Swampscott Sox get swept by Beverly in NSBL playoffs

SWAMPSCOTT – In a hard-fought and heated contest on Tuesday evening, the Beverly Recs defeated the North Shore Baseball League?s defending champion Swampscott Sox 7-4, sweeping them out of the playoffs.After a back-and-forth game that saw the Sox enter the final frame up 4-3, the visitors batted around their order, scoring four times in the process.After Dillon Gonzalez walked to begin things, Swampscott starting pitcher Junior Santos was removed in favor of Fred Cole. The left-handed reliever issued a walk of his own to Matt Burgess before Alex Toomey advanced both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.After a free pass to J.C. Collette, Chris Cocci?s ensuing ground ball to third took a vicious hop off the lip of the grass in front of, and into, left field for a two-run single, which proved to be the game-winner.The Recs didn?t let up, scoring two more in the inning. From their one and two spots in the order, Dan Mello and Ethan Trowt delivered RBI singles to boost the lead to three.After trailing early on (2-0 after two innings), the Sox fought back to tie the game in the third. After a 15-pitch battle, Cole singled to left-center before eventually scoring on an RBI single by Santos. Elvis Rodriguez knotted things with a rip to right-center.The teams would exchange runs in the fourth, with Beverly getting an RBI single from nine-hitter Adam Johnson before Swampscott?s Teghan Malionek plated Dario Medrano on a groundout to shortstop.The Sox took their first lead in the sixth inning. Medrano singled to lead off the frame before advancing all the way to third on a beautifully executed sacrifice bunt by Malionek. Chris Nemeskal followed that with a perfect squeeze play, easily scoring the go-ahead run.Beverly hopped out to a quick 2-0 lead after solo runs in the first two frames.Dan Mello walked to begin the game before coming in on a single by Gonzalez. Toomey scored the game?s second run after an errant throw to second by the catcher Malionek allowed him to trot home from third.The fourth-seeded Recs advance to the next round to play the No. 2 Kingston Night Owls. The winner of that series would take on the victor of the No. 1 North Shore Phillies versus the No. 6 Newburyport Nationals.