Peabody West wins District 16 title

LYNN – Not since the days of the Swampscott teams that dominated District 16 play through the ?80s and ?90s has there been a dynasty the likes of the one Peabody West has put together over the last 14 years.For the 10th time since 2001, Peabody laid claim to a district championship as it exploded out of the gates against Wyoma in a winner-take-all battle for the District 16 banner. West scored the game?s first nine runs and never looked back as it claimed its third D-16 crown in four seasons with a 13-5 win at Pine Hill?s Chris Spagnoli Field.Peabody advances to play District 15 champion Hamilton-Wenham on Wednesday (TBA) at Poulin Field in Tewksbury in the opening round of the Massachusetts Section Four Tournament.?We have all the respect in the world for that program over there (in Wyoma),” Peabody West manager Ed Silva said after the team he?s coached for the last three years made it 25 wins in 26 games of district play. “They and Swampscott were always the teams to beat in 16 for a long time and now I think we are right there with them. The big inning in the first was huge and it gave us a lot of confidence.”The big inning Silva spoke of came in the top of the first when Peabody scored four times against Wyoma starter Bobby Alcock, who had held West to only one hit on Sunday when the teams played in the winner?s bracket final.?Bobby was throwing hard but they were on it,” Wyoma manager Rick Anderson said. “Those four runs in the first kind of took the wind out of our sails a little bit and that?s tough to come back from with a pitcher like John (Mulready) on the mound.”Mulready was, in a word, dominant. He struck out 12 and allowed only three hits over 4 2/3 innings of work while also belting a homer, driving in three and scoring three times at the plate.?Johnny was just a beast,” Silva said.Peabody West gave Mulready all the run support he needed in the first.Ironically, Alcock retired the aforementioned West starter before the Peabody bats got rolling. Joe Gilmartin started things with a single. J.C. Espinal followed with another hit with both moving up 60 feet on a passed ball.Angelo McCullough?s groundout to third brought Gilmartin home before Espinal scored on a passed ball. A hit batter and a walk were followed by another passed ball that put Jenarro Herbert and Mike Sabella at second and third.Mike Silva and Joe Castrachini then delivered clutch singles that scored two more runs to give Peabody a 4-0 lead.?What was huge for us was that the bottom of the order came through for us,” Silva said. “Those guys are great players and top three hitters for most of the season on other teams.”Mulready, meanwhile, went about quieting the Wyoma faithful as he struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced. His teammates would add to their lead in the top of the third.A pair of singles, a walk and a fielder?s choice loaded the bases with one out. Mulready walked to score one run before Gilmartin singled to score two more for a 7-0 lead. An error on a throw to get Mulready at the plate made it 8-0 before pinch hitter Jordan Anzuoni?s single to left gave West a 9-0 lead.Mulready was cruising along until the fourth when Alcock ripped the first pitch he saw for a solo homer to right but West responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to put Wyoma on the verge of elimination.?We tried to battle back but it?s hard against a team like they have,” Anderson said.Wyoma pushed a run across in the bottom of the fifth on Connor Donahue?s groundout to keep the game going. Mulready then added the coup de grace on his day when he cranked a 2-run bomb to cap Peabody?s 13-hit barrage.Wyoma didn?t go down without a fight in the bottom of the sixth as it pushed three runs across against reliever Dana Tennent before Donahue lined out to Herbert at first to start Peabody?s celebration.?This is the one that you want to win because everybody is at their best,” Silva said.