Hamilton-Wenham 10U summer team falls in Sectional finals

The Hamilton-Wenham 10U Generals came up one game short of the Massachusetts Little League state championship, losing to North Andover 11-2 in the Massachusetts Section 4 Tournament championship. 

The Generals had reached the championship be going 3-0 in the preliminary round. 

In the first game, the Generals defeated a resilient Nahant team 9-6, thanks to an opportunistic offense and solid defense.  The Generals took a first inning lead after a Ryan Monahan walk, a Nahant error, and a steal of home plated Monahan.  Nahant responded with five runs, aided by six walks by Generals pitchers.  Undeterred, the Generals tied the game in the bottom of the third inning, with six consecutive batters reaching base.  After holding Nahant scoreless, the Generals took the lead for good in the fourth inning, highlighted by a two-run triple by Sam Belliveau (2-3, 3 RBI, 2R) and a two-run double by Ryan "Hutch the Clutch" Hutchinson (2-3, 3 RBI).  Nahant was able to get just one additional run the rest of the way, thwarted by outstanding defense from Harry Sostek (an over the shoulder basket catch and a perfect relay to nail a runner at 2b), Seamus Heney (the outfielder whose throw to Harry got things started), Ryan Hutchinson (a nonchalant snag of a sharp grounder to the hot corner), Sam Belliveau (two potential stealers thrown out at 3B), and others.  Six pitchers, led by Tobin Clark-Goldfeld, combined to limit Nahant to five hits.  Other pitchers were Luke McClintock, Monahan, Hutch, Belliveau, and Sostek.

The Generals continued their winning ways in the second game with a 9-0 win against North Andover.  Pitchers Belliveau, McClintock, Monahan, and Hutchinson combined to throw a 1-hit shutout against a battle-tested North Andover squad.  The foursome struck out 12 North Andover batters while walking only two.  But the big story of the game was McClintock's first out-of-the-park home run that easily cleared the fence in dead center field.  McClintock's 3-run blast came after his previous at bat produced a drive that was off the fence.  For the night, McClintock finished with 4 RBIs and two runs scored.  Other offensive standouts were Aiden Giarnese (2-2, 2B, 1 RBI), Ryan Hutchinson (2-2, 1 RBI, 2R), and Sam Belliveau (1-3, 2B, 2 RBIs).

The Generals won their third preliminary game to clinch a berth in the Section 4 finals but needed some late clutch hitting and defense to do so.  Stymied for five innings by efficient pitching and solid defense from a game Wakefield squad, the Generals came to bat in the top of the sixth inning facing a 1-0 deficit.  Clark-Goldfeld got the inning off to a promising start, beating out an infield hit to deep shortstop.  Hutchinson followed that with a well-earned walk.  After a strikeout, both runners advanced on a wild pitch to Giarnese.  With two runners in scoring position, Giarnese did not miss the opportunity, lining a double to the fence down the left field line, plating both runners.  The rally fizzled, but the Generals had their first lead going to the bottom of the sixth, with Hutchinson on the bump.  The first out came by way of an outstanding tumbling catch by SS Clark-Goldfeld in shallow center field--a web gem for sure.  This was followed by a strikeout, putting the Generals one out from the championship game.  Hutch's 1-2 offering to the Wakefield batter was grounded to first base.  In a play reminiscent of Bill Buckner, the bouncing ball decided not to bounce and rolled under the first baseman's glove.  Thankfully, second baseman Rafi "Santo" Santomenna was astutely backing up the play.  Santo snagged the rolling ball and beat the runner to the bag, securing a 2-1 Generals win.

In the finals, the North Andover boys came out swinging hot sticks, jumping out to a 4-0 first inning lead.  In the third inning, the Generals were able to cut the deficit to 4-1 after a successful double steal by Belliveau and Sostek, but the North Andover team continued to extend its lead.  In the sixth inning, the Generals offense began to get on track, with a McClintock triple and an RBI single by Clark-Goldfeld.  The North Andover defense came up big, however, as Hutchinson was robbed of a sure hit by a diving North Andover shortstop to end the game.

The Hamilton 10U Generals: Jimmy Ayers, Sam Belliveau, Henry Brunelle, Tobin Clark-Goldfeld, Aiden Giarnese, Seamus Heney, Ryan Hutchinson, Luke McClintock, Ryan Monahan, Rafi Santomenna, Harry Sostek, and Jack Stewart.