LYNNFIELD — Despite losing a three-run lead in the seventh inning Thursday afternoon, the Lynnfield baseball team was able to gather itself well enough to pull out a 7-6 walk-off victory over Georgetown in a Cape Ann League battle at Lynnfield High School.
The game-winning hit came from Alex Gentile, who ripped an RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Gentile led the offensive attack for Lynnfield on the day, going 3-for-5 with a triple and two RBI. Henry Caulfield (2-for-5) and Tim Pivero (1-for-3) each had one RBI, while Aidan Burke (2-for-4, run scored), Nick Razzaboni (2-for-3, run scored), Dan Dorman (1-for-4, double) and Devin Bolger (1-for-1) also had good days at the plate.
Dorman also picked up the win on the mound for the Pioneers, pitching two innings of scoreless relief while allowing one hit and striking out three. Pivero got the start and the no-decision, pitching three innings and allowing five runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.
Lynnfield got the scoring going in the bottom of the second inning, exploding for six runs. David Tracy drew a leadoff walk and then Razzaboni singled, allowing Dorman to step to the plate. Dorman ripped a hard grounder right to shortstop, but the throw sailed high into the stands and allowed a run to come home to make it 1-0. After another run came in on a passed ball, Pivero stepped in and dropped a perfectly executed bunt to drive home a run and make it a 3-0 lead. Burke followed that up with a walk before Caulfield drove in a run with a groundout, then Gentile ripped an RBI triple to deep right-center field. After Riley followed that with an RBI single of his own, the Pioneers held a commanding 6-0 lead.
But Georgetown wasn’t done. The Royals chipped away at the lead for the rest of the game, scoring a run in the third and two more in the fifth to make it a 6-3 game.
Then came the seventh, where Georgetown notched three hits, drew two walks and brought home three runs to tie up the game and put the pressure right back on Lynnfield.
And the Pioneers responded. After Dorman worked out of the seventh inning and then went 1-2-3 through the eighth, the Pioneers had a chance to win the game with a walk-off.
Bolger got the rally started with a one-out single, then Burke and Caulfield both followed suit to load up the bases for Lynnfield. That opened up the door for Gentile, who continued his impressive season at the plate by knocking a walk-off RBI single up the middle to give the Pioneers the thrilling victory.
Lynnfield (6-8) hosts Newburyport Saturday morning (10).
