DANVERS — The Peabody West Little League 10-year-old All-Star team is making it look so easy in the Section 4 tournament.
With two mercy-rule wins in as many days, the latest a 10-0 romp over Danvers National Saturday at Moulton Field, West can punch its ticket to the state tournament July 22-23 at Piatelli Field in Milton with a win over Reading (1-1) Monday. That game was set to be played Sunday, but postponed a day due to heavy rain.
“I hear good things about Reading,” Manager Phil Ragusa said. “They are not in our district so I haven’t seen them at all, but I hear they are a good team. I expect that every team is really good from here on out, so we just have to go put our best options out there and see what happens.”
Against Danvers, starting pitcher Leo Pietrosanto was dominant, tossing a three-hitter in four innings. He pounded the strike zone, almost daring opposing batters to hit him. With only one strikeout and no walks, West’s defense answered the call and made every play but one, a harmless error in the outfield in the final inning. Center fielder Nick Dattoli and right fielder Luca Mosca shined, with each making highlight-reel catches on balls likely headed for extra bases.
“Danvers is a great team. We expected this from them,” Ragusa said. “They hit the ball and put it in play. We’ve worked on situations in the field and it worked out. We put the guys in the right spots and Leo was awesome. He pitched a great game. Throwing only 44 pitches was huge, because with Sunday’s game being postponed and the final pushed back a day until Tuesday, he could pitch for us Tuesday.”
West got to work early, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, the big hits being an RBI-double from Logan LaTorrella (2-for-2, run) and RBI single from Owen Skerry (1-for-2). A walk to Reid Ruffing loaded the bases with two outs, but West couldn’t do any more damage.
West scratched out two more runs in the second inning, small-ball style. Mosca (1-for-1, 2 runs) and Logan Dresser (2 runs) led off with back-to-back walks. After Mosca scored on a passed ball, Luke Pelletier’s (1-for-1, run) sacrifice bunt moved Dresser to third. Grayson Roberge (2-for-2, 2 RBI, run) brought Dresser home with an infield hit to make it 4-0.
As it had in the second, the lower half of the order got the job done again in the fourth. Parker Santos (1-for-2, run) got things started with a one-out single and advanced to second on Mosca’s bunt single. Dresser was hit, loading the bases for Luke Pelletier (1-for-1, run), who singled Santos home. Roberge beat out a bunt to plate Mosca. Pietrosanto (2-for-3, 2 runs) helped his own cause with a single that scored Dresser. Bryce Ragusa (1-for-3) kept the line moving with a two-run double, then Cam Segee (1-for-3) wrapped things up with a double that brought Pietrosanto home and triggered the mercy rule.
Phil Ragusa said the beginning of the order got off to a “slow start,” but they kept their heads in the game.
“The bottom kept us alive and then the top came up in the last inning and really ended it in a good way for us,” Ragusa said. “I can’t say enough about one through 12, which has been amazing, but when you get to your 12th batter, sometimes, he may look for a walk. He may put the ball in play, but honestly, we have faith in all our guys. Grayson put down that unbelievable bunt to score a run and in the at-bat before that, he battled and got that hit after being down early in the count, so I couldn’t ask for anything more. One through 12, I trust them all.”
Ragusa said the team has put a lot of effort into bunting.
“We work on it a lot. At the beginning of this season – this tournament – nobody on our team could bunt,” Ragusa said. “We have worked on it every single day and now everybody on the team can bunt. It’s a real weapon. Our speed is also a great weapon and everybody is doing a great job.”
