Local Legion Team Takes Newburyport To Extra Innings

The combined team gave a powerful Newburyport team all it could handle on Sunday at the diamond in Swampscott.

Newburyport, 9-0 in their league and 12-0 overall, finally erupted for five runs on two homers in the top of the ninth to stay undefeated on the season.

Prior to Sunday, the Newburyport team's pitching staff had given up only one unearned run in all nine league games, said Newburyport Manager Tim Southall.

Swampscott/Marblehead Manager Tim Cassidy said his team competes well when they have a full squad, and that was evident Sunday against a very good opponent.

The home team had two pitchers on the hill who will be playing college baseball next year — Evan Haferman of Marblehead and Sean O'Brien of Swampscott, the manager said.

Newburyport was leading by a run going into the bottom of the eigth in the regulation seven-inning game.

But the home team pulled off a double steal, scoring the runner from third, Frank Legere, after Trevor Massey, back from a knee injury at Swampscott High, stole second.

The two homers in the top of the ninth, one to left and one to right, proved to be too much of a deficit for the home team to counter.

The local Legion squad is back in action on Monday against Breed in Lynn.