SWAMPSCOTT — You could say nobody saw this one coming.
On a steamy Sunday afternoon, Lynnfield’s 10-year old All-Star bats were on fire from the get-go, pounding out 14 hits en route to a mercy-rule, 16-1 win against Saugus in three innings to run away with the District 16 championship at Duratti, Holmes, and Cerone Field.
The win was Lynnfield’s fifth in a row, after losing to Wyoma in game No. 2 of the tournament and being relegated to the losers’ bracket.
“After a hard-fought win yesterday (10-6 against Saugus on Saturday to force an all-deciding game Sunday), we had momentum coming in today,” Lynnfield Manager Casey Paton said. “We wanted to start fast and we had a great top of the first inning and then, we were very disciplined at the plate. We got some good baserunning and big hits across the whole lineup. Having played six games before this really helped us. It’s tough to be in the losers’ bracket, but at the same time, the team really had a chance to gel, and positions and batting order got solidified.”
Saugus had come into championship weekend undefeated, only to come up empty in both games against Lynnfield. Nonetheless, Manager Craig Smith was proud of his team’s effort.
“They played hard all season and this game doesn’t define us,” he said. “They played hard and I’m proud of every one of them. Lynnfield came out hot and hit the ball and we didn’t respond in time, so it was a tough day. They’ll be back next year. It is what it is. We’ll support Lynnfield going forward, but we’ll be back next year.”
Every Lynnfield player reached base safely and scored at least one run. Eleven times Lynnfield had a batter at the plate with the bases loaded in the first two innings. Five players registered multiple hits.
While the offensive stats were off the charts, so was the pitching. Max Polansky got the start and didn’t disappoint. He twirled a two-hitter, allowing three walks and only two Saugus baserunners to touch third base. The only run Saugus scored was unearned.
And the defense? When was the last time you saw a 3-5 double play in Little League ball, let alone by 10-year olds?
First baseman Korbin O’Blenes and third baseman Maverick Ward pulled that off in the second inning, likely saving a run from scoring after Lynnfield had jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first.
This one happened so fast. Polansky needed only nine pitches to retire Saugus in order in the top of the first, sandwiching two strikeouts around a nice ground out to shortstop Justin Yunes.
In the bottom of the inning, eight of the first nine Lynnfield batters smacked base hits, including a three-run, bases-loaded double from Paul DeLeo and RBI singles from Yunes, Bryce Paton, and Charles O’Hara.
Lynnfield kept its foot on the gas in the second, batting around the order and making the most of five hits, as well as a couple of Saugus miscues, walks, and wild pitches to score nine runs and take a commanding 16-0 lead. All told, 13 batters went to the plate. Korbin O’Blenes had a two-run single, while Yunes, O’Hara, and DeLeo had one RBI single each in the rally.
In a sure sign that everything was going Lynnfield’s way, its final run scored when Will O’Brien got caught in a rundown between third and home after a wild pitch. O’Brien managed to beat the defense.
Hoping to pull off an epic comeback, Saugus produced its only run of the game in the top of the third. With one out, No. 10 hitter Jack Freeling reached second on an outfield error. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an infield single from No. 11 hitter Brian O’Connel, who had Saugus’ only other hit, a two-out single in the second.
For Lynnfield, DeLeo had a monster game, finishing 2-for-2 with four RBI and one run scored, while Yunes (2-for-2, 2 R, 2 RBI), O’Hara (2-for-2, 2 RBI, 2 R), O’Blenes (2-for-3, 2 RBI, R), Bruno Palumbo (1-for-2, 2 R), Matthew Shields (1-for-2, 2 R), Polansky (1-for-1, 2 R), Paton (1-for-2, RBI, R), Maverick Ward (1-for-2, R, RBI), O’Brien (2 BB, RBI, R), and Brendan McMahon (R) also made key offensive contributions.
Lynnfield heads to the Section 4 state tournament at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester to take on District 15 champion Danvers National Friday night at 5:30 p.m.
“We have a little break, so we should have everyone ready to go. We start to play bigger towns, so I’m excited,” Casey Paton said. “Lynnfield has really put a lot of effort into all of its levels and it shows, so we hope to just continue the momentum.”
