Published in the April 20, 2017 edition
CELEBRATING AMERICA’S PASTIME. Jack Fischer (left) and his father, Mark, give the “thumbs up” prior to heading out to the North Reading Blue Jays’ opener against Lynnfield last Saturday in the Middlesex Big Diamond League. The Blue Jays scored a 15-7 victory. (Courtesy Photo)
NORTH READING – North Reading Little League’s 2017 spring season opened with a big slate: 13 games, spanning the Instructional League to the Majors, took place at Benevento Fields last Saturday on a gorgeous day for baseball.
More kids get to join in the fun this weekend with the start of the NRLL Tee-Ball season (for youngsters 4- and 5-years-old) on Sunday afternoon.
Here’s a look at some of the action from last weekend:
MINORS
The Scrappers rallied from a pair of deficits and then held on to defeat the Red Wings, 9-7. With his team trailing, 7-5, in the bottom of the fifth inning, Ryan Stringer stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. He laced a clutch single to the outfield that cleared the bases and put the Scrappers ahead for good.
It was the team’s second comeback of the game. In the second inning, a single by Jason Puglia scored Nick Santiago with the Scrappers’ first run and narrowed their deficit to 3-1, and Santiago then swatted a three-RBI single in the third inning to knot the game at 4-4. Puglia later crushed a double to the fence in the fifth.
Nick Torra started for the Scrappers and held the Red Wings hitless over two frames, and was followed to the hill by Finn Rodger, who earned the victory by pitching three solid innings. Zach Emery recorded the save by striking out two in a scoreless sixth.
Tanner Dupriest started on the mound for the Red Wings and fired two impressive innings. At the plate, Liam Blanchette sparked the Red Wings with a double, three RBI, and three runs scored.
A strong team effort lifted the IronBirds to a 13-3 victory over the River Bandits. Ryan Labb earned game MVP honors with three strong innings pitched, a three-run inside-the-park home run that propelled his team to an early lead, and a nifty double play he turned at shortstop.
Jason Curran contributed three hits and three runs scored for the victors, while Parker Griffin had two hits and also made a great catch on a hard-hit shot to center field. Nate Dyer relieved Labb on the mound and pitched the final few innings, with battery-mate Max Forristall holding steady behind the plate.
Opening Day action concluded under the Benevento lights with the defending Minor League champion Lugnuts shrugging off the Thunder, 11-10.
It was an exciting back-and-forth affair. Thunder starting pitcher Dylan Matthews and Lugnuts counterpart Tommy Gazda were sharp with their pitches, keeping the game moving by limiting the hits.
The Lugnuts eventually built a six-run lead in the fifth inning, a frame capped off by Ethan Quan’s three-run homer. That advantage didn’t last long, however. In the top of the sixth, the Thunder bounced back with six runs of their own to tie the game at 10-10.
In the end, however, the Lugnuts took the victory on a walk-off single by Gazda. Jason Berry also aided the cause, getting on base four times – with three singles and a walk.
For the Thunder, a special shout-out goes to Desi Brown, who reached base four times and scored twice. And both teams’ coaches applauded the fine effort of Chris Libby, who came up from the Farm League to play for the Thunder.
FARM
In their season-opening game against the Reds, the Blue Jays enjoyed a strong day at the plate and in the field. Tyler Boviard played a solid first base and turned in the season’s first double play, while Christian Lava picked up where he left off last year with some excellent at-bats and nifty play with the leather while platooning between third base, shortstop, and first.
The day also marked the long-awaited Farm League debut of the Pagliuca twins, and they did not disappoint the North Reading faithful. Vincent had a stellar day playing third, highlighted by a great catch late in the game. Damian alternated between second base and outfield, and showed off his speed with a nice single that saw him hustle down the first base line to beat the throw.
James Nelson looked like a pro behind the plate and contributed two nice hits up the middle. Other Blue Jays fielding stars were Patrick McGaffigan and Dylan Harris. While playing second base, McGaffigan was part of all three outs in the third inning. Harris, meanwhile, showed us all how to play center field, getting in front of every ball hit his way and in one case forcing an out on a player attempting to go from second to third base.
Jack Gattuso helped his team at third base while also hitting two shots into the outfield, and Owen Bouchie had three good at-bats and capped his day with a web-gem at second base. Brendan Nelson marked his Farm debut with a two-hit day and strong play at catcher and pitcher.
BIG DIAMOND
Eric Doucette started the game-winning rally with a sixth-inning single, his second hit of the day, as the North Reading Rays downed host Lynnfield, 10-5, in Middlesex Big Diamond Senior League action on Saturday afternoon.
Coming to bat with one out and the game knotted 5-5, Doucette lined a ball that landed safely in right-center field. Following a Dylan Babcock walk, both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and Doucette came in to score what proved to be the decisive run on Ryan Connor’s sharp single to left. Dante Centofanti then provided the insurance, hammering a triple to deep left-center field that plated two more runs. He later scored on a wild pitch that made it a 9-5 game.
Neither team cracked the scoreboard in the first two innings, but the Rays broke through with five runs in the third, ignited by consecutive hits from Mario Perrone, Andrew DeBenedetto, and Doucette. Perrone added a seventh-inning RBI single to account for the Rays’ final run.
Joey Frammartino scored two of the Rays’ runs and also started on the mound, pitching effectively into the fifth inning. He walked just one and struck out a batter while getting solid support from his fielders, including two outfield grabs by Zach Rinaldi. Matthew Capozzoli earned the win in relief, recording three strikeouts and not allowing a run.
