Pine Hill reaches City Series final against Wyoma

LYNN – The Pine Hill Reds earned a spot in the City Series final by defeating the Lynn Shore Braves, 15-2, on Friday at Kiley Park.
Pine Hill will square off against the Wyoma Red Sox in the final on Saturday at 4 at Kiley Park. If the Reds can defeat the Red Sox, they?ll force a winner-take-all finale on Monday.
Pine Hill jumped out to an early lead against the Braves, as Miguel Segura led things off with a double. Aidan Dow followed with a double and Segura scored on an error. The Reds tacked on two more in the second, as Junnell Leon led off with a double, James Santanella reached on an error, and David Brown drove in a run with a single to make it 3-0.
The Braves pulled within one in the third as Aiven Cabral doubled and scored on Ray Contreras? single, then Jeremies Brito singled to bring in Contreras to make it 3-2.
The Pine Hill bats exploded for seven runs in the fourth on two-run doubles from Segura and Dow, as well as hits from Luke Rao and Brown and five walks in the inning. Lynn Shore starter Cabral was knocked out of the game with two outs in the fourth, and reliever Damian Guadarrama was unable to get the third out. Yordy Contreras came in and ended the inning with a strikeout.
?We?ve been that way all season,” said Pine Hill manager Pete Dow about his team putting together one big inning. “I tell them to win every inning, to take things pitch by pitch, and play by play. We stay focused and under control, and that?s what happens.”
Over his five innings of work, Pine Hill starter James Ball allowed eight hits and just the two runs, striking out three. Segura tossed a 1-2-3 inning in relief.
Ball, who hasn?t been one of the team?s main pitchers this season, was a late decision to start for Pine Hill. But he stepped up in a critical spot, something Dow said Ball is used to doing.
?He stepped up huge in the All-Star tournament and all year long,” said Dow. “I can?t say enough about him. Last year, I needed a catcher, and as a 10-year-old he stepped into that role. This year, he?s only 11, but he?s played just about every position, anywhere we ask him to. It?s amazing what he?s accomplished at a young age.”
The Reds added another five runs in the sixth. Leon doubled in a run after Rao singled, and the bases were loaded up for Dow, who clubbed a shot to right-center field for a bases-clearing triple.
With the loss, the Braves? season comes to a close.
?It was a great season,” said Lynn Shore coach Paul Hartford. “I told the guys that I?ve never had so much fun coaching. The whole team likes each other and everyone gets along.”
After dropping the first game of the tournament against Wyoma, the defending City Series champs knew they had a long road ahead of them.
?Losing that first game put us in a tough position,” said Hartford. “We had to juggle pitchers throughout the series, and tonight we just couldn?t get that big hit.”
The Pine Hill Reds, on the other hand, will have their work cut out for them on Saturday against the Red Sox, who are unbeaten in the tournament.
?I thought the three teams that were left (Pine Hill, Wyoma, and Lynn Shore) were the best teams in the tournament,” said Dow. “But we come ready to play. We?ve been together since there was snow on the ground this year. They don?t want any days off, and even when I give them days off, they come down to the field and practice.
?I stress to these kids to be a family. When you become a family, when you step out on the baseball field, it becomes easy. Some of these kids have been together for seven years. I really don?t want it to end, but to end with a City Series win would definitely be a cherry on top.”
Katie Morrison can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @KatieMo61.