By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
NORTH READING — On Monday night, the North Reading A’s had their fourth-straight North Shore Baseball League (ages 18 and up) rainout as they were scheduled to host the Peabody Champions at North Reading High School.
“It has been extremely frustrating,” admitted A’s player-manager Joe Dardeno, about the weather. “We were coming off a big win last Monday night (11-1 over Marblehead) and this dampers the momentum from that game.”
The other rainout games were July 7 at home against the North Shore Freedom, July 9 at home against the North Shore Phillies and July 11 at the North Shore Phillies.
Entering this week, the A’s are in 11th-place in the 12-team league with six points as their record is 3-10. However, they are only three points out of the eighth and final playoff spot as those two teams have nine points.
North Reading has more than enough time to make up the difference with over 10 games left on the schedule.
“I feel like we have a playoff run in us considering all of the injuries we have had earlier in the season,” pointed out Dardeno. “Pitching will be difficult but all of the teams in the league will have to deal with it with all of the rainouts.”
The A’s have had a big roster turnover from last summer as there are 16 new players this season on the 30-man squad.
“We had to get younger and we really tried to recruit pitching,” explained Dardeno.
Along with Dardeno, the three other players from North Reading are Matt DiVecchia, Frank Cassarino and Mike Vittozzi. All four of those players are infielders.
Cassarino and Vittozzi just graduated from North Reading High as they were on the Hornets varsity team this spring.
The next game for the A’s in Thursday (July 15) at 6 p.m. as they host the Phillies. They then visit the Swampscott Sox the next night at 7 p.m.
The A’s welcome the North Shore Freedom on July 19 and then host the Northeast Tides on July 21 with both games starting at 6 p.m.
