Saugus tops Lynnfield in title tune-up

LYNN – At the East Lynn Little League diamond, it is a tradition to begin baseball games with the song “Start Me Up” by The Rolling Stones.Thursday evening, the Saugus batter who got his Americans “Rolling” and “started up” was Jake Straticos, who hit the right note with a long second inning two-run homer against Lynnfield in the District 16 All-Star tournament.Saugus got more “satisfaction” by winning Thursday, 5-0, to set up a winner-take-all final tonight (5:45) also at East Lynn.The tournament has a double-elimination format. If Lynnfield had won, it would have captured the District 16 crown because it hadn’t lost prior to Thursday. Saugus American fell to Lynnfield last Sunday in the winners’ bracket final.Fans knew instantly Thursday was a huge game as four umpires were assigned instead of the usual two.Thursday’s hero for Saugus was Jimmy Alcott, who threw the zeroes. Alcott had missed two games of the tournament due to migraine headaches.Alcott’s Tom Seaver-style delivery shut Saugus down. And he helped himself offensively with a base hit.Lynnfield lacked some luck, too, as Saugus batters hit some bad hops at them (and solid hits also) while Lynnfield’s hits were snuffed out with strong Saugus glove-work. In the second inning Mike Stelleto (whose father is Mike Sr., who coached St. Mary’s High of Lynn to a Super Bowl football championship in 2005) reached on an error but he was erased by a double play.Kyle Hawes pitched well for Lynnfield but a few miscues and bad bounces hurt. He didn’t let it get him down and struck out hard-swinging Watson with the bases loaded in the late innings.Gennaro Cardoso powered an RBI hit in the fifth for a 4-0 lead. Mason Glocke bounced one to short, the ball hitting the fielder in the face, while a run scored for a 5-0 lead.Tall first baseman Dan Jameson, who beat the Americans Sunday, will toe the mound again tonight for Manager Kevin Canty’s Lynnfield stars. Both teams are confident of victory. Mike Watson of Saugus had a home run against winning pitcher Jameson last game, and his club has Mister Clutch Robbie Shields, so he feels good. Kyle Hawes and Matt Relihan, both of Lynnfield, believe their solid team with Jameson on the bump will help them bounce back today.