Saugus baseball drops pair, looks to rebound against Beverly

By Dom Nicastro

The Saugus High School baseball team fell to 4-6 on the season after a pair of tough losses this past week, including a late-inning collapse against Peabody and a pitchers’ duel defeat at the hands of Swampscott.

Despite the setbacks, the Sachems continue to show flashes of potential in all facets of the game—highlighting strong pitching, disciplined at-bats and solid defensive work.

Saugus held a 4-3 lead over Peabody Veterans Memorial heading into the bottom of the sixth inning before the Tanners exploded for five runs to seize an 8-4 victory. Peabody’s rally was capped by a bases-clearing double, the game’s biggest blow delivered on a full count.

It was a frustrating finish for the Sachems, who had previously seized momentum thanks to timely hits from senior captain Danny Zeitz and junior Chris Mazin—each delivering two-run singles to put Saugus ahead earlier in the game.

Senior captain Cam Soroko started on the mound but exited in the first inning due to arm soreness. He still managed to make an impact, reaching base all four times at the plate with two hits and two walks while swiping a pair of bases.

Senior captain Cam Bernard came on in relief and pitched 5.2 innings, striking out six and allowing six runs on six hits. Saugus played error-free defense and remained aggressive on the basepaths, swiping four bags on the afternoon.

A day earlier, Saugus battled Swampscott in a tight 2-1 loss in the resumption of their Opening Day contest. Junior Brayden Crawford delivered another stellar performance on the mound, going six innings and giving up just two runs—only one of them earned—while striking out five. Crawford also paced the offense with two hits.

Zeitz, Mazin, junior Jordan Rodriguez and junior Nathan Soroko each added hits for the Sachems, but the lineup couldn’t generate the timely extra-base hit needed to push the go-ahead run across. Swampscott starter Will Brogna went the distance, limiting Saugus to one unearned run over seven innings to earn the win.

The most recent MIAA Division 3 power rankings, released Tuesday morning, April 29, place Saugus at No. 45—just outside the projected tournament field of 32. Teams can qualify for the postseason via a top-32 ranking or a minimum .500 winning percentage. The Sachems are still within striking distance but will need to rack up key wins in the back half of their schedule to stay in the playoff hunt.

Their recent stretch of games highlights just how competitive the Northeastern Conference remains.

Gloucester, who edged Saugus 1-0 last week, is currently ranked No. 10 in Division 3. Danvers, another NEC rival and upcoming opponent, holds the No. 21 spot in Division 3. Swampscott, now 2-0 against the Sachems this season, sits at No. 28 in Division 3. Peabody, competing in Division 1, ranks No. 18.

The takeaway? Saugus isn’t far off, but there’s little margin for error. The NEC continues to serve as a proving ground for postseason contenders. If the Sachems can clean up late-game execution and get healthy on the mound, there’s still time to turn tight losses into signature wins.

Next up for Saugus was a road trip to Beverly, scheduled for Wednesday, April 30.