BY SAPNA PATHAK
Perhaps the only criticism Peter Rayno had for his team was not having a pregame cheer louder than the opposition.
Rayno, whose team fielded better, hit better, pitched better and just plain played better than the other team, needed to find something to ask his smiling all-stars to improve.
“Yeah, they’ve got to work on that. The other team was way louder than us,” said Rayno with a laugh. “Our problem is we can never decide on what to yell, but we’ll have to figure that out before the next game. There’s not too much I can get on them for … Tonight’s game looked good except some mistakes on defense here and there.”
Despite those late-game defensive miscues, Salem American’s 11- and 12-year-old majors all-stars took down Atkinson, 14-10, in this year’s District 1 baseball tournament on Monday, July 9.
Facing the team that beat Salem National three days earlier, Rayno’s squad took the field to face Atkinson ace John Morse, who held National to three runs.
With National players and coaches in the stands, American jumped on Morse early, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Catcher Pat Lacroix started things off with a leadoff single, stole second base and reached third on a passed ball. Jon McQuarrie, currently with three home runs in the tournament, brought Lacroix home on an RBI single.
Salem starter Matt Barbin needed just eight pitches for a 1-2-3 inning in the home-half of the first. Lacroix and second baseman Dan O’ Brien converted a strikeout-throwout double play to end the frame.
Barbin cruised through the second, using 12 pitches to record three straight outs. Then, American’s offense took over, plating four runs in the third for a 5-0 lead. Barbin singled, Phil Smith drilled a first-pitch fastball to center field, then third baseman Jake Ratka was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Barbin was forced out at home, but Smith scored on an error on the same play. Ratka came around on a passed ball. Austin Finn’s double scored Colin Parnell and Ryan Decker.
Atkinson scored its first run in the bottom of the third before Salem tacked on three more in the top of the fourth, bouncing Morse after 3 1/3 innings.
The visitors took an 8-1 lead into a 30-minute, lightning-induced delay.
“They’re a very good team,” said Rayno of Atkinson during the rain delay. “They’ve gone deep in this tournament for a reason. If you’re still in it, you’re meant to be here. They can score runs in bunches so we can’t get ahead of ourselves. We need to play like it’s 0-0 and score more runs.”
They did.
Mitch Dufton, in for left fielder Mark Cefalo, saw his offensive struggles end when he sent a 2-0 pitch over the left-field fence for a solo home run to open resumed play. Barbin singled, McQuarrie doubled and Ratka brought them home on his two-RBI double. First baseman Billy Rayno earned the RBI, scoring Smith for a 13-4 American advantage.
“I was kind of nervous because I’ve been doing bad at the plate so far,” said 11-year-old Dufton, in his first majors all-star tournament. “I made contact and thought, ‘Oh gosh, another fly ball, great.’ I’d been slumping, and the pitcher I’d heard was really good, so I didn’t think it was out.”
Game notes
Taking a 14-4 lead into the bottom of the sixth, McQuarrie took over for Barbin on the mound. Atkinson made a run, scoring six runs on a combination of errors, walks and four hits.
Lacroix finished with one hit and scored once; Barbin went 3-for-5, scored three runs and allowed four runs on six hits, striking out eight and walking none; McQuarrie had two RBI, two hits and scored a run; and cleanup hitter Smith notched two hits, drove in one run and scored three times.
Ratka scored three runs in a two-hit performance; Rayno finished with two RBI and one hit; Decker scored one run; O’Brien singled; Cefalo scored one run; Dufton drove in two runs; Parnell had an RBI; and Finn finished with two RBI and a double.