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After closing out the last EMass pool play game with a 3-1 loss to Raynham at the Freetown / Lakeville youth baseball complex on July 11, the Winchester Cal Ripken 12U all-star team was ready for the final round, still sporting a sensational 8-1 overall state tournament record.
They then went on to defeat Arlington for the third time in this tournament after coming out on top in the state final opener, 7-1.
Altogether, they outscored the Junior Spy Ponders, 26-5 in three games. The win set the stage for the EMass state title game against the Milton Americans, who went through pool play in their grouping unscathed, winning four straight wins.
“We didn’t run out of gas; we just ran into two good teams, and lost,” said manager Chris Gannon. “We have been on the other side of these games before, so you just have to take the good with the bad.”
But Gannon had no complaints with the overall effort, and thinks this will only help them when the 12U World Series begins next month in Branson, Mo.
“Our kids battled hard in both those losses,” he said. “We were one hit away from winning both these games, but that’s baseball.
“It was still a good learning experience for both coaches and players alike, and we’re now focused on using that experience to get better and win the World Series,” Gannon added.
In the final pool play game against Raynham, Winchester fell behind early after the Junior Trojans jumped out to a 2-0 lead. They then tacked on an insurance run in the fifth, before Winchester avoided the shutout with one of its own in the home half of the sixth. But it was too little, too late. They, however, quickly put that loss behind them to get ready for the state final opener against Arlington.
Vincent Moran (6 hits, 3 walks, 3 runs, 2 earned, 3 strikeouts) pitched the first five innings against Raynham. Morgan Sweeney (1 hit, 2 walks) was on the mound for the local nine in the final frame.
Winchester managed only three hits in this game, all singles. Kellan Stachelski had two of them, while Tommy Vittiglio accounted for the other base hit.
But it didn’t take the Winchester kids long to get back on track against aforementioned Arlington. They were able to score in every inning to secure that 7-1 victory.
Sweeney (2 hits, 1 walk, 1 earned run, 7 strikeouts) started the game on the hill. He went 3.1-innings to get the win, before being relieved by Pete Toner. Toner pitched the final 2.2-innings, and allowed only one hit, while whiffing three.
The offense banged out six hits, powered by Chris Fiore, whose two-run blast paced the attack. Fiore also walked with the bases loaded to account for his third RBI in this game. Charlie Statires collected two singles, and scored one run. Ayla Capone (1 run), Bryce Shaw (1 run) and Sweeney (1 walk, 1 run) each singled once.
The two best teams in EMass then hooked up to decide the state title, and the game lived up to its billing on Sunday afternoon, July 13.
Winchester scored the first run of the game in the third, and that lead almost held up until its Milton counterparts won the game with two in the home half of the sixth inning. They were that close from advancing to the regionals in Rochester, N.H., but instead they have more time to rest up and work on a few things in practice before heading off to Branson for the World Series. Teams are scheduled to report to the Live Music Capital of the World on Aug. 6.
Callan Gannon (2 hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts) went the first four innings against Milton on the mound, before Toner (4 hits, 1 walk, 2 earned runs) took over in this hard-fought effort that just didn’t go their way in the end.
The offense sprayed seven hits around the field, all singles, and the team was led by Shaw (1 walk, 1 RBI), Toner and Vittiglio with two apiece. Gannon was credited with the other single.
