Baseball Sachems lose in extras to Swampscott

Much like last season, the Saugus High School baseball team has been involved in some tight games.  A recent extra-inning win over Masconomet was indicative of Saugus baseball over the past two seasons.

Last Friday’s Northeastern Conference tilt at Swampscott was another example. The Sachems have played down-to-the-wire contests against the Big Blue over the past couple of seasons. Saugus beat Swampscott in a close affair in last year’s playoffs. Friday’s battle was no different.

Swampscott ended up pulling out a 2-1 victory on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the eighth frame. To that point, both teams managed to cross the plate just once. Saugus’s Nathan Ing returned from an injury sustained in a loss at Beverly two days earlier to smack two hits.

Anthony Cicolini also had two hits and Ryan Anderson stroked a base hit for Saugus. Ing was the starting pitcher and hurled five innings, giving up two hits and fanning four. He was relieved by Cam Soroko, who then gave way to Matt MacEachern.

On Wednesday, in a game that was originally scheduled to take place at World Series Park but moved to Gloucester, the Sachems suffered their third consecutive defeat by losing a 6-3 decision to the host Fishermen. The loss dropped Saugus under.500 at 4-5 for the season.

Cicolini was the lone Sachem with multiple hits (two), followed by one hit each from Anthony Macone, MacEachern, Ryan Anderson and Braden Faiella, who tripled. Macone, MacEachern and Drew Gardiner drove in the Saugus runs.

The Sachems hope to end their losing skid when they host Greater Lawrence Tech in the first-ever night game (scheduled 7 p.m. start) at World Series Park this Friday. Saugus rolled to a 10-0 victory when the two squads faced each other in the season opener at Lawrence.  The Sachems are then off until next Wednesday, May 4, when they travel to take on Peabody.