Wyoma Little Leaguers edge Peabody American

SWAMPSCOTT – The Wyoma all-stars are heading back to the District 16 finals for the first time since 2008. But boy, did they have to work to earn that spot on Saturday at the Forest Avenue Fields.Wyoma’s Kyle Autillio and Peabody American’s Alex Gomes locked horns in a pitcher’s duel as both hurlers held potent offenses to one hit into the sixth inning. In the end, it was Herbie Newton who provided the big hit as his walk-off single in the bottom of the sixth gave Wyoma a 2-1 win.Wyoma will play for the title on Thursday (5:45), needing to lose back-to-back games to be denied a trip to the sectionals.”That really was a great game,” Wyoma manager Steve Moccia said. “We hung tough against a very strong and well coached team. And we were able to find a way to get the job done.”Autillio was brilliant in striking out 11 and surrendering only a fourth-inning single to Kyle Hentosh, but he reached his 85-pitch maximum on the final out of the fifth, turning the ball over to Andrew Moccia in the top of the sixth.Ryan Newbury started the sixth-inning rally for Peabody with a one-out base hit but was erased on Hentosh’s fielder’s choice. Frank Celona then hit a grounder to third that saw Newton’s throw pull Sean Dean off the first base bag. A heads-up Hentosh bolted for third and when Dean’s throw across the diamond was wild, he scored to tie the game and put the go-ahead run at second.Moccia shook off the shock and struck out Gomes to keep the game tied.Gomes then got Nick Peveri to begin the bottom of the sixth before Brendan Powicki and Autillio ripped back-to-back hits. Wyoma then went small-ball as cleanup hitter Matt Lauria sacrificed the runners to second and third.The move proved to be a genius one when Newton hit a fly ball to deep right that dropped just out of the reach of Cam Eon, scoring Powicki with the winning run.”Alex pitched a great game,” Peabody American manager Don Shaw said. “He kept them off balance and pitched an awesome game. They just were able to get that one big hit.”Wyoma got the game’s first run in the bottom of the second in a rather unconventional manner.Lauria walked with one out and headed for second on a passed ball. Newton followed with a walk before Gomes got the next two batters. Then with Andrew Kraemer up, Newton bolted for second and got caught in a long enough rundown to let Lauria sneak around and score on the play.”They took advantage of the one mistake we made or we win that game,” Shaw said.