If ever there was a team peaking for the postseason, it has to be the Lynnfield baseball team, which, after starting the season 4-2, has now won 14 straight games, the latest one a 10-4 win Saturday over Reading that clinched a third straight Brendan Grant Memorial Tournament championship at Belmont High School. The win sealed an 18-2 season for the top-ranked Division 4 Pioneers, who now await the release of the state tournament brackets on Wednesday.
Junior shortstop/pitcher Tyler Adamo earned MVP honors. He had five hits in nine at-bats in two games, three of them doubles. He also scored five runs, and, for good measure, collected two saves on the mound. Drew George (1-for-2) and Madux Iovinelli (2-for-3, 3 runs) delivered the goods against the Rockets with Iovinelli blasting a three-run homer in the first inning, and George, batting in the eight spot, giving the Pioneers the lead for good for a three-run, bases-loaded double in the sixth. Nick Groussis (2-for-3, run, RBI), Dylan Damiani (1-for-3, 2 runs) and David Tracy (1-for-4, 2 runs) also contributed.
Ben Dahlstedt allowed four runs on 10 hits in six innings with two strikeouts to pick up his sixth win of the season.
“He didn’t have his best stuff and we had an error that cost us a couple of runs, but overall, the kids played well,” head coach John O’Brien said.
Adamo pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
“Tyler had two great games and was very much deserving of being MVP,” O’Brien said. “Overall, the kids had some terrific hits today. Madux hit an absolute bomb today. It must have gone 420 feet and Drew just cleared the bases with a big hit. We had some great baserunning and the kids played pretty well in the field. I still think we are leaving too many men on base, but it’s hard to be critical when we are winning games.”
The Pioneers led 3-0 after the top of the first. Reading rallied with two runs in the first and third to take a 4-3 lead. Lynnfield came back with solo runs in the fourth and fifth to lead 5-4, courtesy of a clutch two-out Groussis RBI single that plated Damiani, on base with a leadoff single and an RBI double from Owen Mullin.
Any thoughts that the game was up for grabs were dashed in the sixth when the Pioneers sent 10 men to the plate and broke the game wide open with a two-out, five-run explosion. Tracy, Iovinelli and Mullin ignited the rally with consecutive singles that loaded the bases. Damiani walked, scoring Tracy, then George cleared the bases with a double to put the game out of reach.
Lynnfield opened the tournament Friday afternoon with an 8-6 win over Division 2 No. 28 Burlington. Fordham University baseball commit Anthony Grabau led the offense with three hits and three RBI. Mullin (2-for-4, run) and Adamo (2-for-4, stolen base, double) also had multiple-hit games.
Tracy started and allowed three runs on four hits in 2 and ⅔ innings. He struck out four and walked four. Luke DiSilvia pitched four innings in relief, giving up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and no runs. With two outs in the seventh, Adamo mopped up to collect the save.
“Luke pitched four good innings in relief and the kids played good defense behind him,” O’Brien said.
The Pioneers got to work early in this one, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Iovinelli’s sacrifice fly to center that plated Adamo, on base with a leadoff double.
Lynnfield stretched the lead to 4-0 in the second. Damiani led off with a single and scored on Matt Papagikos’ sacrifice bunt. Grabau came up clutch with a two-run single, scoring Cole Hawes and Groussis, who walked.
Lynnfield added two more in the fourth, the big hits being consecutive singles from Adamo, Groussis and Grabau, and solo runs in the fifth and sixth on a sac fly from Hawes and an RBI single from Grabau to make it 8-4.
Burlington closed to within two at 8-6 with two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Adamo slammed the door to seal the win.
