Lynn advances to Gallant final

SALEM – The slumbering Lynn bats showed signs of life Monday in a 4-3 win over Revere in the losers? bracket final of the 31st Ray Gallant Tournament at O?Grady Field.Lynn will play Peabody tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the final with the “if necessary” game on tap for Wednesday.This one was a struggle, with Lynn taking a 2-0 lead, only to have Revere come back and tie the game. Lynn went up 4-2, but Revere made it interesting by cutting the deficit to one in the sixth inning before Lynn pitcher Julien Silvestre shut the door with a 1-2-3 seventh. Silvestre only allowed two hits and struck out five, although five walks and a dropped third strike made things interesting for the defending Gallant champs.?Julien was great tonight,” Lynn coach Leon Elwell said. “He pounded the strike zone and mixed in his breaking pitches. He attacked all night long.”Lynn struck early, scoring two runs in the first inning. Colin Reddy (3-for-4, 2 runs) led off with a single, Connor Donahue reached on an error and Will Hunter singled to load the bases. Revere starter E.J. Leone, who received the Coaches Award after the game, buckled down and got the next two to strike out, but Lynn first baseman Matt Devin delivered a single to left center that scored both Reddy and Donahue for a 2-0 lead.Leone shut down Lynn in the second, third and fourth innings, giving his team time to find its way back into the game. In the top of the fourth, Leone reached on a dropped third strike to start the inning and catcher Adam Braid walked. Shortstop Justin Flores, who took home the MVP award for Revere, doubled to the center field fence, scoring Leone. Braid came home on a passed ball to tie the game, 2-2.Lynn finally got to Leone again in the bottom of the fifth. Reddy singled to lead off the inning. Donahue grounded out, but Hunter singled and Lynn had two on and one out. Bobby Alcock, who will be on the mound for Lynn tonight, hit a sacrifice fly to right to drive in Reddy with the go-ahead run and shortstop Andy Duverge came through with a double to center field that scored Hunter.The 4-2 lead was whittled down to 4-3 in the top of the sixth when Braid walked and scored on a Flores single. Silvestre got the next two batters to get out of the inning.Lynn threatened to blow the game open in the bottom of the sixth, but Revere relief pitcher Daynan Diaz, who had inherited two runners and hit the next batter to load the bases with no outs, rose to the challenge. He set down the next three (strikeout, popup, fly ball) and Lynn went away empty-handed.This was Revere?s first time in the tournament. Manager Emilio Leone said this group of players had been together since they were nine years old and this summer, played 27 games in the last 30 days. Leone said his players were excited to be in a wooden bat tournament.?I thought their pitcher, Julien, did a great job. He got stronger as the game went on and their outfield made all the plays. We?ve got a team that never gives up. These kids have gotten better every year,” Leone said.Although Lynn will have to beat Peabody, a team it lost to on Sunday, 11-1, twice to repeat as Gallant champion, Elwell is optimistic given the fact he has Alcock on the mound tonight and Reddy available for Wednesday.