Classical gets walk-off win over Revere

LYNN – The Lynn Classical baseball team finally got a one-run game to go its way on Monday at Fraser Field.After suffering a handful of heartbreaking losses this season, the Rams turned the tables and won a close game as Wilson Mercado’s single in the bottom of the seventh scored Brian Kolodziej with the winning run in an 8-7 win over Revere.Click here for a photo gallery.”We finally got a one-run game to go our way,” Classical coach Mike Zukowski said. “Wilson came up huge a couple of times for us (Monday).”After being held without a hit for the first 3 2/3 innings, Classical exploded for 10 hits and its eight runs over the final 4 1/3 innings.”I told the seniors before the game that we’re in the stretch now and that if we want to do anything, there’s no room for error,” Zukowski said.Despite the offensive explosion in the final innings, Classical still was in a 7-7 tie heading to the bottom of the seventh.Kolodziej led things off with a sharp single to left. T.J. Bartlett then laid down a sacrifice bunt to put the winning run in scoring position for Mercado.Down 1-2 in the count, Mercado lofted a ball just over the head of second baseman Jonathan Chiarelli and into right to plate Kolodziej with the winning run.”There isn’t anybody else I’d want up in that situation than Wilson,” Zukowski said. “When the game is on the line, he steps up.”Revere (3-12) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third against Classical starter Wade Barber as Jay Sasso doubled and Chris Adreani singled. Leadoff batter Chris Mastropietro then reached on an infield single, part of a 4-for-5 afternoon, to score Sasso for a 1-0 lead.Following a Nick DiMare single, the Rams committed a pair of errors, allowing two more runs to cross.DiMare started for Revere on the mound and breezed through the first three innings, retiring all nine men he faced. He then got the first two batters in the fourth before hitting Mercado to extend the inning.Tyler Gauthier followed with Classical’s first hit, a single to left. Catcher Greg Rybak then tied the game with one swing as he launched a towering homer to left-center.”Down 3-0, that was the hit that was a momentum-changer and got us going,” Zukowski said. “We showed up in the fourth inning and started playing baseball.”The game didn’t stay tied long as Revere went back in front against reliever Justin Hart in the fourth when designated hitter Brendan Carter belted a 2-run homer with two outs to make it 5-3, Patriots.Classical then worked a little two-out magic of its own in the bottom of the fifth. With Christian Gonzalez on first following a single, DiMare got the next two batters before Kolodziej singled to cut the lead to 5-4.Bartlett followed with a base hit before Mercado tripled up the gap in right-center, giving Classical its first lead at 6-5.It was Revere’s turn to respond and it did in the top of the sixth as Adreani walked and Mastropietro doubled. The duo were retired once combined in the game.Brian Robichaud’s sacrifice fly to right scored Adreani to tie the game before Dom Terenzi doubled to deep center for a 7-6 lead.Classical fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Rybak doubled, went to third on Ryan Powers’ infield single and scored when DiMare was called for a balk on a stolen base attempt from Powers.