City Series: West Lynn American, Lynn Shore win thrillers

LYNN – When Bristan Maynard of the Pine Hill Rangers stepped to the plate Saturday with two outs in the last inning, his team trailed 1-0 to the West Lynn American Red Sox, and he needed the big hit to keep his Lynn City Series team alive.However, at shortstop was his nemesis, Cam Vautour of West Lynn.Glancing at each other for a second, both players may have recalled the exact same situation two years ago – a previous tourney nailbiter with two outs and Maynard’s team down 1-0.Two summers ago, Maynard belted a line drive. However, his blast became an out when Vautour dove into the air to catch it to clinch the victory.Maynard thought that bad luck would never happen again.Saturday at Pine Hill, Maynard swung even harder and hit a scorcher, a bullet over second base. But Vautour flew through the air like Captain America to miraculously catch the ball and end the game.”What are the odds that would happen again,” said Coach John Vautour, who is Cam’s father, a West Lynn American Red Sox coach, and a Lynn policeman.WLA scored the only run of the game in the fourth when all-star slugger Lenny Ryan led off with a hit, and then scored on Eric Pedro’s triple to left-center. Following a wild pitch, Pedro tried to scamper home but was nailed at the plate.Red Sox manager Sean Leydon was ecstatic about Pedro’s game-winning triple.”He has been awesome all year; he’s an all-star catcher and he’s a great kid,” said Leydon, a former WLA player himself. “That triple of his would have been a double for anyone else, but that kid’s got wheels.”Leydon’s Red Sox got a break in the fifth thanks to super-smart play.”Pine Hill got a runner on second and it didn’t look good, but we knew what to do next,” said Leydon.The baserunner had been roaming off the base after each delivery. Pitcher John threw the pitch and when catcher Pedro returned it quickly, John spun and fired a bullet to Aedan Leydon – the coach’s son – who was waiting on the bag after tip-toeing over there unnoticed. Leydon caught the throw and shocked the baserunner for a pickoff.”I think we have the best infield around,” Manager Leydon said.David Hunter also delivered a fantastic pitching performance for WLA.Meanwhile, Vautour was involved in another unique play. In the bottom of the third, he bunted toward third, but foul. The Rangers let it roll too long and the ball decided to take a right turn into fair territory. Vautour dashed to first, then zoomed to second with the Rangers pitcher making a good throw to the bag. Vautour flew or tripped or jumped toward the bag to seemingly avoid the tag, which he did. But the umpire called him out for sliding headfirst, a new Little League safety rule. It wasn’t the prettiest slide in history and it may not have even been a slide, but when it was revealed that Vautour had won the Frank Carey Best Slider Trophy the day before at Carey’s Camp, it drew a big laugh.Manager David Stanley’s Rangers excelled with Nathanial Mota’s double, Matthew Stanley’s pitching (three K’s in the second, 10 overall), a double by Maynard in the fourth, Andrew Blass looking good at the plate, and more sharp pitching by Ryan Housewart (3 K’s in the 5th).Shore 6, East Lynn 5At Pine Hill, good baserunning helped the Lynn Shore Mariners get past the East Lynn Cardinals in the first round of the 60th annual Lynn Little League City Series.”Running and being aggressive on the basepaths is our style, our plan,” said Shore manager Mark Sullivan. “Why? Because, for one thing, it’s fun, and it forces the issue, forces opponents to make a perfect throw, a perfect catch, a perfect tag when we run. The odds are in our favor. Running is our bread and butter.”In the first inning, Shore’s Andy Duverge walked and scored when all-star Frank Perry blasted a double to the fence. Perry raced home on a wild pitch.When Jose Perez walked, he dominated the bases, dashing to second and third, and when the catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher after a pitch, Perez took off like Secretariat