Lynn’s Devin hurls no-hitter to propel team into state Babe Ruth championships

LYNN – This was about as tense as it gets in Babe Ruth tournaments. Even though both teams will play tonight, the math worked out that Thursday’s game between Lynn and Swampscott/Nahant was for the District 1 title ? and a berth in the 15-year-old state tournament.Not only did Lynn win, 1-0 (the team will play at Saugus’ World Series Park beginning next week in the state tournament), but Brandon Devin punctuated the victory by throwing a no-hitter.”We’re usually a good-hitting team,” said Swampscott manager Jim Devereaux. “We scored nine, nine and seven runs. But that kid (Devin) is a good pitcher. We’ve hit against everyone else, but we couldn’t against him.”Matching Devin inning for inning – until the bottom of the sixth – was Swampscott’s Corey Bleau, who wasn’t exactly generous on the mound either. Until the sixth, Bleau, as well, had a no-hitter. He finally finished up allowing two hits ? neither of which was hit very hard.”It was a great game,” said Lynn manager Ron Gaudet. “Up and down our lineup, we had great defense. Our outfielders (Kyle Morrill, Matt Desilets and Marquis O’Neal, from left to right) didn’t let anything get by them, and there were few drops. The infielders ? pitchers ? they were all good.”And what a great game Brandon threw,” Gaudet said. “That’s twice now he’s done that (Devin pitched seven shutout innings against Saugus in the tournament’s opening game Saturday).”In a game that featured superb defense, Desilets made the most memorable play. After Lynn had eked out a run in the bottom of the seventh, Swampscott’s Jake Cooper launched one to straightaway centerfield. Desilets seemed to be momentarily turned around in the wrong direction, but righted himself and caught up with it still running toward the fence.”I thought it had a chance,” Devereaux said. “Jake really gave it a ride. But he (Desilets) is a good outfielder. Just a great play.””I thought it was gone when it left the bat,” Gaudet said. “But Matt’s a fast kid, and he caught up with it.”That might have been the only real mistake Devin – whose older brother, Kyle, is playing with the North Shore Navigators this summer – made. He may have only struck out five, but even when Swampscott made contact, the balls weren’t hit very hard.The game came down to the bottom of the sixth, when Lynn scored its only run (and could have had more but for the fact Bleau bore down and got out of a huge jam).Three innings earlier, Desilets had led off with a walk, gone to second on a wild pitch, and been sacrificed to third by Morrill. A squeeze attempt turned into a double play and Lynn didn’t score.Desilets again led off with a walk and Morrill sacrificed him to second. O’Neal and Ryan Desmarais followed with the only two hits of the game, but neither of them could bring Desilets around.Dan Hennessey hit a dribbler between the pitcher and second base, however, and Desilets barely beat the throw home for the game’s only run.Going in, each team was 3-0. There is no elimination in this year’s tournament. Each team plays five games. The team with the best record wins. And if two or more teams are tied, the tiebreaker is head-to-head. Because it is now 4-0, and because Peabody (tonight’s opponent) has lost twice, Lynn goes to the state championship even if it loses.Steve Krause can be reached at [email protected].