Offense, pitching propel Wyoma past Lynnfield

PEABODY – A powerful offense, outstanding pitching and efficient defense. Those three things have been what the Wyoma all-stars have used to sit on the brink of a return to the District 16 final.Herbie Newton held Lynnfield to two hits while he and Brendan Powicki each belted first inning homers as Wyoma steamed to a 9-1 win in a winner’s bracket semifinal at Peabody West’s Lt. Ross Park.Wyoma will play Peabody American, a 7-6 winner in eight innings over Swampscott, Saturday (5, TBA) for a spot in the District finals Thursday.”Herbie has been our workhorse,” Wyoma manager Steve Moccia said. “And to come out the way we did in the first inning was exactly what we wanted to do.”For the third time in four games, Newton got the ball and was on his game. He struck out four and allowed Lynnfield’s only two hits in the second inning.”(Newton) threw well,” Lynnfield manager Kevin Canty said. “He kept us off balance and kept the top of our lineup from being able to get anything started.”Newton needed only six pitches to get through the top of the first before his teammates gave him all the run support he needed in the bottom of the first.After Lynnfield starter Joe Veglia got Nick Peveri to lead things off, Powicki blasted a high fastball deep into the woods beyond the right field fence for a 1-0 Wyoma lead.Kyle Autiello followed with a groundout before Matt Lauria singled sharply to center. Newton then stepped up and ripped another outside fastball to nearly the same spot as Powicki’s blast to make it 3-0 after one.”You’re always worried about having an emotional letdown after a big win,” Moccia said. “So it was good to see us come out fast like we did.”Newton ran into his only spot of bother in the top of the second when Lynnfield threatened to tie the game.Brian Basilesco’s walk with one out was followed by a wild pitch. Nick Florentino then delivered a base hit that plated Basilesco to make it 3-1.Florentino was erased on Louis Ellis’ fielder’s choice that Nick Speicher followed with a double that put the tying runs in scoring position. Newton, though, struck out Chris Burke to diffuse the inning.Bolstered by the close shave, Wyoma went back to work in the bottom of the third as Powicki doubled with one out. Autiello reached on a fielder’s choice and Powicki crossed on Lauria’s sac fly to right. Newton upped the lead to 5-1 when he blasted a single to center that plated Autiello.Newton had it on cruise control by that point as Lynnfield would go hitless the rest of the way.Powicki’s infield single in the fourth plated Peveri for a 6-1 lead before Wyoma capped the scoring on a single and an error that led to three runs in the fifth.”There’s always a little room for improvement but I like the way we are playing,” Moccia said.