Mass State Baseball Coaches All-Star game a hit

Put together the some of the best senior baseball players in the state on one of the premier high school fields in the state and entertainment is sure to follow.That’s exactly what happened at Fraser Field on Tuesday as the Massachusetts State Baseball Coaches Association held its 33rd annual North-South Eastern Mass. All-Star Game.Click here for more photosNantucket’s Mike Molta stole the show, though, as he belted a grand slam homer in the fourth inning, drove in six runs for the night and added a scoreless inning on the mound to earn MVP honors and lead the South stars to a 12-7 win.Molta also was one of 10 players chosen to represent Massachusetts against New Hampshire on Saturday (4) at St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH.Joining Molta will be a pair of locals as Peabody’s Ramses Vittini and Bishop Fenwick’s Dave Ruggiero also were selected. Three state champions – Lincoln-Sudbury’s Adam Ravenelle and Plymouth North’s Matt Walsh and Mike Cahill – will be joined by Everett’s Shaun McGrath; Malden Catholics’ Paul Yanakopulos and Apponequet catcher Chris Travers were also chosen.The fireworks started plenty early on Tuesday as Vittini led off the game with a triple against Middleboro’s Sean Newcomb. Danvers’ Nick Gikas followed with a single for a 1-0 North lead.Yanakopulos and Ruggiero sandwiched walks around a strikeout before Ravenelle (2-3, 4 RBI) dumped a 3-2 pitch into short left for a bases clearing single and a 4-0 North lead after half an inning.That lead didn’t last long though as the South rebounded with some two out magic against North starter Vic Mendez. Walsh got the rally started when he reached on a dropped third strike and Cahill followed with a walk.Jeff Cavanaro’s walk loaded the bases for David Podurgiel, who hit a grounder that was thrown away, allowing two runs to score. Ben Monteiro and Travers followed with walks to force in another run.Molta then put the South ahead for good at 5-4 with a 2-run single that plated Podurgiel and Monteiro.It stayed 5-4 into the third when the South went to work again with two outs as Travers doubled, went to third on a passed ball and scored on Ryan Bosswell’s single.The North got that run back in the top of the fourth as Yanakopulos tripled to right and scored on Ruggiero’s sacrifice fly to center. The South stars then put the hammer down in the bottom of the fourth.With Newburyport’s Ryan O’Connor on the mound, the South exploded for six runs on three hits and an error. Once again the damage would come with two outs as a throwing error scored two runs to make it 8-5.Podurgiel followed with a walk and Travers singled to load the bases. Molta then delivered a crushing blow, ringing a grand slam off the left field foul pole for and 11-5 lead.The North would claw back within four at 11-7 in the seventh on a Ruggiero RBI double and a single from Ravenelle before the South closed the scoring on a Walsh single in the eighth.