ANDOVER — Just one day after a dramatic 9-3 win in seven innings against Billerica to stay alive in the Section 4 tournament, Lynnfield’s 12-year-old All-Stars ran out of gas Saturday at Deyermond Field, losing to Boxford, 6-1, in the championship game.
District 15 champion Boxford had only four hits, but won the free-pass battle in a big way, taking advantage of 10 Lynnfield walks and two hit batters to punch its ticket to the state semifinals (July 30-Aug. 2 at CRA Field in Holden).
Boxford starter Jake DeLeo tossed a complete-game gem, allowing just four singles with 10 strikeouts and two walks. He helped his cause at the plate, slugging a solo home run in the bottom of the third to put Boxford on top for good, 2-0.
Trailing, 4-0, in the top of the fourth, Lynnfield’s bats made some noise. Matty Cavallo (1-for-2, R) led off with a single to center. Luca Mandell (1-for-2) lined a single to right with Cavallo advancing to third. Nico Mandell (1-1, RBI, BB) followed with a single to short, plating Cavallo and making it a 4-1 game.
DeLeo slammed the door shut in the last two innings, striking out six of the last seven batters — the only blemish being a fifth-inning, two-out single from Ben O’Hara (1-for-2).
Shutting out Stoneham (Game 1)
Lynnfield opened the tournament on a high note with a solid 2-0 win against District 13 champion Stoneham, which had beaten Lynnfield last year in the 11-year-old sectional tournament.
Pitching ruled with 22 combined strikeouts. Nico Mandell (8 K, 2 BB) started and went 2 2/3 innings. Luca Mandell (2 H, 4 K) pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief to pick up the win.
Lynnfield scored all the runs it needed in the top of the fourth. Nico Mandell (2-for-3, R) lined a single to center. Nico Cavallo (2-for-3, R) drilled a single back to Stoneham’s pitcher. John Kayola moved the runners up a base with a ground out. Maverick Murphy (1-for-2, RBI) plated Nico Mandell with a clutch single, with Nico Cavallo coming around to also score and make it 2-0.
Stoneham threatened in the bottom of the sixth and had a runner on first with one out, but a textbook 6-4-3 double play (Matty Cavallo to Kayola to O’Hara) closed out the win for Lynnfield.
Genaro Antonelli (1-for-1, BB) also recorded a hit.
Edged by Boxford (Game 2)
In a back-and-forth game, Lynnfield suffered its first loss of the season — walkoff-style — dropping a 4-3 decision to Boxford.
Matty Cavallo had a big day at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two runs scored and a double. Nico Mandell drove in two runs while Kayola (1-for-3) drove in one. Luca Mandell (1-for-2, R) and Dylan Delory (1-for-2) also compiled hits.
Staying alive against Billerica (Game 3)
Lynnfield needed seven innings to beat Billerica, 9-3, in an elimination game Friday night.
Tied, 3-3, after six innings, Lynnfield exploded with six runs in the top of the seventh inning to advance to Saturday’s championship game.
Antonelli (1-for-3, R, RBI) started the rally with an RBI double to right to make it 4-3. O’Hara (2-for-3, R, RBI) followed with an RBI single, then Antonelli scored from third on a passed ball to make it 6-3. Delory (2 R, 2 BB, RBI) drew a bases-loaded walk to bump the lead to 7-3. Matt Geary (1-for-3, 3 RBI) came up clutch, knocking a bases-loaded, two-run double to left to make it 9-3.
Luca Mandell went the distance, scattering six hits and striking out five to pick up the win.
Matty Cavallo (1-for-3, R, 2 RBI) smashed a two-run homer in the third. Maverick Murphy (1-for-2, R, double), Nico Mandell (R), Kayola (2 R), Marco Bevilacqua (R) and Jack Feeley (RBI) also contributed offensively.
