Sachems finish strong by winning three of four

  In a season where it lost several close, late-inning affairs, the Saugus High School baseball team may have gotten past that late-game hurdle by emerging victorious in three of its final four regular-season games. After shutting out Northeast Metro Tech last Monday, the Sachems edged Winthrop, 5-4, in a road contest last Wednesday and pulled out a 6-5 extra-inning battle at Gloucester on Monday.

  The win at Gloucester concluded the 2023 season for the Sachems, who finished 4-16 overall. That mark could easily have been better had Saugus been able to come out on top in some tight games this spring. Against Gloucester, righty Cam Bernard pitched six and a third innings and fanned nine batters. Jordan Rodriguez took over for him with one out in the seventh and ended up with the win by going an inning and two-thirds. Cam Soroko, the team’s leading hitter, had a big day with four hits and a home run. Saugus smacked 13 hits all told, perhaps its best total offensive output of the season.

  The Sachems were defeated, 8-3, by Swampscott last Friday in the team’s final home game at World Series Park.

  Last Wednesday at Winthrop, Saugus came out of the gate fast with four runs in the top of the first inning. The host Vikings responded with two of their own in the bottom of the frame and eventually tied the game at four apiece. The Sachems broke that deadlock with a single tally in the top of the sixth and made it stand up. For Saugus, it was a reversal of numerous 2023 storylines, where the opponent was the one to score the late winning run.

  Danny Zeitz doubled and drove in two runs, while Nathan Soroko and Shane Bourque each knocked in runs. Connor Bloom contributed a single. Pitchers Bernard and Cam Soroko combined to fan nine batters.