MADUX IOVINELLI pitched a 3-hit, 9-strikeout shutout to lead Lynnfield to a 6-0 win over Swampscott on Saturday morning at LHS. (Kristine Marengi Photo)
By DAN ZIMMERMAN
LYNNFIELD — Last Saturday morning, on a windswept baseball diamond at Lynnfield High School, the Pioneers put the finishing touches on a successful spring vacation week, handily defeating non-league opponent Swampscott, 6-0.
Lynnfield jumped on Swampscott early, setting the tone with 4 runs off 4 hits in the first inning. When leadoff hitter Tyler Adamo came to the plate and first pitch swinging, drilled a base hit, the Pioneer supporters, huddled against the chill, knew they were in for a treat. What they didn’t realize, at that early stage, was that Adamo would soon score the only run Lynnfield would need to claim the win.
Several days prior to the visit by Swampscott, the Pioneers suffered their first loss of the year, edged by Newburyport, 4-3. Lynnfield bounced back quickly, however, handing Triton a 7-6 defeat on Thursday morning. After a pair of tense one-run finishes, it was a welcome change of pace to air out the bats against the Swampscott Big Blue, which is struggling at 1-6 overall.
“The kids swung the bats pretty well again today,” said Lynnfield coach John O’Brien, who improved to 6-1 overall, 1-1 in the Cape Ann League. “That’s a good Swampscott baseball team over there but they had some tough luck today. We’ve been there, with the growing pains.”
O’Brien went with Madux Iovinelli, who did not disappoint in his first start. The tall, lanky sophomore pitched a three-hit gem, striking out nine to record his first win.
“I’m not usually a starter so it can be tough getting ready to throw a full game,” said Iovinelli, who fanned 5 of the 6 hitters he faced in the final two frames. “I’m used to coming in for relief but I made the best of the opportunity today.”
Lynnfield batted around the order in the first inning with Adamo starting the baserunning parade, followed by Alex Gentile, who outlasted Swampscott starter Jack Spear for a walk. Both runners moved into scoring position, setting the table for cleanup hitter David Tracy, who ripped a basehit through the wickets at third base, scoring Adamo. Anthony Grabau sent Gentile home on a hit-and-run, Henry Caulfield added an RBI-basehit, plating Tracy, and lastly, Devin Bolger drove in Grabau to put the Pioneers comfortably in front, 4-0.
In the third, Lynnfield made it 5-0, when Caulfield delivered Tracy on a one-out basehit.
O’Brien was disappointed with his club’s base running, particularly in the sixth inning. Back-to-back runners, Owen Mullin and Camden Marengi, were erased at home plate in squeeze plays. Later, after Adamo scored his second run to make it 6-0, Nick Razzaboni was caught stealing to end a promising inning.
“I’m a little displeased with our base running and some of the other stuff,” said O’Brien. “We work on it every day in practice but we’ll have to work on it a bit more. I don’t know if they were just forgetful or if they were just being lackadaisical.”
Swampscott threatened in their half of the fifth, putting a pair in scoring position off an error, a walk, and an uncharacteristic mistake by Iovinelli, when he balked. But the young pitcher redeemed himself, stranding the runners with a ground ball out, a fly ball, and yet another strike out.
“I realized I wasn’t throwing as good as I could,” said the young pitcher. “I took a deep breath, reset, and kept pounding the zone. It worked out for me.”
Lynnfield traveled to face Ipswich Tuesday (results in after press time) and on Thursday afternoon, will host a struggling 1-4 Amesbury club at 4 p.m.