PEABODY — The seventh inning made the difference in an otherwise even game between the Saugus and Peabody baseball teams Tuesday afternoon, as the Sachems were able to slip past Peabody by a score of 5-4 on the road at Donohue Field.
Heading into the final inning tied at 2-2, Saugus scored three runs in the top of the seventh before holding the Tanners to two runs in the bottom of the inning to seal the win.
Picking up the win on the mound for the Sachems was senior ace Nathan Ing, who went 6 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with nine strikeouts. Ryan Mabee came on to get the final out, earning the save after allowing two runs on three hits.
On the offensive side of things, Braden Faiella went 1-for-3 with three RBI to lead the way for Saugus. Ryan Anderson went 1-for-3 with one RBI, while Cam Soroko (1-for-2) and Drew Gardner (1-for-3) also added hits in the victory.
For Peabody, Jacob Palhares went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Giovanni Guglielmo (3-for-4) and Joe Raymond (2-for-4, double) each had one RBI, while Brendan Smith (1-for-3) and Justin Powers (1-for-4) also had hits.
Raymond took the loss on the mound for the Tanners after going six innings, allowing two runs on three hits with four strikeouts. Branden Waite pitched the final inning and allowed three runs on one hit.
The first two innings went by without incident, but Saugus was able to get things going in the top of the third. An error and a single put runners on first and third for Anderson, who lined a single up the middle to put the Sachems ahead 1-0. Two batters later, Faiella drove in a run on a groundout to give Saugus a two-run lead.
The score remained there until the bottom of the fifth, when a two-out RBI double from Raymond got the Tanners on the board at 2-1. Guglielmo immediately followed that up with an RBI single, and all of a sudden the score was all tied at 2-2.
Saugus loaded up the bases in the top of the sixth, but couldn’t find a way to get the run home. In the seventh, patience prevailed for the Sachems as they drew a pair of walks to get a runner into scoring position with one out. Faiella came through big from there, notching a two-run single to push Saugus ahead 4-2. He later came around to score on a passed ball, giving the Sachems a three-run lead.
But Peabody didn’t pack it in, and the Tanners came out swinging in the bottom of the seventh. After a pair of quick groundouts put Peabody’s back against the wall, Guglielmo and Smith kept the inning alive with a pair of singles. Next up was Palhares, who ripped a two-run double to deep center field to make it a 5-4 game. Powers came up next and ripped a hard shot to center as well, but Faiella was able to get in front of it and secure the out to win the game for Saugus.
Peabody (6-5) now has more than a week off before hosting Swampscott next Wednesday night (7).
Saugus (6-5) hosts Danvers Friday (4).
