ITEM PHOTO BY KATIE MORRISON
Peabody’s Chris Gillen connects for a sacrifice fly, driving in the first run of the game.
By JOYCE EREKSON
PEABODY — Some things are worth waiting for and bringing the Jimmy Geanoulis Memorial Day Baseball Tournament championship trophy back to Lowell Street is on the list.
The Peabody High baseball team defeated defending champion Bishop Fenwick, 9-0, Monday night in a game that was in jeopardy after the field took on water like a sinking ship due to the heavy rain that hit the area earlier in the day. Peabody coach Mark Bettencourt, athletic director Phil Sheridan and city worker Manny Nunes spent a good chunk of the day trying to get the field playable for the consolation and championship games scheduled for noon and 4 p.m., but it was a big-time assist from Marblehead landscaper Mike Rockett, a friend of the late Geanoulis, that helped it come together.
Rockett offered his company’s help in the form of four workers, two trucks and 20 bags of Speedy Dry. He also surprised Bettencourt after the game with a $1,000 donation to the Geanoulis scholarship fund. Although the games started late and finished late (Andover won the consolation game, 5-4, in 10 innings) Bettencourt wasn’t complaining.
“I don’t like that trophy being anywhere but in our showcase,” Bettencourt said, adding that having it spend the off-season at Fenwick “beat me up a little bit.”
This was the sixth year of the tournament. Geanoulis was an educator, a coach, referee and umpire, and a friend to many, Bettencourt told the crowd before the start of the championship game.
Peabody scored two runs in the first inning with shortstop Jake Gustin, who was named the tournament most valuable player, starting the inning off with a single. He scored on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Chris Gillen. Nick Palma, who reached on a fielder’s choice, came home on a wild pitch.
The Tanners added single runs in the second (Jake Doherty singled to right center and scored on an Aaron Dollin grounder) to make it 3-0 and in the fourth inning, Ben Irvine drove in Palma (who had singled) with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Peabody would put the game out of reach with a five-run fifth inning. The two and three hitters, Anthony Iannuzzi and Palma, led off with back-to-back doubles with Palma’s blast scoring Iannuzzi. Palma scored on an error by the shortstop and the Tanners found themselves with a 6-0 lead. Dollin walked with the bases loaded to make it 7-0 and on a fluke play, Gustin popped up to the catcher with two outs. The catcher lost the ball and it dropped in front of the plate. With the runners off on contact, two more (Doherty and Jon Lawrence, who had both reached on walks) scored.
Jake Zeuli went five innings for the win. He allowed only two hits and struck out four. Vasili Stefanopoulos finished up in relief, only allowing one hit and two walks in two innings. Fenwick’s Simon Gonzalez went four innings in the loss. He allowed five hits. Dan Mastromatteo and Tyler Thompson came on in relief. The Tanners had seven hits.
Monday was the final day to get in games. The MIAA tournament pairings are being done today with games slated to start later in the week. Peabody finished up 13-9, as did Bishop Fenwick.
The road to the championship game was very different for the two teams. Peabody put on a laser show in its 17-2 win over Everett in the first round. The Tanners pounded Everett pitching with three players, Lawrence, Dollin and Irvine, each contributing three hits in a 20-hit day. The Tanners scored eight runs in the first inning to put the game, which only went six innings, away early.
The Crusaders had a much different experience in their 2-1 win over Andover. This one was more of a pitchers’ duel with Fenwick’s J.P. Reilling, a senior lefty, picking up his fifth win. He allowed only five hits and struck out five. Robbie Murphy of Peabody tied the game with an RBI single in the second inning and Jimmy Moore scored the winning run when R.J. Libby hit into a double play.
