Sports

Swampscott Stars Rebound Big Topping Salem 10-0

The 12-year-olds play next on Monday against Winthrop in Nahant.

 

The boys' all-star team — 12-year-olds — showed up armed for bear on Saturday at Wyoma in their game against Salem. 

The had all facets of their game firing on all cylinders, led by the pitching tandem of Colin Frary (two innings, 26 pitches) and Jordan Cox (two innings, 24 pitches) enroute to a 10-0,  four-inning Mercy Rule victory over the Salem Little Leaguers.

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The two Swampscott pitchers combined for a no-hitter.  

The Swampscott bats were hot from the get-go, scoring two runs in the first inning and seven runs in the second inning. 

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Spencer Perkins collected three hits, Steve Santanello had two hits and two RBIs, and Liam Faulkner pasted a line-drive double off the centerfield fence that missed being a home run by inches.

Also collecting hits were Maxx Cooper, Dan Johnson, Jordan Cox, Sean Lahrizi and a double by Luke Marshall which put the potential 10th Swampscott run on third base. 

Tyler Sanchez also collected an RBI.  Ishaan George dropped a nice bunt down to plate a Swampscott run early in the game, as well. 

"As tough as it was to walk off the field last Sunday after our ," commented Swampscott Manager Rob Hopkins, "In retrospect, it may have been the best long-term remedy for our boys in the District 16 tournament because these kids are fighters — they play just fine under pressure.  

"Most of them were on the 11-year-old team that won the District last year, so they may have come into the tournament this year a bit cocky.  But that's all behind them now, they know it's now 'one and done', and they're not ready to be done."  

Frary started on the hill for Swampscott and had his off-speed pitch working nicely and complemented it with a brutally accurate, down-low, heater. 

Frary faced seven of six potential Salem batters and fanned four and walked one.

To do him one better, Cox came into the game in the third inning and faced the minimum six batters, striking out five and allowing just one ball to be put in play which was defended astutely be the leather-flashing lefty, Faulkner at first base. 

Cox's off-speed pitch harkened Hopkins back to a year ago when Cox was an 11-year-old playing for his regular season team and going 5-0 in the process. 

"It's great to be calling pitches again for Jordan." said Hopkins. "I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't smiling in the dugout when I saw him pulling the string on a few of those pitches.  Jordan is a big game pitcher and Frary is just a quiet but tough kid — we may have found our one and two (pitchers).

"We played the game that I thought this group of boys was capable of playing. Coach Santanello, Coach Perkins and myself were all impressed with our kids' discipline at the plate. They went up there with a plan. 

"Both Salem pitchers were good throwers and the second kid really had a nice off-speed pitch.  But we worked them both, took advantage when we felt we could and were aggresive on the bases.  But it all started, continued and ended with our pitching.

"Without the reliable pitching, it'll be tough for any team to go that far- the competition is just that good in District 16 this year."  

Swampscott next plays on Monday, July 2nd against Wintrop in Nahant at 5:45pm.


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