LYNN — The English baseball team went into Monday’s game against Revere with a chance to earn a spot in the state tournament. English didn’t disappoint.
The Bulldogs got contributions up and down their batting order in a 16-1 mercy-rule route over Revere at Fraser Field.
“It’s great,” English coach Doug Mullins said of qualifying for the tournament. “It’s the first time in four years so none of the guys on this team have played in the tournament. It’s a goal that we set at the beginning of the year. The guys came out ready to play. They’re all excited. They played well and earned it.”
Every starter in the Bulldogs’ lineup reached base and scored at least one run. Julien Silvestrie (1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, one run scored and three RBI) had a big day at the plate while Jomar Moreta (1-for-2 with two HBP and three runs scored) and Andy Duverge (2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored and one RBI) each scored three runs. Ethan Labbe (1-for-1 with two HBP, two runs scored and two RBI) and Erick Ubri (1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly, two runs scored and two RBI) also had key hits.
Pitcher Juan Subervi, who also drove in two runs, started the game for the Bulldogs and threw three innings while allowing six hits and one run with two strikeouts. Nathaniel Espinal closed out the final two innings, allowing just one hit while walking two batters.
“Everybody played and everybody contributed in different ways,” Mullins said. “We had (Espinal) step in and pitch for us, who hasn’t pitched much. We had a couple guys get hits and did some good things on the base path. Overall, top to bottom we had a great day.”
Not much went right for the Patriots. The mistakes piled up, with four errors, four hit batters and two runners getting thrown out on the base paths.
“The physical and the mental mistakes have been hurting us all season,” Revere coach Mike Manning said. “I think at one point early in the game we looked at the scoreboard and we were out-hitting them. It was the second inning, we had four errors already and we were out hitting them but down 9-1. We’ve just been shooting ourselves in the foot.”
Revere looked like it was off to a promising start in the first inning. The Patriots loaded the bases with no outs and drove in a run to go ahead 1-0. But the inning proved to be a wasted opportunity with a runner being thrown out in a rundown to help Subervi get out of the inning.
Moreta was hit by a pitch and Duverge laid down a bunt single to get the Bulldogs started. Ubri came up next and laced a deep fly ball to left field that was dropped and brought home both runs to give English a 2-1 lead. Later in the inning Silvestrie plated Ubri on a ground ball to shortstop to stretch the lead to 3-1.
English started to pile it on in the second inning after two infield errors and a walk by Revere loading the bases with no outs. Ubri drove in a run on a sacrifice fly, Subervi drove in another on a ground out and Silvestrie knocked a RBI single to give the Bulldogs a 6-1 lead. Later in the inning Labbe drove in a pair of runs on a single and Anthony Mateo drove in another run on a single to stretch the lead to 9-1.
The Bulldogs stayed hot in the third inning with four straight hits. Moreta singled and then scored on a double from Duverge. Ubri laced a RBI single and Subervi kept the streak going with a RBI double to put the Bulldogs ahead 12-1. After a passed ball, Silvestrie plated Subervi on a sacrifice fly and Jose Moel drove in two more runs later in the inning to give English a 15-1 lead.
Pinch-hitter Clodys Parandys reached on a single in the fourth inning and later scored on a double play to put the 15-run mercy rule into effect and allow Espinal to close out the 16-1 win.
The Bulldogs (10-4) will hope to stay hot when they host Salem Wednesday (6). Revere hosts Malden Wednesday (4).