In an extremely well-played game in Salem on Sunday, the Lynnfield 12-year-old Little League All-Stars eliminated Peabody from the District 16 tournament with a 3-1 win.
Lynnfield’s one-two punch of Chase Paton (triple, 2 R) and Grant Hudson (RBI, R) led the offense with two hits apiece. Peabody’s Andrew Harris, Preston D’Ambra (double) and Cole Mattera had two hits each.
Peabody got off to a fast start, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With one out, Teddy Ferrante and Harris ripped back-to-back singles to set the table for D’Ambra, who blasted an RBI double that scored Ferrante.
Lynnfield took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Paton led off with a single up the middle, got to second on a passed ball, and third on a single from Hudson. Both runners scored on an infield error to make it 2-1, Lynnfield.
The Pioneers added an insurance run in the third. With two outs, Paton ripped a triple to center and scored on an RBI single by Hudson.
The game featured excellent pitching on both sides. Lynnfield starter Luke McEwen scattered eight hits over five innings and struck out nine. Paton came on in relief and pitched a 1-2-3 sixth to earn the save. On the other side, Peabody starter Harris went the distance. In six innings, he gave up one earned run on seven hits with two strikeouts. Not a single walk was issued by any pitcher in this one.
Defensively, the game was as close to clean as it gets, with the teams combining for just one fielding error.
Lynnfield will try to battle its way through the losers’ bracket Monday night at 5:45 p.m. against Winthrop, which defeated East Lynn, 9-8, on Sunday.