PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Lynn’s Christian Burt earned the win on the mound in a win over Saugus in the District 1 Babe Ruth 15-year-old tournament on Tuesday.
By STEVE KRAUSE
SAUGUS — The game may have belonged to Lynn’s Christian Burt Tuesday evening, but Kevin Durant made sure.
Burt was brilliant for Lynn in its 5-2 win over Saugus in a District 1 Babe Ruth 15-year-old tournament game at World Series Park. He retired the side in order in five of the seven innings as his team put itself in the driver’s seat in the pool-play tournament with a 3-0 record. Lynn is the only undefeated team left.
However, it was the seventh inning that’ll have Saugus fans scratching their heads for the rest of the summer. With one out, Saugus with three straight hits by Chris Korreia, Louis Tretola and pinch-hitter Adam Rodrigues that loaded the bases.
“I don’t think Christian was tired,” said Lynn manager Leon Elwell. “I just think they had the right part of their order up. That’s a good team. They didn’t quit.”
Grant Rust followed with a sinking line drive to center field that saw Durant dive for it, and catch it before it could hit the ground. While still prone, Durant fired the ball to Aedon Leydon at second, doubling up Tretola diving to get back to the bag.
“Wow,” said Saugus manager Anthony Cogliano. “What a play. That was just a great play. That falls and gets by him and it’s three runs. And we have the winning run at third, with one out.”
“That’s why he’s out there,” said Elwell. “But I told him afterward that he has the guts of a burglar.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” said Elwell. “Saugus is very, very good.”
But Burt, son of former St. Mary’s standout Tim Burt, was equal to the task of keeping them at bay. He sailed through the first three innings while his team built a 5-0 lead.
Back-to-back walks by Saugus starter Korreia to Danny Lilja and Leydon set the stage for a three-run first. Burt helped himself out by singling home the first run, and and the other two came in on a single by A.J. Luciano and a double by Dayshon Anderson.
Lynn got two more runs in the third. Burt led off with a double and stole third. He came home when Barnard reached on an error.
Successive walks to Luciano and Anderson loaded the bases. Saugus pitcher Jack DeSimone got the next two outs, but an infield hit by Brett Bucklin scored Lynn’s fifth run.
Burt finally yielded ground in the top of the fourth, walking Kyle Corcorochio lead off the inning. Corcorochio took second on a balk and went to third on a dropped third strike. Dom Clark’s single knocked him in, and Tretola scored Clark on another single.
The series resumes Thursday (5:30) at World Series with Swampscott-Nahant playing Marblehead.
