Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, March 27, 2020 Baseball, softball still hoping for a season By Greg Phipps ith uncertainty still in the air regarding the 2020 high school spring sports season, the Saugus baseball and softball squads are hoping a spring season can be salvaged. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of all schools two weeks ago with an initial reopening date set for April 6. This forced the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) to put off the start of the season to April 27. That date is now certain to be W extended, at the very least, after Governor Charlie Baker on Wednesday ordered schools to continue in lockdown mode until May 4. The MIAA reportedly is going to decide early next week on how to proceed following Baker’s announcement on Wednesday. In the meantime, the Saugus baseball team is no doubt anxious to play some ball this spring. Head coach Joe Luis guided the Sachems to a 15-7 finish in 2019 and a fifth-seed in the Div. 3 North playoffs. After an exciting 3-2 first-round win over Essex Tech – the program’s first postseason game at World Series Park in three decades – the Sachems lost a heartbreaker to Bishop Fenwick in the quarterfinals. Holding a 4-2 lead entering the seventh inning of the quarterfinal, BF rallied for three runs off Saugus ace Todd Tringale and came away with a 5-4 victory. The Sachems lost in similar fashion to Lynnfield in the previous year’s postseason tourney. Tringale has now graduated, and the Sachems will be without his 7-2 record and more than 100 strikeouts. But the team appears to have enough talent returning to once again compete well and contend. The view is pretty much the same for the Saugus softball team, which produced a 12-9 finish in 2019 under head coach Steve Almquist. The Sachems went on a roll by winning six of their last nine games to make the Div. 2 North tournament as an 11th seed. Ace pitcher and league allstar Caitlyn Wood is looking to continue her solid performance from a year ago. She Senior Jack Devereaux and his Saugus baseball teammates are still hopeful that a season will commence in 2020. hurled a gem in the playoffs but Saugus fell short to Dracut in the first round by a 1-0 count. An unearned run accounted for the game-winReturning ace pitcher Caitlyn Wood hopes to get a crack at performing for the Saugus softball team this season. ning score in the bottom of the eighth inning. Almquist said after last year’s playoff loss that, along with Wood, returning players, such as Alexa Ferraro and Cat Schena, should help keep the Sachems competitive. “We have a good group of kids coming back,” he said. Saugus Police Department warns residents of COVID-19 scams nterim Police Chief Ronald Giorgetti would like to remind residents to be vigilant of potential scams around COVID-19, like people requesting donations or selling products claiming to cure, prevent or detect the virus. Residents should not partake in any COVID-19 testing from doorto-door solicitors or people who approach them at grocery stores or other community venues, or from solicitors who call requesting financial information in return for a test or mail COVID-19 test offerings. Chief Giorgetti warns that residents should never give personal information, I Medicare numbers, money or home access to people soliciting tests. If a testing kit is mailed to you, you should not accept the test. Return the test to the sender and alert local authorities immediately. “During times of uncertainty, it’s not uncommon to see scammers try to take advantage of vulnerable residents,” said Chief Giorgetti. “We want to reiterate how important it is to put proper research into offers, pay attention to official information regarding COVID-19 and alert authorities of any suspicious activity you might encounter.” The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office provides these tips for residents to protect themselves from other scams and frauds: • Watch out for high-priced or low-quality products; report any retailers that inflate prices on products like hand sanitizer and face masks. • Beware of false and misleading information being spread online. Use reputable sources, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). • Keep an eye out for unauthorized or fraudulent charities or solicitations. Before donating to a coronavirus charity, make sure the charity is legitimate. If anyone has questions or feels like they have been victimized, they are encouraged to call the Saugus Police Department at 781-941-1199. Massachusetts residents who believe they are victims of fraud or other criminal activity related to the pandemic should contact the United States Attorney’s Office at USAMA.victimassistance@usdoj.gov or call 1-888-221-6023 and leave a message. Members of the public can also contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) by visiting www.IC3.gov. For more information on COVID-19, visit the DPH website. Kelly’s announces hourly raises for employees L ocal family-owned Kelly’s Roast Beef is pleased to announce that they will be temporally paying an additional $2.00 per hour to all their current hourly staff and giving additional compensation to their management team. According to Dan Doherty, V.P. & Director of Operation in a statement on Thursday, “We have an incredible team of dedicated employees and managers who have worked tirelessly in these unprecedented times. We wouldn’t be able to get through this without them.” Kelly’s remains open as an essential business; we continue to have our drive-thru and take-out services operating along with delivery from UberEats and Door Dash. Kelly’s has locations in Revere, Saugus, Danvers and Medford.
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