Swampscott’s 12U all-star team opened its District 16 tournament run with a commanding 6–0 win over Winthrop on Sunday afternoon at neutral site MacArthur Park in Peabody.
With temperatures nearing 90 degrees Fahrenheit at the 1 p.m. first pitch, both teams battled through the heat, but it was a dominant pitching performance and timely offense that propelled Swampscott to victory.
Swampscott starter Danny Hall threw 87 pitches across five shutout innings, striking out 11 batters and allowing no earned runs. Cormac Ray entered in as the relief, tossing a perfect 1-2-3 sixth inning to seal the win.
“The pitching was pretty on point, but I liked the fact that we were swinging the bats, we were making contact,” Swampscott manager Mike Rossi said. “And when we were on base, we were being aggressive, trying to make the other team make plays. And so when we do that, good things happen.”
Offensively, Nate Sakurada led the way with two hits and a walk. Harry Fitzgerald scored twice, while Hall, Ray, Owen Jordan and Jackson Danahy each crossed the plate once.
Winthrop starter Ryan MacKenzie threw 66 pitches over three innings, giving up four earned runs. Reliever Dan Edwards pitched two innings, surrendering two more runs on 32 pitches.
What’s next for the Big Blue?
Swampscott enters this year’s District 16 Little League tournament as the two-time defending champion, returning to defend their title in a 10-team, double-elimination bracket.
The teams includes Wyoma (Lynn), Saugus, Peabody West, West Lynn, Swampscott, Winthrop, Lynnfield, Peabody, East Lynn and Salem.
“We (Swampscott) have been very, very good in District 16, and, with that, a lot of teams are probably looking at us with a bullseye on our back,” Rossi said. “But this is a new set of 12 year olds. We’re just going to come out and play our ball. We’re looking to play our game.”
The team, which has been practicing non-stop for the last nine days, recently scrimmaged Swampscott’s new 50/70 baseball team made up of 13-year-olds as part of their preparation.
This year’s 12U all-star roster features Cooper Averett, AJ Carter, Jackson Danahy, Jax Dudevoir, Harry Fitzgerald, Danny Hall, Owen Jordan, Max Knauer, Archie Packer, Andrew Postizzi, Cormac Ray, Michael Rossi and Nate Sakurada.
Looking ahead, Swampscott will face the winner of the Wyoma vs. East Lynn game on Sunday, June 29 at Wyoma Little League Field in Lynn.
“We’re going to do this one game at a time,” Rossi said.
