PEABODY — In a game that seemed like it would never end, the Lynnfield Little League 12-year-old All-Stars kept their District 16 title hopes alive Monday night with a 12-1 win over Winthrop at Cy Tenney Field.
Lynnfield had a huge contribution from the lower half of the order. No. 9 hitter Robert Butler was 3-for-3 with three RBI, a double and one run, while No. 8 hitter Will Shields was 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored. No. 12 hitter Keegan O’Blenes was 1-for-3 with a two-run double.
“It was a very emotionally-charged game and the second half of our lineup did it today,” said Lynnfield manager Mark Hudson. “Keegan, Will, Butler and I know I’m missing kids, but they were tremendous today. To make it into this tournament, you are going to need all 12 kids and sometimes it comes and sometimes it goes, but it’s somebody’s day every day.”
Lynnfield took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Colin Morrison’s grounder to short plated Casey Paton, who led off with a walk.
Winthrop came right back in its half of the inning on a home run blast over the fence in center field off the bat of Bryce O’Brien.
That was as good as it got for the Vikings. Lynnfield made it a 2-1 game in the second – the big hit an RBI single from Butler – and 4-1 with two more in the third, the big hit an RBI single from Morrison (2-for-3). Lynnfield put the game away with six runs in the final three innings. Butler (2-run double), Shields (RBI single) and O’Blenes (2-run double) had key hits.
Justin Migliero (R, 4 hits, 7 Ks) started and pitched 4 ⅓ innings before yielding to Butler, who allowed just one hit and struck out two in 1 ⅔ innings.
“That was Justin’s first time seeing action in the tournament,” Hudson said. “We had Grady (Pavao) catching as well and they gave a great effort as did all of the kids.”
Grant Hudson (1-for-2, 2 R), Migliero (1-for-3, double), Ethan DePari, and Alex Nisenbaum (1-3, 2 R, double) also had hits.
The six-inning game took two hours and 25 minutes to complete. The teams combined to play seven pitchers, five by Winthrop, which started the game with four coaches and ended with two. There was a long delay early when a Winthrop reliever, after completing his warm-up tosses, was replaced by a second reliever after an umpire determined the former was using an illegal glove.
“I think an umpire spotted it and he correctly determined that the rules do not allow any pitcher to use a white or gray glove,” said District 16 Director Joe Balglieri.
Despite the lop-sided loss, Winthrop manager Mike Triant was proud of his team.
“Lynnfield is very good, so today was a tough one losing to a buzz saw. We came out a little flat and were struggling with pitching, but we lost to a very good team and we had a great year to get this far in the tournament.”
Lynnfield is gunning for a three-peat, having won district titles as 11-year-olds and 10-year-olds. To stay alive, the Pioneers must find a way to beat Peabody West in an elimination game (for both teams) Tuesday at Pine Hill (5:45 p.m.). The winner of that game advances to the championship game against undefeated Swampscott (TBD).
Hudson said that while the team has not seen West in two years, the team will be ready.
“They’re a great team for sure, but we’re still here,” Hudson said. “We needed to win five straight games and now that’s down to just two. We have three good (pitching) options tomorrow, so we’ll just go with that and see what happens.”
