Baseball: Tech wins a slugfest

The Tech baseball team received offensive contributions up and down the lineup, and the Tigers needed every bit of it against Minuteman. Tech was able to come out on top in an 11-9 slugfest Thursday night.”All the boys in the lineup, 1-9, really produced for us today,” said Tech coach Harold German. “It was really nice to play a complete game today for all seven innings. I am really proud of the guys.”Tech found itself down 4-1 in the top of the fifth inning. The Tigers from that point outscored the Minutemen 10-5. Tech scored three runs in the fifth to tie the game 4-4, and scored seven runs in the top of the sixth inning to take its first lead of the game, 11-4.”The biggest difference from the beginning of the game toward the end was just our aggressiveness at the plate,” said German. “It was nice to see the boys swing away and hit the ball so well.”The Minutemen did not go away quietly, as they scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to shrink the Tech lead to two (11-9). Tech pitcher Louis Falcon threw the last 1.1 innings of scoreless ball to record his first save of the season. Alejandro Guzman started the game on the mound for the Tigers (4 innings, 7 strikeouts, 3 runs). Guzman also had a big day at the plate (2-5, double, triple, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored). Miguel Diaz helped out offensively (3-5, double, triple, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored). Tech (2-7) plays at Greater Lowell Monday.Lynnfield 9, Pentucket 7At Pentucket, it was a seesaw game in the early going, but Lynnfield was able to take a 6-4 lead to the top of the fifth inning. The Pioneers broke the game open in the fifth, as Lynnfield put up three runs. Lynnfield’s Greg Basilesco hit an RBI single and Traverse Briana hit a clutch two-run double to give the Pioneers a comfortable 9-4 lead. Pentucket had a three-run inning of its own in the bottom of the sixth, and it could have been an even bigger inning. Pioneer left fielder Connor Sullivan made a highlight-reel over-the-shoulder catch with two outs and a runner on third.”If Connor does not come up with that catch, then we might be having a different discussion about this game,” said Lynnfield coach John O’Brien.Lynnfield pitcher Andy Carbone was very efficient on the hill (7 innings, 8 hits, 7 runs, 2 earned runs). Leading the way for Lynnfield on offense was: Basilesco (3 hits, 3 RBI); A.J. Gallo (2 hits, 2 runs scored) and Sullivan (2 hits, RBI). Lynnfield is now 5-5.Gloucester 7, Classical 4At Gloucester, the Rams (4-7) found themselves playing catch-up the whole way. Gloucester took a 1-0 lead on a solo home run in the first inning, but Classical answered in the second when Jorge Perez (2-for-3, run, RBI) singled in Brandon Devin, who had reached on a fielder’s choice.Gloucester responded with another home run in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead. Single runs in the third and fourth made it 4-1 before the Rams could make any headway. In the fifth inning, Joe Rose singled, stole second and scored on a Kyle Devin double, making it 4-2, but Gloucester scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning to pull away once again.The Rams made some noise in the top of the seventh when Perez singled and scored on a Brad Scuzzarella double. Scuzzarella came home on a groundout to short by Kyle Devin.Justin Avery started and went five innings in the loss. Rose pitched the final inning in relief.”I was happy with the effort. We were just on the losing end,” Classical coach Mike Zukowski said.Danvers 8, Salem 2At Palmer Cove in Salem, the Falcons (12-1) got right back on the horse after a tough loss to Peabody in extra innings on Wednesday. Raf Tylus went seven innings, allowing two hits, two walks, one earned run and striking out nine.Ray Arocho went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI and Dan Connors had an RBI single.St. John’s 4, St. John’s-Shrewsbury 2At St. John’s, the Eagles struck in the bottom of the first inning, as Brandon Bingel hit a single and Keith Leavitt followed with a two-run home run to give