PHOTO BY BOB ROCHE
Jack Anderson and Anthony Marino (3) celebrate a Wyoma run.
By SCOT COOPER
LYNN — The scenario in the opening game of the District 16 Little League all-star tournament looked like the last team to come to bat was going to go home with a win.
That was Lynnfield, which walked off with an 11-10 win over Wyoma Sunday night at Volunteer Field.
Things looked great early on for Wyoma, which staked itself to a 7-0 cushion after two innings. But Lynnfield exploded for five runs in the bottom of the third, with two coming on a smash over the fence by Tyler Scoppettulo. The third baseman’s bomb made it 7-5 after three innings, and it was a new ballgame.
Pat D’Amico had relieved Luke Martinho for Lynnfield, and he cruised through the third and the fourth innings, giving his team a chance to fight back. Lynnfield fought back hard, and took the lead in the bottom of the fourth.
D’Amico and Tom Pascuccio both walked in the fourth to go with a single by Martinho that left the bases loaded. The sixth and seventh runs came home on wild pitches, and a single by Chris Wythe gave Lynnfield its first lead, 8-7, after four.
Wyoma stepped on the gas in the top of the fifth. Patrick Kasper and Ryan Fraher got on base against D’Amico, and pinch-hitter Jesse Maggs crushed a fastball high over the flagpole in dead center field to put Wyoma back on top, 10-8.
Lynnfield responded with a single run in the bottom of the fifth. Pinch-hitter Chris Sazo walked and moved around the bases on an error, scoring on a wild pitch, and it was 10-9 after five.
D’Amico walked Wyoma’s Tyler Wilson in the top of the sixth, but he was stranded at second. And that set the stage for the bottom of the sixth.
Pascuccio led off with a walk and took third on Aiden Burke’s bunt single. Pascuccio and Burke both scored to ice it for Lynnfield, scoring on a throwing error by Wyoma, and that was the ballgame.
Lynnfield coach Anthony Martinho said you never like to be down by seven runs, but he was confident his boys could come back.
“We scored eight quick ones in a scrimmage against Wakefield, you never like to be down big early on, but I know these kids can hit, and they did hit against a very dangerous Wyoma team,” Martinho said.
On the other side, Wyoma’s Rick Anderson said he’d take 10 runs any game but that his team has to clean things up in the field.
“You know, you’re going to win most games that you put up 10 runs, we just made a few mistakes in the field, our pitchers throw so hard, a couple of wild pitches really hurt us, we’ll clean things up, fix things up and get back out there next game,” Anderson said.
