Winchester Stays Alive in EMass Cal Ripken Tournament with 3-0 Win

Winchester staved off elimination once again Monday in the Eastern Massachusetts Cal Ripken Tournament in Chelmsford.

The team, made up of 12-year-olds, worked out of a couple early-inning jams to defeat Tyngsborough 3-0 in the losers’ bracket and remain as one of the six teams left in contention.

Winchester pitchers Pat Lampert, Richie Toelke and Pat Costello combined for the shutout, while second baseman Devin Morrocco had what would be the game-winning hit with an RBI single to center field in the top of the third inning.

Right fielder Teddy Locke scored on Morrocco’s hit to break the scoreless tie. Then, in the top of the fourth inning, third baseman Preston Burbine belted a home run well over the 180-foot sign in center field to make it 2-0.

In the top of the fifth inning, Winchester’s Phillip Marks, who reached on an error, crossed the plate on a passed ball to give his team some breathing room and make the final 3-0.

In the early going, it looked as though offense wasn’t going to be a problem for Tyngsborough, as Lampert walked the bases loaded in the first inning and left them loaded again in the second.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning, Winchester first baseman Chris Kingston scooped up a hard groundball and stepped on the bag to end the threat.

Then, in the bottom of the second inning, Tyngsborough loaded the bases with one out, however, Toelke threw a runner out at the plate after dropping a fly ball and then, with the next batter up, catcher Marco Marignoli flipped the ball to Lampert to catch a Tyngsborough runner attempting to steal home on a passed ball.

Toelke took the mound to start the bottom of the third inning, and Costello relieved him in the fifth.

Locke had two hits for Winchester, shortstop Zach Geddes and Costello, one, in addition to Morrocco and Burbine’s.

After opening the tournament Saturday with a 14-1 loss to Raynham, Winchester has now won two in a row.

Winchester will face the loser of Tuesday’s Burlington verse Raynham match-up at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday back at Scully Field in Chelmsford.