Eastie steals the win against West Roxbury

By Evan Freedman

BPSsports Correspondent

EAST BOSTON — East Boston head coach Phillip Brangiforte made a gutsy call in the sixth inning this afternoon, signaling designated hitter Kevin Lara to steal home to break up a tie game.

“No one was holding him on,” Brangiforte said after the 5-4 victory against Westie.  “He [opposing pitcher Jovanny Baez] was pitching from the windup, so we made the call.  We took a shot and it came together.”

West Roxbury (6-6 overall, 6-2 in conference) scored two in the top of the inning to tie the game. Baez singled to left, and after a wild pitch, junior third baseman Jonathan Bonilla drove him in with a single up the middle.  An infield throwing error plated the Raiders’ fourth and final run.

Eastie pitcher Jon Finocchio closed the door in the seventh, and the Jets (4-6, 2-0) had their first conference win. Finnochio was upbeat after the game.

“I felt good,” Finnochio said. “I gave up a few too many walks, left the curveball up, but it was good to get the win.”

Eastie looks to payback Newton South

Slideshow provided by Ken Guittarr

The East Boston baseball team now has another big reason to defeat Newton South on the opening day of the third annual First Priority Credit Union Strike Out Cancer Tournament on May 21 at East Boston Stadium.

“We’re going for the payback,” Jets’ junior slugger Marvin Depaz said after a 26-3 loss to Newton South this morning at East Boston Stadium. “We’re not gonna slack off with that team. We already know what they are made of.

“If we sleep on them they are gonna put up big scores on us.”

Eastie coach Phil Brangiforte and his father-in-law, Jets hockey coach Robert Anthony, founded the tournament three years ago after Brangiforte’s wife was diagnosed with colon cancer. She had surgery at Boston Medical Center shortly after delivering their fifth child and is now in remission. Anthony’s wife’s breast cancer was in remission for 11 years but recently spread to her bones. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

The two-day tournament — which features East Boston, Malden, Newton South and Revere — has already raised $7,500 for colon cancer research at BMC and hopes to collect another $3,000 to $5,000 this year.

“Boston Medical saved her life so I have to give back,” Brangiforte said. “This is a way for myself and my family and team to give back.”