Lynn Babe Ruth 15’s get past Peabody, win district title

SAUGUS – Call it a little bit of redemption for a group that wasn’t highly touted and expected to be claiming an Eastern Mass. District 1 title on Wednesday at World Series Park.For the Greater Lynn Babe Ruth 15’s, their 7-3 win over Peabody on Wednesday earned them a trip to Plymouth for the state championships.Click here for a photo gallery.”These guys have worked so hard,” Lynn manager Alex Napoleon said. “They played solid defense and deserve this. It’s a tribute to their hard work.”It was a dominating two weeks in Saugus for the Lynners as they scored 55 runs in their five victories and knocked off an unbeaten Peabody team to take home the title. Things didn’t come easy though for Lynn on Wednesday as it needed every bit of its talent to hold off the Tanners.”All these kids played high school baseball this year and I think you can see that training paying off,” Napoleon said.Neither team would do damage in the first inning before Lynn got its offense cranked up in the top of the second.After getting the first two batters of the inning, Andrew Lessard ran into trouble as Brett Erelli and Paul Halas singled. Chris Price then delivered Erelli with an opposite field single to right and a throwing error on a steal attempt brought Halas home for a 2-0 lead.An inning later, the lead for Lynn went to 3-0 when catcher Dan Donovan blasted a homer into the trees beyond the right field fence.Lynn starter Andrew Napoleon had cruised through the first two innings relatively unscathed. But in the bottom of the third, control troubles allowed Peabody to get right back in the contest.Four consecutive walks with one out resulted in Matt Ward coming home to make it 3-1. Derek Demild’s fielder’s choice brought the lead to 3-2. Napoleon kept the lead at one when he got Scott Perlman on a soft pop to the mound.True to form in the tournament, Lynn responded in the top of the fourth.Halas led off with a single. One batter later, Jose Sanchez walked and Napoleon followed with a hit to load the bases. Lucas Harris’ single brought home Halas and an error on the play allowed Sanchez to score for a 5-2 lead.Donovan then delivered again as his 2-run single against reliever Andrew McLaughlin scored Napoleon and Harris for a 7-2 lead.”We’ve been doing that all tournament long,” Napoleon said. “Every time someone would score, we would find a way to come right back and get some runs.”Peabody threatened to cut into the lead in the bottom of the fourth as back-to-back walks with one out had Napoleon in trouble. But the southpaw got Dan Carroll and Paul Apostolides on strikes to end the inning.An inning later, Demild belted a long homer to center to cut the lead to 7-3 but Peabody could get no closer despite putting two on with one out in the seventh.