Lynnfield gets ready for Pete Frates tournament this weekend

Published in the May 9, 2018 edition

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

ESSEX — The LHS baseball team won five games in a row from April 12 to April 24, when their streak was snapped by Hamilton-Wenham. Since then, Lynnfield has won another four consecutive games with three wins last week over Ipswich, Manchester-Essex and Malden.

Against Ipswich on Tuesday, May 1, Fernando Gonzalez accounted for four of Lynnfield’s six runs on a grand slam that sent the Pioneers to a 5-2 victory. Matt Fiore picked up the win on the mound.

Against Manchester-Essex, Gonzalez got the ball, striking out 10 and giving up just two hits in six innings.

Lynnfield got on the board early as Jonathan Luders was hit by a pitch to start the game. After a nice hit from John Singer sent Luders to third, the shortstop scored on an infield single from Fiore.

MATT FIORE throws out a Hornet runner after making a great play on a bunt in the 2nd inning during Lynnfield’s 8-2 win over Manchester-Essex on May 3. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

The Hornets tied it up with a solo shot in the bottom of the first, but the Pioneers made a statement in the second, scoring three more runs to take control. During a season in which runs have sometimes been hard to come by, the Pioneers got big hits when they needed them in this one.

Dan Jameson hit a solo shot of his own to left field, giving the Pioneers the lead in the second. After a double from Clayton Marengi and a walk to Luders, Singer came through with an RBI base hit for a 3-1 lead. A balk would later score Luders for a 4-1 advantage.

After the Hornets put runners on first and second after a walk and a hit-by-pitch In the bottom of the second, Fiore made a great play charging a bunt down the third base line to throw out the runner at first for a big first out. Gonzalez whiffed the next batter and although Manchester-Essex scored on an infield single on the next play, Luders picked up the ball in the outfield and threw out a runner trying to score to end the inning.

Gonzalez shut down the Hornets in the next four innings and the Pioneers tacked on two more runs in the fifth and the sixth including RBI base hits from seniors Nick Giammarco and Cooper Marengi to put the home team away.

Lynnfield beat Malden on the road, 5-4 the next day for their fourth straight, bringing their record to 9-2 overall.

Pitching in for Pete starts Saturday at Fraser Field

The Pioneers will be making their third appearance at the Pitching in for Pete tournament to benefit the Pete Frates #3 Fund to strike out ALS. Lynnfield will play Arlington Catholic on Saturday, May 12 at 2 p.m. This is an event and an experience that means a lot to Lynnfield head coach John O’Brien.

“It’s a horrible disease, my mother passed away from it so it’s very close to my heart,” said O’Brien. “It’s a common grief. I couldn’t be prouder of Pete and his family for pushing forward and furthering the cause. When they invited us back again, I told them ‘absolutely’ because it’s something I believe in and it’s a great day for the kids.”

The message of Pete’s fight and his mission is multi-faceted, but one lesson the Pioneers can learn is the effect teammates can have on each other.

“To me, its all about teammates,” said Pete’s father John. “When Pete got sick, all he had to do was reach out to his teammates and they came back in droves to help him out and that was the foundation for the Ice Bucket Challenge.”

The famous Ice Bucket Challenge is well known, as is Pete Frates and perhaps most importantly, this horrible disease. To those who grew up in this region, Pete is a hero of the highest regard. According to Pitching in for Pete founder Mike Winn, a big reason why this tournament was started is to make sure future generations understand ALS and Pete’s message.

“Pitching in for Pete isn’t a huge money maker, but it is a way to raise a little money and keep ALS research top of mind with the younger generation,” said Winn. “It is my goal to bring this to numerous fields so that someday we could be playing 30-plus games over the course of a weekend to benefit the Pete Frates #3 Fund.”

Winn met the Frates family through Boston College baseball. His son also wore Pete’s number 3.

The event is hosted by the North Shore Navigators as general manager Bill Terlecky helped Winn set it up. Last year’s event had an unmistakable aura of family and togetherness to go along with some great baseball.

“I just thought of how I would feel if I was put in their position,” said Winn of the Frates family. “It is pretty remarkable to see how they have turned something to tragic into such an inspiring message.”

John Frates spoke to the teams before their games last year and encouraged them to keep in mind Pete’s philosophy: Be passionate, be genuine and be hardworking.

Pitching in for Pete will have competition, winners and losers, but unity will reign at Fraser Field this weekend.

“To me it’s so polarizing and divisive the way the world seems to be,” said John Frates. “Yankees, Red Sox; religion; politics; but the beauty of this devastating disease that Pete has is he brought everyone together. So when I think about when the eventual treatment and cure comes, it’s yes, of course, Pete’s efforts, but it’s collectively all of our efforts. Whoever contributed, whoever took the Ice Bucket Challenge, whoever perpetuated his awareness campaign, is responsible for the cure, so we’re very grateful for everybody’s support.”

To support the Pete Frates #3 Fund log on to petefrates.com and be sure to cheer on your Pioneers at Fraser Field in Lynn on Saturday at 2 p.m.