SAUGUS — And the Lynnfield 12-year-old All-Stars live to see another day – and another win-or-go-home game in the losers’ bracket of the Little League District 16 tournament.
Tuesday night at Grabowski Field, the Pioneers rolled past Salem 10-0 in five innings. The win sets up a must-win game against Peabody West Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. at Pine Hill. The winner of that game will meet undefeated Swampscott in a championship game on Thursday (TBD) with an “if” game scheduled for Friday (TBD).
“Peabody West has always been the team to beat, so we will see,” Manager Dave Polcari said. “We were solid tonight, got good pitching and we had some kids who hit the ball hard, so we hope to be ready.”
Michael Mattia, who had missed most of the season with a broken hand, had a monster game, going 2-for-3 with four RBI and one run scored. He also got it done on the mound in relief. He came in when starter Joey Polcari (3 hits, 6 strikeouts, 4 walks) reached his pitch count with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning, inheriting two runners in scoring position and a 10-0 lead. If Salem had any hope of extending the game another inning, Mattia slammed the door, striking out the last two batters to end the game.
“Considering all the time he missed, Michael Mattia was just tremendous tonight with those clutch hits, especially in the first to put us ahead right away,” Dave Polcari said. “Then he came in at the end and finished strong for us. And Joey hadn’t pitched in a month, so that sets us up well for tomorrow.”
Lynnfield scored all the runs it needed in the first, the big hit being a two-run double from Mattia that scored Joey Polcari (2 runs) and Danny Murphy (1-for-1, 2 runs) who had been hit by pitches.
The Pioneers stretched the lead to 4-0 in the third. Evan Swales (run) drew a leadoff walk, reached second on a single up the middle by Kevin Geary (1-for-2) and third on a wild pitch. Joey Polcari (2 runs) drove in Swales with a sacrifice fly to right. Paul Tappan (1-for-3, run, RBI) then singled to right to plate Michael D’amelio (1-for-3, 2 runs), who had reached on a fielder’s choice.
“Kevin really hit the ball hard tonight and that’s what you want in that part of the order,” Dave Polcari said. “He really hit both balls hard, especially that line drive in the fifth inning. He really roped it.”
Lynnfield bumped the lead to 5-0 in the fourth. Henry Morgan (1-for-2, run) walked, reached second on an infield single by Will Noumi (1-for-3) and scored on a long single to center by Chase Austin (1-for-2, RBI).
The Pioneers broke the game open with five unearned runs in the top of the fifth. Mattia capped the scoring with a two-run double that scored Tappan and Murphy, both on base via errors.
“That fifth inning killed us when we gave them seven outs. You can’t do that,” Salem Manager Sean O’Keefe said. “Our team really didn’t have an ace, but had a couple of really good pitchers, but everyone could hit us, and that showed. We just had to make the plays in the field and unfortunately we didn’t in that inning.”
O’Keefe highlighted the play of starting pitcher Sofia Ruggieri (4.1 innings, 7 hits, 5 earned runs, 2 walks), Jackson Rennick (1-for-2, walk) and catcher Tony Pasquarello.
“Sofia pitched a great game for us and really kept us in the game. We haven’t hit the whole tournament so it’s tough, but Jackson had a nice solid rip and Tony did a great job behind the plate,” O’Keefe said.
