Little League teams in action

PEABODY – Before their teams began an elimination game at Peabody West?s Ross Park on Monday, both Pine Hill manager Pete Dow and Nahant?s Adolph Graciale had a feeling that runs were going to be at a premium as both teams? aces — Colin Reddy and Nick Riser — were set to toe the rubber.As it turned out, the managers had their Nostradamus caps on as both pitchers turned the game into a mano-a-mano duel.Reddy was good, surrendering only four hits over five innings. But Riser was just a little bit better as he held the Hillies hitless over 5 2/3 innings, striking out 14 and walking only one as Tony Conigliaro?s two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the first was all the offense either team could muster in a 2-0 Nahant win.?I really tip my hat to Nick,” Dow said. “He kept us off balance all game. He has a great breaking ball and then he came with the heat. But Colin couldn?t have pitched any better for us. They got that one chance and were able to take advantage of it.”Graciale was fully aware that his team had just beaten perhaps one of the top pitchers in the tournament thanks to the nearly superhuman efforts of Riser and reliever Ryan Graciale.?What else can you say about what Nick and Colin did,” Graciale said. “The one chance that we got, Tony puts the bat on the ball and just gets it over the fence. I knew it was going to be a battle and that?s what it was.”How dominant was Riser before he had to leave with two outs in the top of the sixth? Pine Hill put the ball in play only four times and got the ball out of the infield just once.It was clear from the get-go that one run very well could be all either team needed as Riser struck out Nate Pagan, Dan Gisonno and Reddy in order to complete the top of the first. Reddy got the first two men quickly in the bottom of the inning before Riser singled to keep the frame going for Conigliaro.Conigliaro wasted little time in giving his team a 2-0 lead as he lined the first pitch he saw over the fence.Riser would strike out the side again in the second with Reddy following suit in the home half. The Nahant ace eventually made it eight straight whiffs to start the game before walking No. 9 batter Meguel Segura with two down in the third. Riser promptly struck out the next batter to end the inning.Nahant would get a two-out single from Graciale in the third but he was picked off to end the inning. The Hillies would again go in order in the fourth as Riser had faced one over the minimum. Reddy would get into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the fourth as Conigliaro singled and Christian Nunez walked with one out. But he rallied to strike out the next two men to end the inning.Riser would issue a leadoff walk to Tim Nereck to begin the fifth but he erased him on a fielder?s choice before striking out the next two men to give him 12 in the game. Reddy also worked an easy fifth, giving his mates one final chance to rally.Riser quickly struck out the first two batters in the sixth but had to exit after exceeding his 85-pitch maximum. Graciale came on and was immediately greeted by a double from Gisonno that brought Reddy to the plate in the form of the tying run, but he went down swinging to end things.?There isn?t anyone else I?d want up there in that spot,” Dow said. “Colin did a phenomenal job and Danny came up huge with that double to give us a chance.”Lynnfield 25, West Lynn American 2Also at Ross Park on Monday, Lynnfield sent 19 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning, scoring 13 times en route to a 25-2 win over West Lynn American.Matt Fiore was the ringleader for Lynnfield, belting a grand slam in the first and adding a three-run homer later as he drove in seven runs and scored four times. Nick Baldini was 4-for-4 with four RBI and four runs scored while David Gentile and Conor Hawes each drove in three. Sal Marotta was 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored.West Lynn had a couple of players contribute offensively — Maurice Sequeira, Matt Devin and Will Hunter.Wes