By LILY DOOLIN
LYNN — From start to finish, the District 16 Swampscott Little League baseball team dominated the field, as well as the scoreboard, prevailing over over Salem, 5-1, Tuesday in the first all-star game for both teams
“We impressed upon them to not let up in any inning,” said coach Swampscott Fred Dubiel.
Salem’s Ethan Doyle doubled in the top of the first before Swampscott pitcher Nate Marston went to work.
“We feel Nate is our best pitcher,” said Dubiel. “He threw the ball well, and pounded the strike zone.”
In its half of the first, Swampscott got right down to it. Marston hit a triple, sending Connor Correnti home to take an early 1-0 lead. He later scored on a double by Pierce Friedman, widening the lead to 2-0.
The second inning showed promise for Salem. But with runners on second and third, Eros Fernandez grounded out to end the threat.
Swampscott’s half of the second got off to an explosive start with Dylan Dubiel hitting a home run that further buried Salem. As play went on, Salem’s defense failed to communicate effectively, resulting in more runs when Correnti hit a single that delivered Nathan DeRoche.
Salem finally got going in the third with help from a struggling Marston, who walked two runners to load the bases. Doyle walked to force in Salem’s first run. Still, Marston finished out the inning without further damage.
Salem pitcher Luke Smith held Swampscott at bay, striking out three batters in a row to get his team back up to bat. However, Swampscott’s defense regained its composure in the bottom of the fourth and came out stronger than ever. Relief pitcher DeRoche and the infield were fast and efficient, covering the bases well to keep Salem from advancing any farther than second base.
“We have the luxury of being able to move our players around in the infield to be successful,” said Dubiel.
Smith continued to get better for Salem, striking out more batters to keep his team’s chances alive. DeRoche responded by stepping up his game too, preserving Swampscott’s lead.
The fifth inning sealed Swampscott’s victory. Chloe Rakauskas hit a double that brought Matt McIntire home, plunging Salem into a deficit it could overcome.
“We knew Salem was going to come out quite hard. We knew they were going to be very well disciplined,” said Dubiel.
“We wanted them to work hard at every single play, and that’s what they did against a very good team.”
