Most baseball players who go on to play at high levels can recall their Little League days – just ask them.
Lifting trophies doesn’t hurt the memory bank either. It’s something Swampscott youngsters have done the last two summers.
The town’s 12-year-old All-Stars defeated Peabody West, 6-3, on July 11 to be crowned District 16 champions. The summer prior, Swampscott took care of West, 1-0, in another District final.
Call it a back-to-back.
“It’s always special to win Districts, even one time. It’s not easy
to do,” said Swampscott manager Mike Brown. “The ball has to bounce your way, so to win it two years in a row was extra special.”
Entering the season, Brown said he didn’t want his team to think about going back-to-back because he knew how hard it would be to achieve.
“I didn’t want them thinking about it too much, because I think it’s easier to be too confident. We kept talking about just winning the first game and took it from there,” Brown said. “Every year is different. Kids grow a lot from one year to the next. We didn’t take it for granted.”
One advantage Swampscott had this summer: experience. Brown called it “the special ingredient.”
“Once you see it and know what to expect, that’s a big part of being successful,” he said. “We benefited from having six kids back from last year’s team. They were players who played a lot last year, so we knew we could count on them. It really was a special year.”
Swampscott’s Jett Nichols, left, celebrates with Gavin Cerrutti
after a late-inning out.
Last year, Swampscott had one of the better pitchers in the area. This year, the Big Blue needed help from everyone in the lineup.
“There is a little more pressure the second time around. There are expectations we have to live with,” Brown said. “Last year, we had Michael Hall, who was a dominant pitcher. He threw harder than probably anyone that we saw this year. We didn’t have that advantage this year.”
That said, there was “no superstar on this team,” according to Brown.
“I think that’s what was the best part of the team. They weren’t waiting for someone to get that big hit. Everyone was ready to do their part,” he said. “If you look at the box scores, there were multiple games in which our No. 7 or No. 10 hitter got the big hit.”
Swampscott had to get through West Lynn, Lynnfield, and Peabody West (twice) to defend its crown. It wasn’t until after the Lynnfield game that Brown thought his team might have a chance to repeat.
“When we played Lynnfield, that’s when we learned we, kind of, had a shot. Staying in the winner’s bracket is a huge advantage,” he said.
After the 4-2 win against Lynnfield, Swampscott took care of business against Peabody West with a convincing 6-1 victory in a battle of unbeatens. To claim the championship, the Big Blue played true to their name to hand West another defeat.
“We always talked about energy and effort,” Brown said. “There’s always adversity, but they played the full game with energy.”
When the final out was recorded, Swampscott erupted in joy as it paraded around the field – once again, with a banner in-hand.
“It’s a special moment for all of us. You’re just really pleased and the whole town gets to celebrate it,” Brown said. “I got a lot of phone calls from former managers and players congratulating us. There’s a great tradition in the town.”
