Post 39 Gets Creative in Win

The Post 39 American Legion baseball team, amidst a four-day, five-game stretch, split its doubleheader Sunday at Arlington's Spy Pond Field.

Post 39 (9-8) bounced back from a 13-6 morning loss against a tough Lowell team to beat Concord 4-0 in the afternoon.

With so many games and limited arms, Arlington relied on Tim Barnicle, normally a utility player, to start on the mound against Concord. He would deliver, pitching five shutout innings in the win.

"He did a good job out there," Post 39 skipper Joe Sancinito said. "In Legion baseball you play so many games in such a short amount of time, it's as close to the Major League schedule as you're going to get. Right now, anybody who can get the ball over the plate, they're pitching."

Barnicle, a catcher at the Belmont Hill School, also threw three innings of relief in the opening game against Lowell. He gave up four runs in that appearance, his first of the season.

In the late game, Post 39 manufactured two early runs against Concord (7-9) before Sean Gustin hit a two-run triple with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning to seal the 4-0 victory. Post 39's Rob Cahill picked-up the save in relief of Barnicle.

In the early game, Lowell (13-4) hammered the ball from start to finish, scoring at least one run in every inning. Lowell's lead-off hitter, Aaron Barbosa, belted a home run to deep centerfield to start the contest. The team's first baseman, James Ricoy, had a two-run blast in the seventh inning, and starting pitcher Chad Genes helped himself with four RBI on the day.

Post 39's Paul McCarthy pitched one inning before being relieved by Dan Csapler due to an arm injury.

Csapler had a good day at the plate, going 2-2 with a triple, an RBI double and a walk. Shortstop Rob Caggiano also had two hits and an RBI.

Arlington beat Billerica (12-5) 12-11 on Friday and Somerville (1-15) 11-10 on Saturday to start the flurry of games. The team plays at Malden's Devir Park at 6 p.m. tonight before concluding its season Thursday at Medford's Playstead Park.

With only four teams in the 20-team Division 5 making the playoffs, Arlington has already been mathematically eliminated despite its above .500 record.