Lynnfield Gets Back at Generals, Charette

In Monday’s rematch, the Lynnfield baseball team was able to get to Hamilton-Wenham’s Cam Charette.

It wasn’t difficult to see the difference between an and one at the end of the schedule on three days rest. At the same time, the Pioneers’ bats were in mid-season form and we able to crank out 11 hits in an 8-2 Cape Ann League win at .

In the opening weeks of the Generals campaign, Charette pitched a gem against Lynnfield – one of the top squads in the CAL – yielding only four hits with 10 strikeouts in a 3-0 victory.

On Monday, he showed some fatigue as he was touched for six runs in the final three frames, including three walks in the seventh inning.

“He left a lot of pitches up and they hit them,” said Generals coach Doug Hoak, whose team dropped to 5-10, 5-8 in the CAL. “The way the schedule worked (with postponements) he only had three days rest. As a result he wasn’t as sharp today.”

For the Pioneers (12-5, 7-5 CAL) pitcher Dylan Costa did his best impersonation of Charette from the first game. He twirled a complete game eight-hitter. His only blemish was a two-run homer to Generals catcher Jim Love in the fifth inning.

“I felt pretty good today,” said Costa, who also scored two runs. “It’s tough to pitch on a cold day like this, but I thought I got better as the game went on.”

After Love’s shot to left field cut the Pioneers lead to 3-2, the visitors scored two in the sixth on a two-run single by John Festa (3 for 5) and then put the game away in the seventh with RBI-singles by BJ Neil (3 for 3) and Festa, and a balk by Charette.

"This was a good game for us, especially against one of the top pitchers in the league,” said Lynnfield coach John O’Brien. “We got big hits when we needed them.”

The Pioneers scored a single run in the first on a single by Ricky Bernadino (2 for 4) that plated Festa. They doubled the lead in the second on a run-scoring single by Neil, scoring Costa. It looked like Charette was going to get out of the inning after he struck out back-to-back hitters looking, but Neil came through.

Charette finished with seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. He was charged with all eight runs.

Hamilton-Wenham had a chance to cut into the lead in the third inning when they loaded the bases on a Drew Sidell single, an error, and a walk by Jared Ketalas (2 for 3). But Costa got Love to fly out to centerfield and Jake Prince to ground out to first base, with the pitcher covering.

“We made some mental mistakes and gave them some extra outs,” said Hoak. “I have to give (Lynnfield) credit, they took advantage.”

Jim Parr, Prince, Paul DiMarino and Dylan Keith also had hits for Hamilton-Wenham.