SWAMPSCOTT — The Swampscott Sox stayed hot Tuesday night with a 5-1 win over the North Shore Storm in a North Shore Baseball League game at Phillips Park.
It was a group effort on the mound for the Sox, with manager Joe Caponigro focusing on keeping key arms fresh for the start of the postseason on Friday.
“We wanted to give the guys a little work and not getting anybody burnt out so we’ll have a full posse ready for the weekend,” Caponigro said. “Brendan Powicki went the first couple, he pitches at Stonehill College. JP Reiling went three, he pitches at Salem State. And Alberto Torres closed it. They all threw strikes and did a nice job.”
Powicki started the game with two solid innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out two. Reiling threw the next three, allowing one run on two hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Torries pitched the final inning with a walk and a pair of strikeouts.
Joe Kasper (3-for-3) continued to produce at the plate with one RBI while Kyle O’Connor (1-for-2, walk, run) drove in a pair of runs. Bryston Maynard (1-for-2, walk) and Mat Legere (1-for-2) each had one RBI and one run.
“We made plays for the most part and got the runs when we needed them,” Caponigro said. “Joe Kasper is on fire right now, he hit a ball on a line off that fence in right. We got the timely hits and hopefully that carries over (Wednesday) and into the playoffs.”
Both teams got a pair of runners on base in the first inning but couldn’t get the hits they needed to start. But things changed for the Sox in the second with a five-hit, four-run inning. After a walk to start the inning things settled down with two straight outs. Legere got things started again, lacing a RBI single to give Swamscott a 1-0 lead. Esteban Paula followed that up with a double and O’Connor laced a two-run single to right to stretch the lead to 3-0. Kasper plated O’Connor on another single to cap the rally and give Swampscott a 4-0 lead.
A Storm error helped the Sox add on to their lead in the third. An infield error put a runner on and after a pair of passed balls, Bryston Maynard laced a RBI single to stretch the lead to 5-1.
That was all the support the Sox pitching staff needed. Powicki was pulled after the second inning for Reiling. Reiling ran into some trouble with a single, a walk and a passed ball putting runners in scoring position in the fifth. A single scored one run but the Sox threw a runner out on the bases to limit the damage and hold on to a 5-1 lead.
Torres closed out the game with a pair of strikeouts in the sixth to give Swampscott the 5-1 win.
The Sox (15-8) will host Manchester Wednesday (6) in the regular season finale at Phillips Park.
“I think we are locked in with Beverly right now (for the playoffs),” Caponigro said. “And I think they’ll have home field advantage due to the head-to-head games. They would get the home game (Friday). Usually it comes down to whatever team makes the least amount of mistakes.”