After consecutive losses to start World Series pool play, the Lynn Babe Ruth 16-18-year-old All-Stars came into Monday night’s game against Jamestown (N.Y.) with their backs against the wall. Thanks to timely hitting and a five-run rally in the bottom of the fifth, the Lynners rose to the occasion.
Lynn, the home team in Monday night’s tilt, claimed an 8-3 win over Jamestown at Russell E. Diethrick, Jr. Park. With the victory Lynn improved to 1-2 in the pool play round of the World Series.
At the plate, Dayshon Anderson led Lynn with a pair of RBI singles. Anderson finished 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Anthony Nikolakakis went 1-for-3 with 2 RBI.
“Dayshon had a great game,” Lynn coach Al Donovan said. “He hit the ball hard and executed a great hit and run. Anthony had 2 RBI on a hard-hit ball for a big double.”
Things didn’t start the way Lynn hoped they would. Back-to-back walks in the top of the the first hurt the Lynners when both Jamestown runners scored on a 2-RBI double. Jamestown added a RBI single, placing Lynn in a 3-0 deficit and chasing starter Lou Vidal, who pitched 1/3 of an inning, out of the game. Reliever Max Pegnato replaced Vidal and induced a double play, with help from shortstop AJ Luciano, to end the inning.
“No team is an easy team,” Donovan said. “We have a tough bracket. It was a much closer than the score indicated.”
Lynn tied the game at 3-3 in its half of the first. Colin Reddy (2-for-3, RBI) plated leadoff batter Jomar Moreta, who was hit by a pitch, with a RBI single. Anderson followed with a RBI single and Cesar Carrero (0-for-2, 2 RBI) walked with the bases loaded to even the score.
The Lynners loaded the bases in the bottom of the second but Jamestown, the Southern Tier representative, escaped the jam unscathed.
The game settled down from there, as Pegnato kept Jamestown’s bats quiet the rest of the way. Kevin Durant made a string of highlight-reel catches in left field to support Pegnato’s effort.
Pegnato, a right-hander, finished his night with two strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings of work. He allowed one earned run on five hits.
“You have to give Max credit,” Donovan said. “He came in and threw strikes. He kept us in the game, gave us an opportunity to win and we did.”
The Lynn bats came alive again in the bottom of the fifth. Reddy started the rally with a bunt single. After Reddy stole second, Luciano (2-for-4) reached on an infield error to place Lynn runners on the corners. Anderson came through, again, with a RBI to score Reddy with the go-ahead run at 4-3. Nikolakakis followed suit with a 2-RBI double, boosting Lynn’s advantage to 6-3. Carrero added a RBI groundout and Brett Bucklin (1-for-3, RBI) hit a RBI single, capping the five-run rally and giving Lynn a 8-3 lead.
That was more than enough support for Pegnato to seal Lynn’s 8-4 win as Jamestown scored once in the top of the seventh.
Jamestown starter Kyler Majka allowed five earned runs on five hits with five walks and four strikeouts in four innings. Matt Gullotti followed in relief and was tagged for three earned runs in just 1/3 of an inning. Brock Conn pitched 1 2/3 shutout innings and logged one strikeout.
The Lynners will play their fourth game in as many days Tuesday afternoon (2:30) when they battle against Charleston (MO). Devin Curley will start on the mound for the Lynners.
“They’re a well coached and talented team,” Donovan said of Charleston. “We have to come out and play the way we did tonight.”