Somerville Alibrandis face off with the East Boston Knights in the first round of the 2016 Yawkee Baseball League championship playoffs.

Courtesy of Yawkey Baseball League

In 2015 they were the top 2 seeds in the YBL tourney and battled in the Championship Round. This year they will meet again, but this rematch takes place in the first round.

Once again the #2 seed, Somerville Alibrandis has not been quite the dominant force as we’ve seen over the past decade-plus. But they once again led the league in team pitching with a 2.14 ERA and 242 strikeouts. Offensively, Bernie Driscoll and Cam Lynch’s Alibrandis were second only to the record-setting efforts of the Athletics, scoring 226 runs with a .334 average and leading the YBL with 88 stolen bases.

Tony Alibrandis

After a league-best 25-5 record in 2015, the East Boston Knights stormed into the Finals with high expectations but were swept by Somerville. And while the Alibrandis were able to improve upon their record, 2016 has been a much different year for the Knights.

After starting the season 4-1, Eastie lost their next 4 and never again got themselves on the fun side of .500. But Coach Bellavia’s team fought their way through the season and made the playoffs knowing that once you get there, the regular season record doesn’t matter anymore. Everyone around the league knows that you can’t sleep on this team with their offense that can light up the scoreboard at any time.

Despite their record, East Boston still finished the year in the top-5 in both batting and pitching, and they have the talent on the roster to beat anyone in the league.

The Knights vs. Alibrandis playoff match-ups continue this week through Saturday, August 13, as follows:

Wednesday, August 10, East Boston Knights at Somerville Alibrandis, 7:30 p.m., St. Peters Field; Thursday, August 11, Somerville Alibrandis at East Boston Knights, 8:00 p.m., Maplewood; Friday, August 12, Somerville Alibrandis at East Boston Knights, 8:00 p.m., Maplewood; and Saturday, August 13, East Boston Knights at Somerville Alibrandis, 2:00 p.m., Maplewood.

— Photos by Kevin Dickinson