BY SCOT COOPER
SWAMPSCOTT — Monday morning the Marblehead-Swampscott legion team needed to win five out of their remaining six games to make the playoffs. The team beat North Andover Monday night, Danvers Tuesday night, and a 5-2 home win over Beverly-Salem Wednesday night lowered the qualification to two games out of three.
“I said last week when we were 4-8 that I thought we could run the table and get in, now the guys have won three, and we’re 7-8 with three to play,” manager Shawn Hubauer said after Wednesday’s win. “If we continue to get the great pitching, like we’ve been getting, realistically, I think we can take three of three.”
Righty Chris Murphy took the hill against Beverly-Salem Wednesday night, and he was in control for six innings, and his team gave him a 5-0 lead heading into the seventh. Murphy had allowed just one runner as far as second base through six.
Beverly-Salem’s Anthony Morrissey singled and swiped second in the top of the fourth, but he was stranded there when Murphy whiffed Joe Modahl and Matt Enos to end the inning.
Beverly closed out the game with two runs in the top of the seventh, but once again Murphy got a strikeout when he needed it and it was game over.
Marblehead-Swampscott came out of the gate right away, nabbing two in the bottom of the first off of B-S starter Enos. Jack Moretti and Matt Hubauer reached on singles with one out, and rounded the bases on a double by Corey Bleau.
The home team added a single run in the bottom of the second to go up by three runs. Sean Lahrizi reached first on an error and came home on a long double by his Big Blue teammate Adrian Espinal.
Murphy kept cruising along, picking up seven strikeouts and seven groundouts after five innings. The home team got Murphy another pair of runs in their half of the fifth inning. Espinal and Moretti started things up with back-to-back singles, and both crossed the plate on a double by Hubauer.
Beverly-Salem’s Enos whiffed seven, and gave way to Modahl in the sixth, and he set down all three batters he faced. The late rally by Beverly-Salem was too little, too late, and their manager, Bill Brewer, said close losses have really been the story of their season as they slipped to 5-13.
“Enos did a nice job, we just didn’t get him any runs, that’s been the story of the season, not enough runs,” Brewer said. “If we played five inning games our record would be great, we’ve had a lot of tough losses, but they never quit.”
Marblehead-Swampscott will host a doubleheader Thursday night, Danvers at 5:30, and Lawrence at 8 p.m. Hubauer said he’s confident his club will secure a playoff spot Thursday.
“We’ll send C.J. Howard to the mound in the first game, and then take it from there,” Hubauer said. “I really think this team can run the table to the end if we keep getting the great pitching we’ve been getting lately.”
