By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

NORTH READING — On July 23, the North Reading A’s defeated the Northeast Tides, 10-6, at North Reading High on a hot, steamy late afternoon game. With the victory, the A’s stayed in 6th place in the North Shore Baseball League at 11-11 while the Tides fall to 12-9 as they are in 5th place.

“It was another big win for us,” said A’s player-manager Joe Dardeno. “Our guys did a great job of grinding out at-bats.”

The A’s, who had 15 hits, scored twice in the 1st inning, once in the 2nd, twice in the 3rd, four times in the 4th and once more in the 5th.

The Tides had one run in the 1st, three in the 4th and two more in the 6th.

A’s pitcher Phil Nichols improved to 5-2 with a complete-game effort.

He gave up six runs (three earned), eight hits, no walks and he struck out seven.

“He showed a lot of grit,” said Dardeno. “When a bad thing happened to him, he was able to bounce back. He was unfazed.”

Derek Reilly, who is from North Reading, went 2 for 3 with a key two-out two run double in the 4th inning. He also scored three times.

Dardeno, another North Reading resident, went 2 for 3 with two RBI while Cole Farmer was 3 for 4 with two runs scored. Derek Hoh went 2 for 4 as the dish with one run scored.

The news was not as good on July 21 as the A’s fell at home to the North Shore Phillies by a final score of 11-4.

“They are the best team in the league and we gave them five unearned runs,” pointed out Dardeno. The Phillies are in first placed heading into this week.

Dardeno had a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the 3rd to give the A’s a 3-2 lead.

However, the Phillies plated five runs in the top of the 4th to take the lead for good.

“Our pitchers had some trouble with their command,” said Dardeno.

A’s pitchers gave up five walks and hit three Phillies batters.

John Sirois had the A’s’ other RBI with a single in the 5th inning.

The A’s played their final game of the regular season on July 27 against the Kingston Night Owls (results not available at press time).

If the A’s finish in the top eight (12 total teams), they will qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 campaign.

The playoffs start on Saturday, July 30 as the first round is a best-of-three series.