ITEM PHOTO BY KATIE MORRISON
English second baseman Wilbur Rosario stretches to catch a pop fly during Saturday’s game at Swampscott
By KATIE MORRISON
SWAMPSCOTT — The Big Blue baseball team has a deep lineup and can make its opponents pay for every mistake.
That was the case Saturday at the baseball complex at Swampscott Middle School, as the Big Blue used a balanced offensive attack to top Lynn English, 13-6.
Dylan January led the way at the plate for Swampscott, who slamming two monster home runs to left center field. January went 3-for-4 with four RBI.
Louis Olivieri (2-for-4, 3 runs scored) got the game started on the right foot for Swampscott, which was actually the visiting team since Fraser Field was being used for the “Pitch in for Pete” baseball games, played in honor of former St. John’s Prep and Boston College athlete Peter Frates, who has been stricken with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Olivieri slammed a double to right center. Spencer Perkins (3-for-5, 3 runs scored) followed with a single, and A.J. Venuti brought home a run on a single and advanced to third on an error, which brought in another run. Ryan Graciale knocked home Venuti with a single, and it was 3-0 Big Blue before the Bulldogs could get an out.
“A deep lineup is what all teams want, you can’t get by with just your 2-3-4 guys, especially not in this league,” Swampscott coach Jason Calichman said. “I thought Louis set the table in the first at-bat of the game. He was down two strikes in the count and shot that double in the gap, I thought it set the tone for the whole team.”
English pitcher Geraldo Rojas walked the next batter, but settled down to fan the next two and get a weak grounder to end the inning.
English looked to have something cooking in the bottom half of the inning, but a bad break shut down a potential rally. Wilbur Rosario led off with a single, and with one out Rojas hit a pop-up in no man’s land between shortstop and left field. The ball dropped between the two fielders, but Rosario was running on the pitch, and had to retreat all the way to first, thinking the ball would be caught, making him a sitting duck at second.
On the mound, Rojas settled in, but still struggled with command at times. He held the Big Blue scoreless through the second and third, but ran into trouble again in the fourth. Two errors, a hit batter and a couple of wild pitches produced three runs for Swampscott. That would do it for Rojas, who allowed six runs in three-plus innings.
Julio Figuereo took over, and a single from Dave Quill set the stage for January’s first homer, a shot that sailed easily over the fence for an 8-0 Swampscott lead.
English struck back for two runs in the bottom of the inning behind a hit from Anderson Figuereo and a RBI single from Kevin De Pena to make it 8-2. But the Bulldogs struggled against starter Luke Marshall, who allowed five hits over six innings, striking out eight.
Swampscott wasn’t done, however. The Big Blue tagged English reliever Devin Curley for two runs in the sixth on January’s second home run, which was hit to almost the same exact spot as the one two innings earlier.
“He’s swung the bat well the last couple of days, then in batting practice he was crushing the ball, so I kind of felt like something was going to go well for him today,” Calichman said. “He crushed those two balls, those were no-doubters and we’ll take those anytime.”
Swampscott added three more runs in the top of the seventh as well. English didn’t go quietly in the bottom half, as doubles from pinch hitters Andy Duverge and Erick Ubri produced three runs, but it wouldn’t be enough.
“We gave up 16 free bases between errors, walks, hit batters, wild pitches and passed balls. You’re not going to compete with a good team when you do that,” English coach Joe Caponigro said. “That’s where it all starts.”
The Bulldogs have a few tough tests ahead, starting with Saugus Monday.
“We’re through our easy part of the season,” Caponigro said. “We’re 3-5, we’ve lost four games in a row, and it’s been the same story of not throwing strikes. We’re just having trouble getting the ball over the plate and making average high school plays.”
Swampscott (6-1) also has a tough road ahead with five games over the next six days, starting with Revere today.