ALDO VITTOZZI brings home another Hornet runner with one of his multiple RBI bunt hits during NR’s wild, 19-17 win over Newburyport on Saturday. (Eric Evans Photo)
Updates post publication:
North Reading falls to Amesbury 5-2 (May 9) and Hamilton-Wenham 8-1 (May 11)
North Reading defeats Triton 6-4 to qualify for state tournament. (May 13)
North Reading defeats Pentucket 12-2 (May 16)
Published May 11, 2023
By DAN ZIMMERMAN
NORTH READING — A gripping three-game baseball saga, one that won’t soon be forgotten by the North Reading faithful, began on a rain-soaked field in Lynnfield last Wednesday and concluded on Saturday with a sensational marathon-like event staged at friendly Carey Park.
Facing archrival Lynnfield midweek, North Reading scratched out a 7-4 lead before a downpour forced the officials to suspend the game. Resuming on Friday, the Hornets held off a late Pioneer charge to claim a 7-6 win. In between, North Reading knocked off Ipswich, 6-3. But it was the dogfight on Saturday that truly epitomized the Hornets’ ability to come-from-behind, a trait they have exhibited on several occasions this season.
Facing longtime nemesis Newburyport and trailing 11-3 in the fifth, North Reading put up 9 runs in the bottom of the hour-long inning to surge ahead, 12-11. The scrappy Hornets then added 7 runs in the sixth to stave off a threat as the dangerous Clippers mustered offense down the stretch to close to within a pair.
“Have you ever seen a final score like that?” asked an incredulous coach Ed Blum, gesturing to the scoreboard, which read 19-17. “Yes,” he was told, “On your football field.”
“That was an absolute battle between two really good Cape Ann League teams,” said a weary head coach Eric Archambault, who improved to 9-2 overall, 6-2 in the CAL. “I’m very proud of the team today; actually, the entire week. They have really impressed.”
North Reading jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first frame when proficient bunter Aldo Vittozzi plated Ryan McGuire. In the second inning, Newburyport moved in front, 3-1, but the Hornets answered with a run off yet another sacrifice bunt, as Robbie Daley scored off Matt Mancinelli’s chop. Vittozzi made it 3-3 in the third, driving in Alex Carucci with, no surprise here, a sacrifice bunt.
Newburyport broke it open in the fifth, scoring 8 runs on 6 hits. North Reading was one better, however, garnering 9 runs on 5 hits. The Clippers sent 12 batters to the plate in this hectic inning while the Hornets also batted around-plus, with 14.
ROBBIE DALEY throws out a runner during North Reading’s win over Newburyport. (Eric Evans Photo)
Both starters were chased in the midst of this donnybrook. Newburyport’s Owen Tahnk who, earlier this season, dealt North Reading an 11-1 mercy defeat, was replaced by Brayden Johnson. And for the Hornets, Ethan Quan was dispatched to spell a tiring Ryan Labb.
“We had four games this week and we were out of pitchers,” Archambault explained. “We had a bunch of guys who were ineligible to throw today. Ryan Labb and Ethan Quan, a freshman, came in and did what they had to do and got the outs. They did a fine job against a good hitting team.”
Newburyport knotted the contest at 12 apiece in the sixth-inning but North Reading responded, adding a crooked number in the bottom of the stanza. In hindsight, the 7 runs scored were insurance in the truest sense because the Clippers circled for 5 more in the seventh. There were a number of fielding errors, committed by both teams, that extended the inning and added to the ballooning score.
“There were definitely a number of errors committed but this wasn’t about two teams just kicking the ball around,” said Archambault. “There was a lot of hard hitting today, by both teams.”
North Reading warmed up for Newburyport with a quick trip to Lynnfield on Friday afternoon to complete a rain-postponement. The Pioneers, trailing 7-4 when the game was called two days earlier, closed the gap with a pair of runs. But in the fifth, with bases-loaded and two outs, their coaching staff tried to take advantage of Hornets’ freshman hurler Dylan Matthews.
“My guess is they saw a freshman and tried to run a trick play on him,” recalled Archambault. “He kept his composure in that situation and came up huge with the perfect defensive play.”
In the seventh, Matthews added to his resume in the midst of a bases-load, two-out jam by getting Lynnfield’s top hitter for a game-ending grounder.
“There is a ton of heart on this team,” said Archambault, who celebrated a milestone 100th career win in Lynnfield. “They believe in one another, they trust in their teammates, and they buy into the ‘family’ mentality. There is a tremendous team environment here. Everyone contributes.”
North Reading hosted Amesbury (3-6) Tuesday evening (results in after press time), and will travel to Hamilton-Wenham (7-3) Thursday and Triton (9-3) on Saturday morning.
