North Andover West 10-Year-Old All Stars Win State Championship

By Kim and Bill Morin.

Fresh off their District and Sectional championships, the North Andover West 10 year old All- Stars headed off to Saugus for Massachusetts State tournament play.  The West’s confidence was building, but they knew the State tournament would provide the toughest test of the young summer.

North Andover would have to battle with the likes of Medford, Holden and Lakeville.

Game 1 versus Medford featured an offensive display and a solid pitching performance leading to a 10-1 West victory.  The West got multi-hit games from Alex Bodnar, Jack Morin, Brady O’Brien, Jason Faro and Will Landers.  The pitching combo of Brady O’Brien, Jack Morin and Jack Twombly never let the Medford team get started scattering four hits over the six inning contest.

Game 2 against Holden proved more of the same.  The West were led by the no-hit pitching of Dylan Caporale who struck out 8 Holden batters.  The final score of 10-0 was not indicative of the battle as Holden saved their ace to temper the West sluggers.  With the score 2-0 in the bottom of the third, Jason Faro doubled home two runners to give the west some breathing room.  In the fourth, Jack Twombly singled to lead off the inning followed by a walk by Aidan Ham to set the stage for a five run inning to close the game in the fourth by the ten run rule.  The victory assured the West a spot in Sunday’s State title game but they would get a preview of their opponent the next night in the last round of pool play.

Game 3 against Lakeville would be the first of two against the club who scored 35 runs in their two previous tournament wins.  Southpaw Brendan Holland proved to be the right remedy for the free swinging Lakeville team.  Holland pitched four plus innings allowing only three runs.  With the game tied 3-3 in the top of the sixth, Holland led off the inning with a line drive double.  Brady O’Brien drove him in with a single to give the West the lead.  Brian Beaudoin executed a perfect sacrifice bunt which set the table for the West’s fifth run on a Chris Pensavalli single.  Alex Bodnar pitched one and two thirds to pick up the victory and Will Landers came in to record the final out for the save.  As good as it felt, the West knew this victory would be forgotten unless they got one more against the team from Lakeville.

In the championship, the West had their one-two punch of Brady O’Brien and Jack Morin set to take the mound.  The West were visitors in this one and they wasted no time making a statement.  Jason Faro blasted a two run homer in the top of the first to set the tone and alleviate some of the championship jitters.  O’Brien took the mound and worked a scoreless first inning.  Lakeville answered in the bottom of the second with two runs to knot the contest.  The defense made its first of many great plays when the inning ended on a shortstop to first to third double play executed by Bodnar, Faro and Beaudoin.  The West answered in the top of the third with back to back doubles from Bodnar and Morin to put the West ahead 3-2.  The see saw battle continued with Lakeville plating a run in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 3.  Lakeville had a chance for a fourth run but Dylan Caporale made a great tag at home plate.  With the game once again tied at 3 entering the sixth inning, the West decided to do what it did the night before…rally.  With a man on first, Jake Landry doubled off the left field wall which clearly rattled the Lakeville team.  A couple walks later the West found themselves with a 5-3 lead with three outs to go.  Morin, the nights winning pitcher, retired the side in order leading to the third celebration and banner ceremony in as many weeks.

With the District, Sectional and State titles under their belt, the West moves on to the New England Championship starting August 2nd in Cranston, RI.  When thinking about their chances, the team continues to ask “Why not the West?”