Little League Baseball

Swampscott Stars Rebound Big Topping Salem 10-0

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

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

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Little League Seeking Equipment Manager

Applications are now being accepted for the position by the Swampscott Little League.

  Rob Levine submitted this article.  One critical aspect to the health and general well-being of the young boys and girls playing baseball and softball in the Swampscott Little League is the organization and management of the overall equipment and uniform acquisition, distribution and care/maintenance process. For those individuals who feel their energy and qualification levels meet the requirements for the position, the Board is currently accepting applications for a new Equipment Manager to begin this 2012 spring season. This situation is open to all that believe they are best able to meet the general tasks involved, and is also perfect for those who may or may not have the time to sustain the commitment levels or have the background …

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Field to be Named For Duratti, Holmes and Cerone

Little League officials convinced selectmen that the trio's combined and extraordinary service for well over 100 years merited naming the Little League field in their memory.

Selectmen relented Monday and approved the naming of the Forest Avenue Little League field in memory of Al Duratti, Andrew Holmes and Alfio Cerone. Selectmen appeared reluctant at the start of Monday's meeting to allow recognition for the men beyond plaques or a sign. Selectmen Chairman Matt Strauss said naming a field would set a precedent and the board would be unable to say no if other leagues came to them with field naming requests.  But Little League President Scott Sagan and Board of Directors Dan Santanello, Rob Hopkins and Jim Kirby all said the contributions from the three longtime Little League supporters were special. At least two of them worked on behalf of Little League to the very end of their lives. Al Duratti was coaching …

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Little League Baseball

Swampscott 11's Take District 16 All-Star Baseball Title

Crank up the Queen, the Swampscott 11-year-old All-Stars rip Saugus American 9-4, to win the District 16 Championship Tuesday night in Nahant

The Swampscott 11-year-old All-Stars earned some ice cream, a post-game pool party, a couple of days off and a District 16 title with their 9-4 win over Saugus American Tuesday night in Nahant. Swampscott was 2-0, with an earlier 4-3 victory over Saugus American. The Swampscott boys took care of business last night, racing out to a 5-0 lead before Saugus American (2-2) cut the lead to 5-4 after four innings. Swampscott put the game out of reach in the top of the sixth scoring four times to go up by five runs. Steven Santanello smoked a double over right fielder Stephen Wright’s head driving in Spencer Perkins and Ishaan George to make it 7-4 with one out. Liam Faulkner singled up the middle driving in Santanello and Luke Marshall with the …

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Little League Baseball

Little Leage Profile: The Major Athletics

The A's just got nudged out of the playoffs, finishing 1-2 in the round robin tournament.

After a tough season in 2010, the A's were ready to make some noise in the 2011 season. The A's were swept in the 2010 playoffs, losing 3 of 3 in the round robin tournament. The A's got high draft picks to start of 2011 and used them on Josh Rubin, Ben Connor, and 10 year-old Collin Walsh. The A's played hard during the regular season behind pitchers Josh Allen, Owen Madigan-Fried, Ben Connor and Josh Rubin. Caleb Mazow and Walsh helped the offense score runs for the A's during the regular season. The A's made the playoffs, opening up in Nahant against the Yankees. Madigan-Fried and Allen pitched well, but the Yankees got the win. The A's dropped game two of the round-robin tourney to the White Sox in a close game, with some key hits by …

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Little League Baseball

Little League Marlins Open Season With Win

Robbie Vernava rips a two-run single for the Marlins in the sixth inning, helping his boys defeat the Phillies 7-2 in the season opener.

The Little League Marlins opened up their Minor League schedule Tuesday night on Forest Avenue with a 7-2 win over the Phillies, the key hit of the night a two-run single on the bottom of the fifth by pitcher Robbie Vernava. The Phillies were the champs of the boys' Minor League last spring, defeating the Brewers for the league title. The Marlins opened up the 2011 season for manager Fred Dubiel with a win, the Phillies fall to 0-1, after the first game for both teams. Members of both teams, the coaches and the fans were thrilled to have the umpire finally say, “Play Ball” after so many delays in the schedule because of bad weather. Murphy Bachner and Cam O’Brien scored on Vernava’s hit; Vernava came home on a hit by catcher Tyler Marshall…

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Little League Baseball

First Little League Pitch Scheduled Today

Swampscott Little League Baseball and Softball are set to start today and Monday, if the weather allows.

Little Leaguers will soon start hacking at pitches. Baseballs today, weather permitting; and softballs Monday, weather permitting. The season is here. Between now and June batters will experience the thrill of connecting for their first hit and the disappointment of their first whiff. That’s baseball. That’s softball. Today’s opening baseball schedule has 10 games in four leagues — Juniors, Majors, Minors, Farm — at five different locations, said Player Agent Bob Biletch.  Minor League games are scheduled for 9 a.m. and noon at the Forest Avenue field; and Major League games are scheduled for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., he said.   Biletch had this to say about the season: ·         We are excited about the season and are looking forward to the kids…

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VIDEO: Baseball Returns And So Does Al Duratti

Here on Opening Day for the Boston Red Sox we talk Little League baseball. Yankees' Coach Al Duratti has been with the Swampscott Little League since the league began in 1954.

Balls, bats, bases, kids and Al Duratti. These things have been constants since Swampscott Little League began its first season back in 1954. A teenager named Al Duratti began his Yankees coaching career when the league was born some 55 years ago. The Yankees coach will be on the bench when the Little League opens the 2011 season in April. There have been a lot of games, a lot of wins and a lot of Swampscott youths playing for Coach Al. “We started out on Phillips Park, moved to Jackson (the site of the new Swampscott High School) now we’re at a great facility on Forest Avenue,” Duratti said. Players that Duratti coached in the 1950’s and 1960’s have had sons that suited up in Yankees pinstripes, and now third generation ballplayers are …

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Baseball is Back, Little League Ready for 2011 Season

Players welcomed at tryouts this weekend, new rules in place for season opener on April 24.

Managers and coaches of the Swampscott Little League program greeted over 90 hopefuls at the high school field house Saturday morning. The 12, 11 and 10 year-olds were all hoping to make an impression at tryouts for the 2011 Little League season. The gym was filled with wide-eyed boys looking to land spots on minor and major league rosters this year. 11 players will be placed on the six Swampscott major league teams this season. The Nahant Orioles and Nahant Red Sox will play in the majors as well. The Nahant Athletics will play in the minors. The players hit, threw, chased fly balls and fielded balls hit off the basketball court under the watchful eyes of representatives of the Blue Jays, Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, Athletics and Indians…

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