LYNN — Repeat dreams and another shot at Williamsport came to a crashing end for the kids from Peabody West, as they fell, 6-0, to Gloucester Friday at Reinfuss Field in the Massachusetts Little League Sectional Tournament.
The loss left Peabody at 1-2 in the four-tournament round-robin play. Gloucester and Reading finished ahead of West and will go on to the final.
“Their pitcher got us out and nobody has shut us out yet. So, you know you gotta tip your cap and say okay the pitcher beat us today,” said Peabody West’s Manager Steve Lomasney. “I’ll tell you we’ve been outstanding defensively. I mean, I don’t think we’ve had more than one error, maybe in a game. Like we’ve been very, very good defensively and unfortunately, they just out hit us tonight.”
Gloucester opened the game with a triple by Bryce Albano. Followed by Jack Higgins hitting a double, allowing Albano to score leading Gloucester to score first, making it 1-0. Ty Lomasney led off for Peabody West in the bottom of the first hitting a single. Ricky Williams followed suit only to end up in the back end of a double play. Andrew Wenzel walked but was thrown out at second on Landon Lohnes’ hit.
In the second Peabody West held Gloucester to its one run lead with the help from Williams making an amazing catch out in right. Ryan Skerry had a single in the bottom of the second while C.J. York walked but both were left stranded on second and first.
Gloucester threatened to score again during the top of the third yet Peabody West held the runner at third. Keeping the score at 1-0 Gloucester. While West then went one, two, three in the bottom.
Gloucester hit two fly balls straight at Williams while York struck out the third batter in the top of the fourth. Gloucester held West to their first three batters in the bottom of the fourth holding on to its 1-0 lead.
“I think C.J (York) pitched lights out two nothing that game. I’ve said it before, you gotta tip your cap sometimes,” said Lomasney. “He’s (Ricky Williams) had a great tournament defensively. As good as an outfielder that I’ve seen at this age. The way he sold out there at the end of that game and caught that ball was pretty impressive.”
Gloucester added another run on a controversial play in the top of the fifth on an obstruction play at third. Following a lengthy debate and formal protest the ruling was in favor of Gloucester keeping the run, making the game 2-0. While the Peabody West bats were swinging the balls were like magnets to the Gloucester gloves.
“Line drives all over the place. It felt like that was going to be the inning and then all the sudden right at everybody,” said Lomasney. “We just kept hitting balls right at people. I don’t think we had that many strikeouts. It’s just one of those nights, balls hit right at people.”
Gloucester ran away with the game in the top of the sixth with four more runs added to Gloucester’s lead making the score 6-0. Even the wicked diving catch by Williams was not enough to stop Gloucester. Peabody West tried but failed to rally in the bottom of the sixth with the game ending 6-0 in favor of Gloucester.
“I respect the heck out of these kids and I appreciate all the effort that they gave us,” said Lomasney. “They’re moving on to the big diamond for most of them. (Ben) Ouellette and (C.J.) York are 11-years-old so they’ll be back here again next year. These guys move onto Babe Ruth level and onto the big diamond. Hopefully they take on the lessons they learned here and everything that carried them onto the big diamond at high school baseball. And if they’re fortunate enough to play at the next level, so be it.”
