BEVERLY — The Lynn Little League baseball team simply won’t give up when it comes to the Gallant Tournament. Playing in its third game over the past four days, with its back against the wall for the second straight game, Lynn came up big and took down Peabody, 3-2, in Game 1 of the Gallant Tournament finals at Harry Ball Field. With the win, Lynn forces a winner-take-all championship game with Peabody set for this evening.
Lynn got a huge pitching performance from Yordy Contreras, who gave up just two runs on two hits with 15 strikeouts in six innings of work to earn the win. Almost just as big of a performance came from Shea Palmer in the seventh inning, when he closed the door on Peabody to hold onto a one-run lead after they loaded the bases with one out.
“Great pitching for us from both of our guys,” said Lynn manager Jeff Earp. “Yordy was on fire early and stayed strong even when he hit a rough patch. Then Shea, I mean, that was a big spot with the bases loaded in the seventh, and he came through for us.”
Peabody also got a great performance from its starter Giovanni Guglielmo. He gave up three runs on four hits with 11 strikeouts in five innings, a performance made even more impressive after he took a hard line drive off his pitching hand early in the second inning.
“I can’t say enough about his guts today,” said Peabody manager Gary Lynch. “I honestly thought it could’ve been a broken hand, and for him to come back and give us five great innings like that is a testament to his toughness.”
The game looked like it was going to be a true pitchers’ duel from the start. Contreras struck out the first five batters he faced, while Guglielmo struck out the side in the first. But Lynn was able to break through in the bottom of the second.
After a walk, a hit batter and a passed ball put runners on second and third with two outs, second baseman Brady Warren stepped in and laced a two-run single into centerfield to give Lynn an early lead.
Contreras continued to roll on the mound, striking out five of the next seven batters he faced. Then, in the bottom of the fifth, Peabody was finally able to get something going.
Two walks and a single loaded up the bases with one out. In stepped left fielder Danny Barrett, who smacked a two-run single into left field to tie the game at 2-2.
It didn’t take long for Lynn to respond. In the bottom of the fifth, Jack Anderson walked and then took second base on a passed ball. After Brady Bullock reached first on a bunt single to put men on first and third with two outs, Anderson took home on a passed ball to score the eventual game-winning run.
In Contreras’ final inning of work, he struck out the side yet again to end his performance on a high note.
Palmer came in to close the game out in the seventh, but it wasn’t easy. A couple of walks put runners on first and second, then a dropped third strike advanced them to second and third with one out. Harry Lynch then reached first on a fielder’s choice, but Lynn didn’t record any out and the bases remained loaded. Under all that pressure, Palmer stayed cool and struck out the next batter, then closed out the game by fielding a comebacker and throwing out the tying run at home.
The win for Lynn sets up a winner-take-all game tonight, and both teams will be throwing it all out there.
“I really don’t know what we’re going to do, but we’ll figure it out,” said Earp. “Our guys will be ready to go, their guys will be ready to go, and it’ll be exciting. If we can hit like we’re capable of and stay away from mistakes, we’ll be fine.”
“We’ve got our ace, Justin (Powers) ready to go, and most of our arms should be all set,” said Lynch. “We know that Lynn is a scrappy team that never gives up, so we’ve just got to pitch well and find a way to put a bat on a ball and see what happens.”
First pitch for all the marbles is at 6:30 p.m. at Harry Ball Field.