North wins Agganis Baseball Classic

LYNN ? It is hard to believe, but it has been six years since the Saugus American Little League team made its march to Williamsport and the Little League World Series. Yesterday, in the 15th annual Agganis All-Star Baseball Classic, it was the last time four of those players would be on the field together – Dario Pizzano, Tyler Calla, Anthony DiSciscio and Joe Kasabuski.”It’s pretty unbelievable that it has been six years already,” Kasabuski said. “We’re still all the best of friends. It’s an honor to still be playing with them.”Pizzano and Kasabuski were honored as the team MVPs in a 7-1 win for the North.Click here for an Agganis photo gallery.Pizzano, who played for Malden Catholic, hit a pair of doubles and scored both times that he made it on base to be named the North’s MVP.”It was an honor to play with all of the best players from this area,” said Pizzano. “The (Agganis All-Star games) are always a classic.”St. Mary’s Kasabuski manufactured the South’s only run. He singled up the middle against St. John’s Prep pitcher Chris Carmain. He then stole second, and took third base on a passed ball. Beverly’s Matt Lanza hit a sacrifice fly to score him. He also made a pretty nifty play on the field.”It felt great (to be named MVP),” said Kasabuski. “It’s too bad that we came up short, but it was a good time.”Carmain had a tremendous game on the mound. He threw four solid innings, allowing one run on three hits, while striking out five and walking two. He also hit an RBI double that scored Darren Hartwell in the North’s five-run fifth inning.Swampscott’s Hunter Gordon was the starter for the South. He allowed one run over three innings on three hits, while striking out one and walking one.”After playing against each other for all of these years, it was a good time to play on the same team with these guys,” said Gordon.Fenwick’s Dale Crispin ignited the fifth-inning rally. He slapped a two-run double that scored T.J. Larivee of Salem and Tyler Stotz of Newburyport. The Prep’s Greg Donahue knocked him in on an RBI single in the next at-bat. He scored when Hartwell hit an RBI single.