Wyoma, Lynn Shore win in City Series openers

LYNN – To Lynn Little League baseball players, the historic Lynn City Series is equal to the World Cup, Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup all rolled into one.Friday night at a very warm Reinfuss Field, home of the Wyoma Little League the Lynn Shore Giants scored an 11-6 victory over the never-say-die Dodgers of West Lynn in the opening game of the 2014 City Series, the 63rd in the city’s history.In the cooler nightcap (Wyoma has lights!) the Wyoma A’s used the “Lights Out” pitching of Bobby Alcock in a solid 9-1 victory over the talented East Lynn champions, winners of four league crowns in a row.Today (Saturday), the Pine Hill league champs join the party with a 5:30 showdown against Coach Mark Sullivan’s Lynn Shoremen. It’s a double elimination classic series, so every team is still alive at this point. It’s the best free show in town.In tonight’s second game, Jeff Hill’s Dodgers take on East Lynn.On Sunday, the 15th annual Lynn Little League Home Run Derby begins, also at the Wyoma palace. Lynn was among the first cities in the United States to make Home Run Derby an annual Little League event, and the long ball parade begins at 4 p.m.In Friday night’s Lynn Shore Giants victory, there were heroes everywhere. The Giants opened with two quick runs on strong hits by Andy Dureza and Julian Silvestre. The Dodgers, looking fancy in their traditional blue and white, tied it up with a mighty Steve Strangie home run near the bulls-eye signs in left center. The happiness on the face of his father, Coach Steve Strangie, was palpable as his son galloped around the.However, David Stepan of the Shore Giants came right back with a 3-run blast of his own in the next inning.”It was the first home run of his career,” said manager Mark Sullivan, who also got a sizzling pitching mound performance from Jomar Moreta.”And Eddy Cadero broke out of a slump when he banged out two solid hits for us,” said a relieved Sullivan. Jomar also got an RBI hit to increase our lead to 11-4 after three innings”.Late in the game, Sullivan encouraged his shortstop Andy Duverge to pull a mini shift on West Lynn star Matt Devin, whose sizzling line drive went directly into the glove of Andy. Just like they planned it. Andy also looked like Derek Jeter when he slide into the dirt at short to take a bouncer away from another Dodger, then get up and tag second before firing a strong toss to first … a thrilling twin killing.In the nightcap, Bobby Alcock, one of Lynn Little League’s best hurlers, put on quite a show when he struck out 11 of the first 13 batters he faced, and then added a three run homer in a 9-1 victory over East Lynn.The game ended weirdly. East Lynn could only field nine players with no subs, and when a ground ball hit by a Wyoma batter injured the eye of an East Lynn short-stop, the umpires had to stop the game, rewarding the win to Wyoma. Bobby Alcock had two hits to go along with his long distance home run.”He killed that pitch,” acknowledged his father/coach Bob Alcock. “They still haven’t found the ball yet.”Conner Stevens, Ryan Stevens and Jesse Maggs also bashed big hits for Wyoma in the contest.