Since dropping a 17-8 game to visiting Danvers on Opening Day April 5, the Marblehead High School baseball team (3-1) has rebounded very nicely with three straight wins.
The Magicians first defeated host Gloucester, 20-6, in a shortened five-inning mercy rule game on Friday, April 7. The visitors scored five runs in the second, third and fourth innings, and tacked on four more in the fifth. They also scored one in the first. The Fishermen produced all of their runs in the third.
Right-fielder Shane Keough (6 RBI) and Riley Schmitt (4 RBI) paced the offensive attack with three hits apiece.
Senior captain Drew Whitman got the win on the mound after going the first two innings and yielding four earned runs on two hits and four walks while fanning three. Cody Selvais pitched one inning, giving up three hits and two runs. He whiffed one. Chris Cannuscio hurled the final two frames, issuing just one walk.
“We got some big hits at the right time to extend some innings that allowed us to put up a big number against Gloucester,” said coach Mike Giardi.
The Marblehead boys then began a new week with the same lopsided winning results, defeating the visiting Manchester Essex Hornets, 12-1, on April 10.
The Magicians were able to bust it open with some big hits, including a bases-loaded triple by Charlie Sachs in the third inning, followed by a bases-loaded double from Bodie Bartram in the next frame to account for three more runs. The game was called after five innings because of the mercy rule once again.
The home team only needed six hits to score into the double digits against the Hornets. Cannuscio (2 RBI), who played first base in this game, designated hitter Chris Dewitt, center fielder Drake Wyman (1 RBI), Keough (2 RBI), Sachs and Bartram were credited with those hits.
Ian Maude pitched all five innings to secure the win. He allowed five hits, five walks and one earned run. He fanned three.
It was more of the same the very next day, when the local nine took down host Peabody, 14-1.
Marblehead took an early lead, but the game was relatively close until the visitors exploded for eight runs in the sixth to seal the deal. After the Tanners failed to score a run in the home half of the sixth, this game was also cut short because of the mercy rule.
Whitman pitched the first five innings against the Tanners, giving up just one earned run on three hits to earn his second win in four days. He walked two and struck out three. Matt Mahan pitched one inning and accounted for one strikeout.
Keough collected three hits in as many at-bats. He knocked in two runs and scored twice to help pace the offensive attack. Dewitt also had three hits in four at-bats and scored two more runs.
Brooks Keefe and Riley Schmitt each collected a couple of hits, with Keefe knocking in one run and scoring twice. Schmitt, who also walked once, came home all three times he was on base. Wyman and Whitman also chipped in with two hits apiece to complete the team’s multiple-hit players in this game. As a team, the Marblehead boys banged out 17 hits.
After the Magicians took on Masco at home on April 14, they had a few days to get ready for host Beverly on April 19. They will then return home to Seaside Park to take on Salem on Friday, April 21 at 4:30 p.m.
