Lynnfield 8-9

10
WEEKLYNEWS.NET - 978-532-5880 AUGUST 9, 2018
Big bats on the Big Diamond
By Anne Marie Tobin
LYNNFIELD — The
Lynnfield Middlesex Big
Diamond baseball team broke
out the bats Thursday night at
Lynnfield High, defeating visiting
Andover 9-3 to improve
to 6-1-1.
Lynnfield’s only loss of the
season had been to Andover, but
the the Pioneers left nothing to
chance, jumping out to a 4-1
lead after three innings, then
cruised home to an easy win.
Luke Martinho started and
earn the win on the mound. He
went five strong innings, allowing
just one unearned run
on three hits with six strikeouts.
He wasn’t too shabby at the
plate, going 3-for-3 with a solo
home run. He reached base in
all four of his at-bats and scored
four runs.
But it was Antonio Pimental
who put the Pioneers over the
top. With the score tied at 1-1
in the top of the third inning,
he smacked a 2-run triple to
put Lynnfield ahead for good
at 3-1.
“Antonio had a big hit for us,
no doubt about it,” said manager
Tony Martinho. “We had
must moved him up to the fifth
spot in the batting order because
he had been hitting the ball well
and we felt he earned it.
“We like playing Andover
as they are a very similar team
to us, but tonight we broke out
of our hitting funk. We had a
stretch of 1-0, 1-0, 1-1 games,
so it was good to get people on
base. Even the kids who didn’t
get hits were able to get the
bat on the base and move runners
over with only a couple of
strikeouts, so that was key.”
The game was scheduled to
be played at Andover, but was
moved to Lynnfield when the
195 Summer St. Lynnfield, MA
781-334-9877
Andover field was unavailable.
As such, Lynnfield was the
away team.
The Pioneers wasted not time
in taking a 1-0 lead in the top of
the first inning.
With one out, Martinho
walked and stole second. After
a walk to Tyler Scoppettuolo,
Gizmunt singled Martinho
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Lynnfield doubled the lead to
2-0 in the second, without benefit
of a hit. With one out, Evan
Balian walked, stole second,
got to third on a wild pitch and
scored on another wild pitch.
Winchester got on the board
in its half of the inning, thanks to
an infield miscue (miscommunication
that left first base unattended)
that allowed Andover’s
leadoff batter to reach safely.
He ended up scoring, but the
damage could have been worse
but for a spectacular catch in
center field by Aiden Burke.
Martinho led off the third
single to left, then stole second
and advanced to third on a wild
pitch. Scoppettuolo (1-for-2,
RBI, run) followed with a walk,
then Pimental (1-for-3, 2 RBI)
lined a triple to left to plate both
Martinho and Scoppettuolo,
standing up. Burke (2 RBI)
brought Pimental home with a
infield grounder to short.
Lynnfield put the game out of
reach in the fifth on Martinho’s
blast to left field and an RBI
fielder’s choice by Burke that
scored Gizmunt (2-for-4, run),
who reached on a fielder’s
choice.
Lynnfield tacked on two
insurance runs in the top of
the seventh. Hayden Bond
(1-for-4, run) led off with a
single, stole second and advanced
to third on a single by
Martinho. Bond scored on wild
pitch, while Martinho scored
on Scoppettuolo’s grounder to
third.
Andover touched Bond for
two harmless runs in the bottom
of the seventh, but that was as
close at it came.
“We’ve been pitching lights
out all season and our run differential
has been massive,”
Above, Evan Balian slides into
second base safely for a stolen
base in the second inning. Far
left, Luke Martinho started
and pitched five strong innings.
Antonio Pimental, left,
hit a triple to help secure the
victory.
PHOTOS | ANNE MARIE TOBIN
said Tony Martinho.
“Three runs is the most we
have allowed, both times to
Andover, which was missing a
couple of their best players tonight,
so the next time we play
them (Thursday night) should
be a real good test.”
Martinho singled out the
performance of catcher Evan
Balian, who caught the entire
game.
“It’s very difficult for catchers
on turf because the ball doesn’t
die as much as it does on grass,
but Evan has been outstanding
for us all year,” Martinho said.
“He has thrown out a lot of big
runners at second base in close
games, and his defense is a big
reason when we have been able
to win the close ones. I think
he has had three, maybe of our
games when he has thrown out
three runners at second base,
so he has been key for us all
summer long.”
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