IPSWICH — Amesbury showed a flair for the dramatic in the Williamsport Little League District 15 tourney here last night.
With two outs and two runners on in the top of the seventh inning, Brandon Lopez belted a two-strike line drive double off the wall in left center field, scoring Dan Logan with the game-winning run as Amesbury defeated Hamilton-Wenham, 2-1, in a winners' bracket contest at Bialek Park.
Lopez, who was 1 for 2 with two walks, also dominated from the mound hurling 85 pitches in 5 1/3 innings. Despite some control issues in the first inning, Lopez went on to allow just one hit and two walks while striking out 13. At one point Lopez retired 13 of 14 Hamilton-Wenham batters, 12 by way of the strikeout.
"If he (Lopez) isn't the best (pitcher) in the district, he is as good as anybody," said Hamilton-Wenham manager Mark Michel, whose team (1-1) is still alive in the double elimination tourney. "He is probably as good as anyone in the whole state."
There was no secret to Lopez' success from the mound as he blew fastball after fastball past the Hamilton-Wenham batters.
"There was no strategy to it, just the good old number one," said Amesbury manager Frank Lopez about his son's performance on the mound. Coach Lopez believes that as good as his son Brandon pitched in the win, his best pitching is yet to come.
"His (Brandon's) pitch count got really high early in the game," said Lopez about the 24 pitches Brandon threw in the first inning. "He usually finishes the game."
Hamilton-Wenham got the scoring started in the bottom of the first when Patrick Daly reached on a fielder's choice and then advanced to third base on consecutive passed balls. Daly crossed home after an Amesbury error on a Chris Anastas pop-up to right field.
James Foye allowed one run on five hits and one walk in the first three innings on the mound for Hamilton-Wenham while Anastas pitched the final four and picked up the loss. Foye's only blemish came in the top of the fourth when Amesbury's Ben Cullen blasted a solo homer over the fence in center field.
Andy Reidy got the win for Amesbury, which will play Salem American on Monday, July 6 at 7 p.m. in Beverly. Reidy allowed just one hit and one walk in 1 2/3 innings.
Hamilton-Wenham will play tonight at 7 p.m. against Beverly West at Harry Ball Field in Beverly.
"Beverly West is a tough draw for us," said Michel. "We just have to keep up the effort."
