Mariners gearing up for playoffs

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The American Legion District 8 baseball playoffs are looming for the Marblehead-Swampscott U-19 Senior Mariners, who are in the process of wrapping up the regular season. The playoffs are slated to get underway on July 15.

The Mariners took on Peabody last Thursday, July 6, at Seaside, only to lose the close verdict, 3-1.

Ian Maude had another solid outing on the mound for the home team. The righty pitcher allowed just four hits and three runs over seven innings, while striking out six and walking one.

E.J. Wyman, Bodie Bartram and David Bartram each collected one hit to lead the offensive attack.

The Mariners were scheduled to play five more games before the start of the postseason.

They were scheduled to play at Methuen on July 8, before facing Lowell and Andover at home on Monday and Tuesday, after the Current’s press deadline.

Beverly then comes to Seaside tonight (July 12) at 6 p.m., before the Marblehead boys wrap up the regular season at Lowell’s Alumni Field, also starting at 6 p.m.

Lowd/Ryan tournament revisited

After four days of rest due to rain, the MarbleheadSwampscott American Legion Post 57 senior team Mariners played in the Bill Lowd/Doc

Ryan American Legion Baseball Invitational in Beverly.

The tournament included some of the top Legion programs in the country: Shrewsbury Post 397, Leominster Post 151, St. Mary’s Post 255 (Maryland), Colorado Post 1187 and the host team, Beverly Post 331.

On Friday, June 30, the Mariners lost a heartbreaker to Leominster, 3-2. The game was tied at one after seven innings. Leominster ended up winning it in the ninth.

Ian Maude pitched 7.2 innings, scattering 10 hits while giving up just two runs. He fanned six. Bodie Bartram pitched the last 1.1 innings in relief.

Brooks Keefe, Tyler Chiarello, Riley Schmitt, Drake Wyman, Will Roddy and David Bartram each had one hit to pace the offensive attack.

The Mariners then lost to a solid Shrewsbury team the next day.

“We spotted them runs early on, and you just can’t do that against a team like Shrewsbury,” said coach Kent Wheeler. “They have been to the American Legion World Series three times in the last five years and have competed for the state and regional championship year after year.”

In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Mariners faced St. Mary’s Post 255 of Maryland. They were state champions and Mid-Atlantic regional champions in 2021. The Mariners bats finally came to life, outhitting Maryland, nine hits to seven, but the team came up short where it counts, on the scoreboard, 5-4. Quinn Fitzpatrick started on the mound for Post 57 and pitched well for the first couple of innings. Quinn Hitchcock pitched the next three in relief, giving up no hits, while striking out four. He tried to help himself out at the plate with two doubles. Ben Milner and Bartram each had an extra-base hit. The Mariners stole six bases, with Drake Wyman and Milner leading the way with two apiece. The tournament games on Sunday were rained out.