PEABODY – Game two, Bottom of the sixth and Peabody West is three outs away from winning the tournament after battling back through the elimination bracket. The first batter gets thrown out at first. The second then strikes out. With one more out needed, the third batter, Branden Bolge hit a single before stealing second.
The tying run was now in scoring position and the winning run was heading to the plate. Tension was high in the Peabody West dugout as the fourth batter stepped into the batter’s box. In what seemed like slow motion Reid Ruffing’s pitch made contact with the bat sending it towards
Leo Pietrosanto at third base. In a split-second decision, Pietrosanto jumped, reaching for the ball.
Cheers erupted from the coaching staff, as well as the players in the dugout as Pietrosanto came down with the ball ending the game. Peabody West had just beat the number one seed Melrose 5-4, winning the Stan Brown tournament.
“That was one of the best little league games I’ve seen. Especially at nine years old, that was just a battle. That Melrose team I give all the credit in the world, they fought to the end. They were a very good team and a well-coached team,” said Peabody West’s Manager Phil Ragusa. “We just came out on top today but it could have gone either way.”
Peabody West took the lead early in the first after its lead-off hitter: Nick Dattoli walked. Dattoli then stole second before moving to third on Bryce Ragusa’s hit. Dattoli came home on Cam Segee’s fly ball allowing Peabody West to take an early lead in the top of the first.
Joe Weave started Melrose off with a double in the bottom of the first. Before stealing second and advancing to third on Alex Ogiba’s hit. Oliver Pechulis took first after being hit by the pitch. Pechulis then stole second putting two runners in scoring position. Weave and Pechulis both came home on Sam Kirsh’s single letting Melrose take the lead with the score 2-1. Kirsh then moved to second on Bolge’s single. Bolge was then thrown out at second, ending the inning.
Pietrosanto walked in the top of the second before stealing second and third. Reid Ruffing then hit a single. Logan Dresser then cleared the bases with his triple allowing Peabody West to take back the lead 4-2. Dresser came home on Luke Pelletier’s single bringing the score to 5-2, however, Pelletier was left on.
“I can’t say enough about our team and about how they battled back from being down. Logan Latorella pitched a hell of a game and Reid (Ruffling) came in and closed the door,” said Ragusa. “But we had different guys in different spots tonight and we counted on different guys to play different positions that they’re not used to.”
Michael Terney had a single in the bottom of the second for Melrose but was left stranded.
Dattoli hit a single in the top of the third but was left on.
Melrose started to make a come-back in the bottom of the third. Owen Pillsbury hit a single before advancing to second after Pechulis was hit by the pitch. Kirsh then hit a double sending Pillsbury and Pechulis home making the score 5-4. Kirsh was then left on.
Peabody West went one, two, and three in the top of the fourth.
Drew Besegai hit a single in the bottom of the fourth before being thrown out at second on Tierney’s single. Tierney then stole second before being caught stealing third to end the inning.
“We had to move some guys around because of the pitching and the pitch counts that way we would have guys available if we needed them,” said Ragusa. “There is also a rule with catching where if a catcher catches more than three innings he cannot pitch. So again we wanted to make sure that both Luca (Mosca) and Cam (Segee) were able to pitch if we needed them because they’re both really good pitchers. So we wanted to make sure we kept our options open.”
Luca Mosca hit a single to lead off in the top of the fifth. Mosca then stole second and third before trying to steal home but got caught. Dresser then walked before getting thrown out at second, to end the inning.
Melrose then went one, two, and three in the bottom of the fifth keeping the score 5-4.
Dattoli was hit by the pitch at the top of the sixth but was left stranded at first.
Melrose then had a chance to tie or win the game in the bottom of the sixth but left Bolge on second at the end of the game. With the final score of the game being 5-4 Peabody West.
“I’m so proud of these guys. We have been playing since the end of the season so at the beginning of July and now here we are in August and these kids are still going strong. I can’t say enough about these guys and the coaches. My coaching staff is great, we were always on the same page and we’re all buddies so it makes it easy,” said Ragusa. “We had to play hard and I really can’t say enough about these kids.”
Maddi Filip can be reached at [email protected]
