Petrosino’s homer propels Peabody West into New England semis

BRISTOL, Ct. – He might be one of the smallest players on the Peabody West roster, but Mike Petrosino came up with perhaps the team’s biggest hit to date in its quest to make the Little League World Series.The Peabody second baseman belted a 2-run homer on a two-strike pitch in the top of the sixth inning to give the Massachusetts state champions the lead over Portsmouth (NH). And closer Matt “The Rat” Correale made it hold up, giving Peabody a 7-5 win at Breen Field on Tuesday and a guaranteed spot in the New England regional semifinals.”I wanted him to bunt there. Shows you what I know,” Peabody manager Dave Batchelor joked after the game. “There were a lot of different guys that stepped up (Tuesday). That was nice to see.”Even though it has a spot in the semis clinched, Peabody will have to wait for the play today to see where it is seeded and when it plays. But getting to that point was the main goal for Peabody.”We just wanted to get in,” Batchelor said. “And then see what happens from there.”For a long time, though, on Tuesday it looked like Portsmouth was set to throw the race for the top four spots into complete chaos. After having lost to Connecticut, 5-4, in a game that was postponed from Monday night, the New Hampshire champions were in complete control for three innings.Despite hitting the ball all over the park, Peabody had left five runners on base in the opening three frames. In the fourth, Cody Wlasuk came off the bench to spark Peabody’s comeback with a leadoff double.Portsmouth starter Timmy Battye then got the next two batters before Austin Batchelor chopped a single to center, scoring Wlasuk to cut the lead to 5-3.Batchelor had started for Peabody but left with two outs in the bottom of the fourth when he reached the 85-pitch limit. Correale was called in from center and struck out Mikel Tour on three pitches, pumping his fist as he left the mound.”I wasn’t nervous,” Correale said. “I just wanted to throw strikes.”Peabody kept the comeback going in the fifth when Nick Bona drove a high fastball over the left-center fence to cut the margin to a run. Battye got the next two before Matt Gonick reached on an error to keep the inning alive.Correale then came up with another of his clutch tournament hits, ripping a double past a diving Jake Becker in center to score Gonick with the tying run.”We knew that we would score runs,” Batchelor said. “The one concern I had was that we didn’t want to get down too big. We had to keep it at two or three.”Portsmouth threatened in the bottom of the fifth as Mike Cooke and Justis Mattis singled with two outs, but Correale got Sam Grobe to ground into a fielder’s choice at short to end the inning.Anthony Cravotta, batting in place of Traverse Briana, who left after being hit by a pitch in the fourth, opened the sixth with a single to left. Batchelor then asked Petrosino to try to sacrifice pinch runner J.J. Layton to second, but the Peabody cleanup hitter fouled off two offerings from Rich Riley.Petrosino then took care of that notion when he ripped his second homer of the tournament into the first row of the left-field bleachers to make it 7-5.”I was so excited,” Petrosino said. “Because I knew that we were going to take the lead and then had to hold on from there.”Correale worked a perfect sixth to ensure Peabody’s semifinal spot.”We’ve won three or four games from behind now. That’s the sign of a good team,” Batchelor said.