Published in the May 17, 2017 edition
JUSTIN JULIANO picked up his fourth win on the mound for the Pioneers this season on Saturday as his curve ball worked its magic. (Maureen Doherty Photo)
By MAUREEN DOHERTY
LYNNFIELD — After an amazing 13-0 run to start their season, the Lynnfield High baseball team’s winning streak came to an end on the road at Hamilton-Wenham 10-4 last Thursday.
But with true Pioneer spirit, they dusted themselves off, batted the heck out of the ball at practice on Friday and returned to their winning form with a 5-4 win over Pentucket at home Saturday morning.
Retreat from the Generals
FERNANDO GONZALEZ watches the ball sail into the outfield on his 2RBI double that won the game for the Pioneers in the bottom of fifth. They held on to the 5-4 lead in Saturday’s game against Pentucket. (Maureen Doherty Photo)
Stringing together just six hits while flying out a dozen times and stranding eight men on base is no way to win a ball game, and the Hamilton-Wenham Generals took full advantage of the situation. Their pitcher also struck out four batters and kept the Pioneers away from home plate until the sixth inning when both Mike Stellato and Bryant Dana scored. Kyle Hawes and Justin Juliano also crossed the plate in the seventh, but it was too little too late.
The win streak had been the best one posted by the team since 2005, when they had gone 11-0 before their first loss, Coach John O’Brien said, who gave all the credit to the Generals who did not make a single error
But when all is said and done, “It’s one game. We don’t dwell on it too much.”
He was more concerned with how his team would handle the loss and was pleased with way they pulled together in practice the following day and recommitted themselves to get back on track for Saturday.
Pentucket falls 5-4
The Sachems struck first in the top of the first inning for a 1-0 lead in Saturday’s game but the Pioneers answered in the bottom half of the inning to take a 2-0 lead on Saturday.
The Sachems, itching to be the second team to defeat the mighty Pioneers, added two more runs in the second and another run in the third to gain a 4-2 advantage.
This lead held firm until the Pioneers found their groove in the bottom of the fifth to string together three more runs. That would be all they’d need to walk off with the victory.
Justin Juliano’s sidearm pitching style tripped up the Sachems as he struck out five en route to the victory.
“He’s 4-0. He got the curve ball going in the second half. In the first half he had trouble with it and sometimes when kids have trouble they go away from it. But to his credit and to (catcher) Bryant Dana’s credit, they stuck with it,” their coach remarked.
O’Brien was pleased to see Fernando Gonzalez play a solid game at first base as well as hit the 2 RBI double that made all the difference for the team in the fifth.
“It was nice to see. In his first at-bat he struggled a little. He got a good swing on it. But to his credit he stayed with it and put that behind him and he put a great swing on that ball,” O’Brien said.
In the break-out inning, the Pioneers worked the Pentucket pitcher like a well-oiled machine.
“Dana got on with an infield (hit) and Cooper (Marengi) had a beautiful double RBI. Federico, with an infield hit, putting the bat on the ball, and Gonzalez with a 2RBI double. That was the difference,” O’Brien said.
He was also pleased that Jonathan Luders had three hits again in this game. “He hit the ball real well,” O’Brien said, adding that his batting average is over .400, as is Bryant Dana’s average.
Upcoming games
On Tuesday (after press time) the team traveled to Masconomet and they’ll head to Newburyport on Thursday, May 18 for a 3:45 start before returning home for their senior game against North Reading next Tuesday, May 23 with ceremonies for the 10 seniors and their parents beginning at 3 p.m.
