Saugus American takes District 16 Little League title

LYNN – The sensational Saugus Americans won not only the District 16 Little League All-Star championship on “Friday The 13th,” but they also won a pack of “lucky” gifts following their 7-5 triumph over a classy Lynnfield squad.The gift of the day was the District 16 pennant presented them by district commissioner Joe Baglieri. Also earned was a trip to the sectionsls coming up early next week.The funniest gift during the field celebration at East Lynn was Coach Joe Pettanati receiving a surprise cream pie in the face from Hunter Kries’s dad, Joe. Pettanti also got a ice cold dousing from the water bucket.Baglieri also gave the players official Little League pins.And then the mother of all-star Jake Straticos, Lauri, announced that she would give each of the players free mohwak haircuts in time for the sectionals. (She is the owner of Tangles hair salon, by the way.)The exciting game was a baseball party for the town of Saugus and its fans.Lynnfield started fast in the second inning when Joey Mack smacked an RBI double to score Mike Federico. With 6-foot-1 Dan Jameson on the hill, Lynnfield had a chance to take it all.In the bottom of the second, Steve Pattenati ignited a rally with a walk, setting up Nick Dascoli who laced a single to right to knot the game at 1-1.Robbie Shields took over the third inning. The clutch slugger not only was pitching strongly at this point, but did more damage with his hot bat in the bottom of the third, a 2-run double to push Saugus ahead 3-1. Leadoff hitter Justin Horvath then walked.Mike Watson came up next. He had said before the game that “I feel comfortable batting against Jameson. I had two hits, incuding a home run last time, so I am anxious.”Watson drilled a double. Immediately, Lynnfield removed Jameson from the mound. Shields greeted the new pitcher with another bomb to the fence to make the score 3-1.An unusual but eventual crucial development befell Lynnfield in the fourth.The leadoff Lynnfield batter beat out a ground ball for a hit. Fans cheered, but then they fell silent when they saw the runner called back to the dugout. he had batted out of order resulting in the out.The Saugus coaching staff caught the error but said nothing.”We had the right to wait until a pitch to him was made,” said a Saugus representative. “Then we protested the mistake made by Lynnfield.”The umpire took the runner off the base and declared the the boy who should have batted our. Up next, by coincidence, came the same batter who had just reached base. It was now his proper and legal turn to bat. This time he grounded out. Lynnfield failed to score in the inning.Leading 3-1, Kreis started another Saugus rally in the fourth, doing so with a walk. Mason Glocke beat out a hit and Horvath belted a single down the right field line for a 4-1 lead, with Shields coming to the plate.Shields delivered another two-run RBI double for a 6-1 lead, and fans began chanting “MVP? MVP?”Jimmy Alcott, a hero himself for his strong will to over migraine headaches throughout the series, banged a single for a 7-1 bulge. It looked like party time for Saugus. But not so fast.With the “Rocky” theme” played in the background, Federico again began the action with a walk. Mack smoked a red hot double. Mike Stellato walked to load the bases.Manager Pettatini took a tired Shields off the mound and inserted him at first base. In came Stephen Pettateni. Trent Han greeted him with an RBI hit for a 7-2 score. The next Lynnfield batter hit a potential double to right, but Shields, who seemed to be covering all the bases, the outfield and even the bullpen, snatched the liner out of thin air, and instantly stepped on first for a double play.There would be more. Dan Jameson sent one of Pettanti’s offerings soaring over the right-center field fence for a dramatic three run homer to make the score 7-5.Young Pattatini had seen enough. He wound up with his most important pitch of the series, and shot a low fast ball past the last Lynnfield batter, fo