by Bill Florence
The Lowell 10U Baseball travel team wanted a different start to the summer. The defending Eastern MA State Champions got knocked out early in the Cal Ripken District Tournament with a rugged extra-inning loss in the district elimination game.
The Lowell 10U young stars then turned their attention to the Baystate Baseball League. Baystate Baseball brings together the best baseball teams from across Massachusetts in their respective age groups, regardless of affiliation (Little League or Cal Ripken).
The Baystate Tournament runs two multi-round mini-tournaments throughout the summer weeks. Teams gather points throughout this process to qualify for the final Tournament of Champions, where the best 8 teams compete for the championship. Twenty-nine teams competed for this year’s Baystate title.
The Lowell squad kicked off its first round of Baystate play on June 24th. The team went 5-1 in regular pool play, qualifying for the first trophy weekend hosted by Sudbury. Lowell took care of business in the semifinals against Belmont by a score of 6-2 and faced a tough South End squad in the “Trophy Game.” Lowell won the gold in an exciting 1-0 battle against a previously unbeaten Boston South End club.
In the second round of Baystate Play, Lowell went 4-2 in a tough bracket and again qualified for the second Trophy Weekend Round. The Lowell volunteers hosted the mini-tournament, putting on a great show for 16 surrounding communities to come and compete against the best in their age group. The Lowell 10s did it again and took home the gold trophy with wins over a tough Newburyport Squad and defending Tournament of Championship winners Reading.
Lowell put themselves in position as the #6 seed in the Tournament of Champions hosted by the communities of Sudbury and Winchester. Lowell went 2-0 in pool play with a decisive 8-1 win over #3 seed Winchester and a 2-0 battle against the #2 seed Chelmsford. Harry Zahareas had the play of the game securing the win over Chelmsford with a game saving diving catch in right centerfield. The wins secured Lowell a spot in the weekend semifinal game.
Lowell faced a rematch with an excellent Chelmsford squad in the semifinals on Sunday afternoon. Lowell took an early lead and held on for the 5-4 victory over the Lions on Nutile Field in Winchester, putting them into the Championship game on Monday night. The win was backed by solid pitching performances of Sean Drinkwater (2 innings, 3 hits, 2 SOs) and Ryder Swett (4 innings, 5 hits, 6 SOs). Victor Bellrose powered the offense with a timely 2 RBI single. Others providing offense on the day were Sean Drinkwater, Zahir Rodriguez, James Kane, and Swett.
Lowell faced off again in the Championship game against the potent #1 seed Boston South End. The Lowell faithful would not be disappointed in Winchester, as the momentum of the Lowell 10s could not be stopped. The players remained focused one play at a time, taking the Championship game with a convincing 9-3 victory. Lowell received a strong pitching performance from Thomas Florence (5.1 innings, 2 hits, 0 ER, 6 SOs). Junior Ventura closed the door for the final two outs. Zahir Rodriguez paced the offense with a massive 2 RBI triple in the top of the first inning. Junior Ventura added pop to the lineup with 2 hits and 2 RBI. Others adding to the big offensive day were Ryder Swett (1 hit, 1 Run scored), Bellerose (1 hit, 1 RBI), James Kane (1 RBI, 1 Run Scored), and Florence (1 hit, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored). The win needed a considerable defensive effort, with several players coming up big in the field, including Jacob Marion behind the plate, Sean Drinkwater, Harry Zahareas, Lucas Ros, Kal Eang, and Emily LeLacheur. The win was a genuine team effort.
The complete Lowell 10U roster is #5 Junior Ventura, #2 Ryder Swett, #40 Sean Drinkwater, #21 Zahir Rodriguez, #27 Thomas Florence, #9 Jacob Marion, #12 Victor Bellerose, #14 Harry Zahareas, #7 James Kane, #11 Lucas Ros, #10 Emily LeLacheur, and #17 Kal Eang.
