Lynnfield’s varsity baseball team took part in last weekend’s Brendan Grant Memorial Tournament. Although the Pioneers recorded a Round 1 victory, they met their match in Sunday’s title game.
Reading captured the title with a narrow 4-1 victory against host Lynnfield. The Pioneers were led by Madux Iovinelli (4 IP) and Luke DiSilvio (3 IP), but couldn’t generate enough offense to help the pitching duo.
“They deserved better, but we just didn’t produce on offense – that’s the bottom line,” said Lynnfield Coach John O’Brien. “They made all the plays and didn’t make one error.”
Charlie Morgan roped an RBI single, but that was as good as it got for Lynnfield.
“When you only get three hits, it’s tough to win a game,” O’Brien said. “We made a couple of mistakes and they capitalized on them. We just didn’t put the ball in play.”
Lynnfield took down Burlington, 4-1, in Friday’s first-round game. Walter Radulski (7 IP, 2 H, 6 K) hit a game-winning, two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning before tossing a shutout seventh inning to seal it.
Iovinelli hauled in a “fabulous catch,” according to O’Brien.
“He made an unbelievable Willie Mays-style catch in the third inning, going away with his back to home plate to save a run, then crashing against the fence to end the inning,” O’Brien said. “He’s done a great job this year.”
