Published in the July 7, 2017 edition
THE MARINERS won the Federal League kid pitch championship, 8-0, against the Brewers. Front row left to right: Ryder Sorice, Seth Levine, Cooper Kovacs, Tayson Cho, Colton Sullivan; back row left to right: coach, Alex Geer, manager, Chris Kiatos, Nate Geer, Simon O’Carroll, Dylan Smith, Anthony Kiatos, coach Anthony Mattola, Jayden Jangro, coach Tracey Cho
MELROSE — The Mariners defeated the Brewer 8-0 on June 20 at Lincoln Field behind the strong pitching of Anthony Kiatos and Nate Geer, who combined for 5 and two thirds shut-out innings. Dylan Smith earned the save by recording the final out with a great falling down catch behind the mound with the bases loaded to end the game.
The Mariners got off to a quick start with three runs in the top of the first inning. Colton Sullivan led off with a double to left center field. Nate Geer then singled moving Sullivan to third. Tayson Cho hit a long single to right field that scored not only Sullivan but a hustling Geer all the way from first base. Dylan Smith then singled followed by a walk by Jayden Jangro to load the bases. Cho would score on a walk by Seth Levine. Peyton Oreste ended the bases loaded threat with a big strike out.
Those three runs would be the only ones scored until the sixth inning as pitching ruled the middle innings. Kiatos, the starter for the Mariners, pitched three innings in total and recorded 6 strikeouts. He also helped himself by throwing out two runners at first base on ground balls and by catching a pop up at the mound. Nate Geer then took over in the fourth and pitched 2 and two thirds innings with 7 strikeouts.
For the Brewers Nicholas Picariello took over in the second inning and pitched lights out for three and a third innings that featured 10 strikeouts. Jed Drogan came into the game in the fifth in relief of Picariello and struck out two to end the inning. Drew Annese, Nathan Rosenberg and Jared St. Hilaire also played a good game for the Brewers.
The Mariners would score five insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning. Ryder Sorice started the inning off with a single that was followed by a walk by Colton Sullivan and a single by Nate Geer to load the bases. Tayson Cho then singled scoring Sorice. Anthony Kiatos then singled to centerfield scoring Sullivan and Geer with Cho moving to third. Cho would score and Kiatos was cut down at second base on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Dylan Smith. Simon O’Carroll then walked followed by a single by Jayden Jangro to load the bases. Smith came around to score the last run of the game on a single by Cooper Kovacs.
The Brewers would rally in the bottom of the sixth by loading the bases on consecutive walks by Evan Fox, Bryce Timm and Andrew Boissionnault. But Dylan Smith ended the threat with a falling down catch of a pop up off the bat of Shane Pitcher behind the mound to end the game.
