The No. 2 Lynnfield Pioneers had only two hits, but the most of one of them to squeak past No. 18 Stoneham, 3-1, Thursday, June 5 at home to advance to the Division 4 Round of 8.
In a game that was delayed three hours due to excessive heat conditions on the field, the Pioneers wasted no time asserting themselves, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
The man of the hour was junior captain and catcher Drew George (1-for-2, 3 RBI), who ripped a two-out, three-run double after Stoneham starter Jayden Lamae (6 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, K) loaded the bases with three consecutive walks, two of them intentional.
“I thought we came out in the first inning and hit the ball. Drew – big huge two-out hit into the gap. That was tremendous,” said Lynnfield Coach John O’Brien. “That’s the hit of the game, but if we didn’t get some great defense late, that was a tie game. We’re still a little overzealous at the plate, swinging at pitches that they don’t need to swing at. That’s been our modus operandi all year. I’m just glad we won. That was a battle.”
“That was exciting and I just wanted to get the boys off and starting,” George said. “I thought that we were going to start off strong, but after that, we just couldn’t get the bats going as much, but our defense really did it today.”
Stoneham had runners on base in every inning except the seventh, and finished with nine men left on base across six innings. Luke DiSilvio (IP, K) entered in relief of starter Madux Iovinelli (6 IP, 4 H, 5 K, 4 BB, 2 HBP) and needed just eight pitches to set down the side in order and pick up the save.
Stoneham Coach Shawn Secondini said the Spartans had their chances.
“We just couldn’t get the big hit,” Secondini said. “They were really good and made the plays when they had to. They just didn’t make any mistakes. Maybe in retrospect, we don’t walk those guys and go after them, but they got the one big hit when they needed it and that was the difference in the game.”
Truth be told, with only six combined hits, this one came down to defense. The defensive play of the game came in the top of the fourth. With runners at second and third and one out, the Pioneers pulled one of the hat with a 5-4-3 double play on a bunt back to Iovinelli. Iovinelli lost his footing and went down, but managed to get the ball to Walter Radulski at third, who threw a bullet across the diamond to first baseman Matt Tracy to double up the batter and end the threat.
“That was just a crazy play,” Secondini said. “When I saw him (Iovinelli) go down, I thought he was going to throw it away and the next thing I know is it’s a double play.”
“That was a great heads up play by Madux and Walter,” George said.
Stoneham also threatened in the fifth. With one run in and runners at second and third, Iovinelli sandwiched two punchouts around a pop-up to DiSilvio at short to get out of the jam.
Nick Groussis flashed some glove in the second inning, making a sliding catch of a sinking fly ball in center field to rob Sean Powers of extra bases.
Designated hitter Tyler Adamo (1-for-3) had the only other Pioneers’ hit, a third-inning lead off single.
The season has been up-and-down for George, who broke his wrist during the first game of the season and had been sidelined until surgery. He had a big game in the Pioneers’ opening round win against Amesbury with two hits – one of them a monster homer over the fence. His cast came off April 30 and he got an at-bat the next day. Since then, he has been a staple behind the dish.
“It felt so great to get back in the lineup. It was tough having to watch and [it] was a rough four weeks, but it worked out. I’m just glad to have been able to contribute,” George said. “It feels good and is 100 percent.”
Secondini said the Spartans played “one of their best games of the season, but to beat a team like Lynnfield you have to play your best game. I think we did. We executed on defense and got on base. We just couldn’t get that big timely hit.”
