Andover Knocks Off Peabody West

The Andover National 12-year-olds picked up where they had left off the night before, beating a team and not needing all six innings. Andover beat Peabody West 13-3 in five innings Friday, at Poulin Field in Tewksbury. It was the second time in as many nights that Andover had ended the game early.

It looked as though Andover was going to put West away early leading 3-0 going into the Peabody half of the first. However, Hunter Jaques, with two runners aboard, sent a drive to left field that just missed the outstretched glove of Jack Finn and found a fan’s hands.

The umpires talked the play over and decided on a correct homerun call to tie it at 3-3.

The Andover bats that managed eight homeruns the night before returned to life in the top of the third, when Sam Conte roped a two-run double up the middle, scoring Cedric Gillette to go ahead 5-3. The Nationals capitalized on a Nick Palma error in right field and scored again to make it 6-3. Danny Walsh also got in on the action with an RBI base hit up the middle past the diving second baseman to make it 7-3.

Andover starter, Andrew Salima settled down after the first inning dinger, and worked smoothly through the tough Peabody lineup with little slips along the way. Salima, who collected four Ks, said the plan was to go for groundouts.

“I just got to throw strikes,” said Salima, recalling his thought process. “I wasn’t trying to strike them out; they’re too good of hitters.”

Peabody threatened in the bottom of the third inning with a runner at third base and nobody out. Andrew Ianuzzi, who was pinch-running, was thrown out trying to take home on a passed ball. Salima finished the inning by striking out the next batter and retiring the next after that on a pop out.

The Nationals added two more runs in the top of the fourth on a Conte two-run shot to dead centerfield for his third and fourth RBIs of the game. The ball landed through the window of the Poulin snack shack.

Scott Perry had a two-run base knock to give Andover a commanding 11-3 lead in the top of the fifth followed shortly after by a two-run bomb to right-centerfield by Gillette giving the Nats a 10-run cushion, 13-3.

Peabody loaded the bases with one away in the bottom of the fifth, which brought a mound visit from Andover coach Paul Finn to talk to Michael Reilly, who replaced Salima.

“I said, ‘Mike, I have total confidence in you,’” he said of the visit.

And the West could not capitalize, with Zach Crawford being sent down on strikes and Nick Lapore flying out to right field to end it.

“The game never really felt like it was in hand,” Finn said. “They kept battling. Peabody’s a good team.”

Salima pitched 4.1 innings surrendering five hits and three walks to go along with his four punch-outs.

“It took him a little while to get going,” Finn said of his starter. “But he stayed composed and he pitched well against a good-hitting, Peabody team.”

Andover attempts to go 3-0 in round robin play tonight against Stoneham at Poulin field at 7:30 p.m. Peabody will take on Danvers National at 5:30 p.m.