North breaks through, takes Agganis Baseball Classic

LYNN – The North broke open the 16th Agganis All-Star Baseball Classic, held Sunday afternoon at Fraser Field, with five runs in the second and third innings, taking the game, 6-0.Click here for a photo gallery.Malden Catholic’s Justin Sencabaugh clubbed a three-run homer in the second inning to earn MVP honors for the North. Lynnfield’s Dante Padovani made a pair of stellar defensive plays at second – including turning a double play in the sixth in which the ball bounded high off the pitcher’s mound and towards his direction – and was the South’s MVP.”It’s a great honor to play in this game, and to be named the MVP,” said Sencabaugh, who caught yesterday and who will be playing at UMass-Amherst. “All the guys (who are playing in this game) are good, and I’m proud to be here.”It looked like the South would do some damage in the top of the first. Lynnfield’s Nick Roberts directed a first-pitch double from St. John’s Nick Fabrizio into left-center. Roberts moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, but remained there until inning’s end.Fenwick’s Zach Brian started for the South, and while he allowed three baserunners in the opening frame (two on errors), he worked out of the damage. He wouldn’t be as fortunate in the second. With one out, Chelmsford’s Sean Harrington and St. John’s Kevin Davis reached on consecutive singles. Masconomet’s Chris Splinter then hit a sharp bouncer back to the mound. Brian was able to get Davis at second, but Splinter beat the throw to first to avoid what would have been an inning-ending double play. Sencabaugh then drove Brian’s second pitch over the left field wall to give the North a 3-0 edge.”He (Brian) threw me a first-pitch curve, and the next pitch was a fastball,” said Sencabaugh. “It was a line drive (leaving the bat), and I wasn’t sure if it was going out, though it had a good chance. Three runs are tough to come back from early in the game.”The North added to the lead in the third with a pair of runs. Masco’s Evan Bunker led with a single off English’s Sam Hill. After a strikeout, Nick Boutoures of Wilmington drilled a double off the left field wall (missing a homer by a few feet), sending Bunker to third. Bunker would soon score on a sacrifice fly, and a single by Hamilton-Wenham’s Matt Cook brought in Boutoures for a 5-0 North lead.The South had a pair of runners in both the fourth (missed third strike, single) and fifth (walks), but couldn’t cut into the deficit. The North added a run in the sixth. Chelmsford’s Mike Aronian was issued a two-out walk, then stole second. Boutoures added his second double of the affair into left-center, bringing around Aronian with the game’s final run.The South was directed by Fenwick coach Russ Steeves, who grew up and still resides in Lynn.”This was the easiest game to coach, as I just set the lineup and let the kids play,” said the coach, who led the Crusaders to an 18-6 mark this spring and their second straight Catholic Conference crown. “This was a lot of fun to coach, and I wish that this game had been around when I was playing (at Fenwick).”