SAUGUS — They say coming off the bench and getting a hit in a big spot is one of the toughest things any baseball player can do. But don’t tell that to Saugus’ Matt MacEachern.
With two outs and a runner on second base in the bottom of the eighth inning, MacEachern ripped a hard grounder through the gap between first and second base for a walk-off RBI single to notch a 2-1 victory over Masconomet at World Series Park Friday afternoon.
“This was a big one for the guys, because we’re coming off of a game that we felt like we should have won and we needed a bounce back,” said Saugus coach Joe Luis. “This is the kind of win that can really jump-start the guys.”
Saugus ace Nathan Ing had a big day on the mound despite not technically taking home the win. Ing tossed 7 1/3 innings and allowed one run on two hits with four walks and 12 strikeouts, but he left the game in the top of the eighth after throwing 110 pitches. Ryan Mabee came on to pitch the final 2/3 inning in relief and picked up the win.
“Nate’s our guy, he’s our workhorse and he’s going to be out there every fourth day,” said Luis. “Not only did he stand up there and throw strikes for more than seven innings, but he held guys on base against a team that likes to bunt and run and play small-ball. He’s a true leader and the guys all rally around him.”
There wasn’t much action at the plate outside of MacEachern’s RBI single, as Cam Soroko (1-for-3), Braden Faiella (1-for-2) and Anthony Cicolini (1-for-2) each had one hit.
The game was a true pitchers’ duel from start to finish, as Ing dominated on the mound for Saugus and Erik Sibbach controlled the pace on the hill for Masconomet. Each team was able to scrape one run across thanks to passed balls — Saugus in the bottom of the first and then Masconomet in the top of the second — but the offenses were stymied outside of that.
Things remained there until the top of the seventh inning, when Masconomet was finally able to put a rally together by loading the bases and getting the go-ahead run to third with one out. Will Dempsey stepped up to the plate and ripped a hard line drive to left field that looked like it was going to be the difference in the game.
But Cicolini had other ideas, as he made an incredible diving catch to save the hit and then got up and rifled the ball back in to double up the runner at third — who had run home to score and then missed touching home plate when running back to third after the catch.
“What a massive play in the game that was,” said Luis. “The guys were incredibly fired up after that, and for him to then come out in the bottom of the seventh and get a hit right away to start us off, that was a big boost.”
The Sachems moved runners into scoring position in the bottom of the seventh, but they couldn’t push that winning run across and the game went to extras.
After Mabee came into the game to work through the top of the eighth, Saugus came back to back in the bottom of the inning. The rally started when Soroko ripped a single to get on base before he was moved over to second and then to third on a pair of sacrifice groundouts. That set the stage for MacEachern, who came up with the game-winning hit when it was needed most.
“That’s a great hitter, and it was all about getting him an opportunity to come through with a man on base,” Luis said of MacEachern.
Saugus (4-2) is back in action Wednesday afternoon (4:30) on the road at Beverly.
