Sports
Marblehead Rolls Into Gallant Championship
Marblehead has won all three of their tournament games and will play for the title Tuesday night.
Three days, three games and three wins for Marblehead baseball in this year's Gallant Invitational Baseball Tournament has our local team one win away from a championship.
Marblehead, powered by an eight-run fourth inning, defeat Lynn 13-8 Sunday night in Salem.
Lynn’s Herbie Newton gave the visitors a 4-0 lead with a grand slam in the top of the third, but after that it was all Marblehead.
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“I told the guys not to get down after the slam,” Marblehead manager Steve Tubridy said. “There’s a lot of game left and we’ve got the hitters to come back.”
Marblehead ripped Salem in their first game on Friday and beat defending champion Swampscott on Saturday.
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The comeback started with two runs in the bottom of the third, and was complete after eight Marblehead runners crossed the plate in the bottom of the fourth. The comeback was powerd by a grand slam by James McCarthy on a rip to left center.
Spencer Carr got the win on the mound, relieving starter Liam Tubridy in the third inning. Carr gave up a three-run home run to Brendan Powicki in the sixth, but his mates had given him more than enough runs for the win.
“Our guys pitched well, we know we’re going to hit, so we weren’t concerned when we went down,” Tubridy said. “I told the guys to keep at it because Lynn could come back, we didn’t want to let them back in it.”
McCarthy had five RBI’s for Marblehead in the win, Matt Koopman knocked in three and Tim Kalinowski plated two runners.
Even though they were ahead 10-4 going into the bottom of the sixth, Marblehead tacked on another three runs when Koopman, David Campbell and Crew Whittier crossed the plate.
Crew Whittier finished the game on the mound for Marblehead, allowing the eighth and final run on Newton’s second homer of the game - a solo shot in the seventh.
Starter Liam Tubridy struck out four batters; Spencer Carr struck out four; and Whittier had two strikeouts for Marblehead. Brendan Powicki started and finished with the loss for Lynn.
The championship game is scheduled to be played Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. at O’Grady Field at Forest River Park in Salem. Ray Gallant’s mother Eileen will give out the trophies to the winners.
“Just great to come here every year, Ray loved baseball,” Gallant said. “I really look forward to this, it’s such a nice way to remember Ray and we’re treated to some good baseball by these kids.”
The Salem Youth Baseball Invitational Tournament was started in 1984, and renamed the Ray Gallant Invitational Baseball Tournament in 1992.
Lynn might get another crack at Marblehead, they will play Peabody Monday night (weather permitting) at 6:30 p.m. The winner of the Peabody-Lynn game will play on Tuesday against Marblehead.
“We’re looking forward to the next game, Tubridy said. “We’re on a little bit of a roll, so let’s keep it going.”
