Lynnfield’s 10-year-old All-Stars needed a win Sunday against District 15 champion Danvers American to stay alive in the Section 4 tournament at Billerica’s Pollard Field, but came up on the short end of a 10-0 score and were eliminated.
Manager Casey Paton said his team, which finished pool play with a 1-2 record, simply ran out of pitching.
“With so many games, it came down to that,” Paton said. “We also left so many runners on base when we couldn’t get timely hits. We thought having to play so many straight games coming out of the losers’ bracket in the district tournament and winning the title was monumental for us, but we just didn’t have it today. But, all is good and the kids had a good run.”
Lynnfield only mustered three hits on the afternoon, but still had its opportunities, leaving two runners on in the first inning, two in the second, and the bases loaded in the third (all without scoring).
Bruno Palumbo continued to lead Lynnfield’s offense, tallying two more hits and making it six total across three sectional games.
Max Polansky started on the mound, going two innings with Palumbo coming on in relief in the third. Danvers used eight hits and five walks to plate 10 runs.
Several close judgement calls on the bases didn’t go Lynnfield’s way, and for the second day in a row, Lynnfield lost by run rule (10 runs) in the fourth inning.
Lynnfield opened the tournament with a 7-5 win against District 13 champion Reading last Friday, then fell to District 13 runner-up Andover, 12-2, in four innings Saturday.
