SAUGUS — In a low-hitting affair between Northeastern Conference traditional rivals, Saugus (5-3) got the better of Swampscott (4-4), 3-0, Wednesday afternoon at World Series Park.
Saugus starter Cam Soroko delivered – and then some – striking out 11 batters en route to a seven-inning, three-hit shutout.
“Cam Soroko was the leader out there today with 11 strikeouts. He was making them put the ball in play, not walking batters, and we made plays behind him. It was a great performance,” said Saugus coach Joe Luis.
Swampscott coach Joe Caponigro praised the opposing right-hander.
“I have to give credit to Cam. He had us figured out because we struck out a lot,” Caponigro said.
Saugus got on the board in the first inning. With the bases loaded, Danny Zeitz hit a ground ball and brought home a run via a fielder’s choice. Then, with runners on the corners, Luis decided to have Zeitz steal, baiting the throw from Swampscott’s catcher. When the Big Blue tried to throw out Zeitz, courtesy runner Javier Crus-Fuentes stole home, making it 2-0.
“That was big to give us a two-run lead,” Luis said.
And once the Sachems had the lead, it was all Soroko.
“I was just trying to get into the groove and be consistent. I was trying to pound the zone and I kept them off balance with my curveball – and it worked,” Soroko said. “I have a great catcher in Nathan, my brother, back there and it was a great game.”
In the fourth inning, Cam Soroko got on base and stole second with Connor Bloom at the plate. From there, Bloom hit a single to right field, scoring Soroko to increase the host advantage to 3-0.
“Connor Bloom hit the ball excellently today. He had two big hits,” Luis said.
Luis added it was important to get the third run. That allowed Cam Soroko to finish the game strong.
“That gave me the confidence to let Cam finish the game. It was his game to finish anyway, but if it was 2-0 and they made it 2-1 in the seventh, I would have had to put Cam Bernard into relief,” Luis said. “That third run made it comfortable enough for me to keep Cam in – even if they got one back and had a runner in scoring position in the seventh.”
For Swampscott, although it dropped to .500, Caponigro was pleased with what he saw defensively.
“I thought we made some really nice plays out there. It’s good to see the fruits of your labor. The stuff we go over in practice like deep bunting defense, it’s good to see it pay off. I think it gives the kids some energy. Unfortunately, we didn’t bring energy to the batter’s box,” Caponigro said.
One of those plays was a turned double-play after a Saugus bunt. Third baseman Chase Groothuis fielded the ball and quickly fired to second, and then to first, for the double-play.
“He (Groothuis) was excellent. He’s a fine young player and he’s going to be a really good baseball player,” Caponigro said. “He’s a good hitter, too.”
The Big Blue have a quick turnaround as they travel to Salem at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
“We have to flush it and come out strong tomorrow against Salem,” Caponigro said. “I’m glad we have a quick turnaround. Getting back on the field is a really good thing. That’s what we told the kids after the game. Hopefully, we do a better job in the batter’s box.”
For Saugus, Soroko is loving this season, compared to a tough spring last year.
“Last season was, kind of, rough. We were 4-16 and this year, we came into the season with a grudge to be better. We’re a young team. We’re all juniors with one senior, basically,” Soroko said. “We have a chip on our shoulders and I think we can compete with any team in the NEC.”
Saugus will be back on the field Friday when it hosts Lynn English at 4 p.m. The Sachems will be at home at World Series Park for the park’s 20th anniversary.
