Dunnigan’s gem leads Wyoma over Pine Hill

SWAMPSCOTT – Throwing a complete game in the District 16 Little League tournament is challenging with an 85-pitch limit in effect for any starter. On Monday at the Forest Avenue Fields, Wyoma’s Cullen Dunnigan showed it can still be done.Holding Pine Hill to two hits and striking out six, Dunnigan needed only 83 pitches to go the distance as Wyoma stayed in the winner’s bracket with a 4-0 win over the Hillies.Click here for a photo gallery.”That was the best game Cullen has pitched all year,” Wyoma manager Jeff Earp said. “He was on my team during the season and it’s usually 28 or 29 pitches an inning with him. But he was throwing strikes (Monday) and the defense was great behind him.”Pine Hill pitchers Elijah McConney and Anthony Ross teamed to hold Wyoma to only four hits in the game but eight walks and two hit batters resulted in the reigning District 16 champs getting the upper hand.”You can’t win games when you don’t score,” Pine Hill manager Ron Gaudet said. “(Dunnigan) pitched a great game.”Wyoma threatened from the start as McConney walked Dunnigan and Katie Burt with one out in the first. Brent Lozzi popped out in foul territory and McConney struck out Bradley Dill to end the inning.Dunnigan breezed through the first, striking out a pair and getting a nifty fielding play from third baseman Mark Brazell on Henry Hernandez’ bunt attempt that started the inning.Mike Ausiello broke the ice for Wyoma in the second, leading off with a long homer to left. McConney hit Mark Brazell following the homer before striking out D.J. Mullen.Damian Earp walked and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Brendan O’Neil followed with another walk to load the bases.Dunnigan followed with a deep drive to center that Thomas McGee chased down while falling. Brazell tagged and scored on the play before Earp was doubled off second to end the inning.The Wyoma defense came up huge in the third when Dunnigan walked Mike Harris with one out. But he got McGee to ground to Burt at short to begin a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.”I am surprised with how well we’ve played defense,” Earp said. “We’ve got a lot of players in new spots and they are executing in those positions.”Wyoma extended the lead in the third as its bench came up huge. Burt and Lozzi walked to begin the inning. Both advanced on an error and scored on pinch-hitter Joe Ragusa’s single to center.McConney issued one-out walks to Victor Claudio and Louis Lenzie before bearing down and getting out of the inning without further damage.Andre Gaudet got the Hillies’ first hit of the game in the third before they seriously threatened in the fourth. Brad Scuzzarella and Jordan Javier walked with one out before Dunnigan struck out Mike Harris and got McGee to fly out to right to end the inning.Ross took over for McConney in the fourth and shut down Wyoma the rest of the way. But Dunnigan was able to do the same to Pine Hill as he completed his 2-hit shutout by getting Javier to ground to Lozzi at first for the final out.