the bases.Catcher Roberto Reyes got English on the board when he drilled a two-run single to right, scoring Paula and Bransfield. Gabe Smith followed with a bunt hit that scored Surette on an errant throw for a 3-0 lead.Brendan Carritte got Reyes home with a grounder to short and Brian Maynard’s sacrifice fly to deep center plated Smith for a 5-0 lead.”We were able to get some timely hits in that first inning,” Caponigro said.The Bulldogs added another run in the second as Anthony Ortiz and Paula led off with singles. Ortiz was thrown out trying to swipe third on a double steal. Surette though would deliver Paula with his second hit of the game.Surette also was breezing through the Sachems on the mound, striking out six in the first three innings. Saugus got on the board in the fourth though as Mike Silva walked and came around on hits from VInny Talutto and Ty Kennedy.Maguire also settled down nicely following English’s quick start, retiring seven in a row through the middle innings. But the Bulldogs stayed patient and broke the game open in the fifth.Bransfield doubled and scored on Surette’s second RBI single of the game. Smith was hit by a pitch and Carritte walked to load the bases with one out.Maguire struck out Maynard, but shortstop Richie Arias slapped a single to left, scoring Surette and Smith for a 9-1 lead.The Bulldogs tacked on two more in the sixth to go up 11-1 before Saugus rallied for three in the seventh against reliever Pat Cullen.