THE HORNETS celebrate Zach Emery’s walk off winner in Game 1 of the Northeast Semifinals last week at Carey Park. (Alicen Encarnacao Racca Photo)

 

 

By DAN ZIMMERMAN

NORTH READING — In their best-of-three series staged last week, North Reading claimed the Northeast Baseball League South Division semifinal round, handing natural rival Wakefield defeats in the first and third games.

The Hornets advanced to the winner-take-all varsity title game with Lowell yesterday (results in after press time), which earlier upset defending champion Dracut. North Reading wrapped up the regular schedule of this popular summer league, which has been in existence for 55-years, at 11-3 overall.

The Hornets sent hurler Ryan Labb to the mound for the tournament opener last Wednesday and he dealt six strong innings. Labb fell just shy of the win, forced to vacate when he reached the 115 pitch count maximum with the teams knotted at 6. But his relief, Zach Emery, proved just as imposing, getting three quick Wakefield outs to set up a dramatic seventh inning walk-off 7-6 win by the Hornets.

“Zach Emery did just about everything except sell popcorn,” said interim coach Aldo Vittozzi. “He got the game-winning hit, made a number of terrific defensive plays, pitched in relief, and did everything we asked.”

 

RYAN LABB delivers a pitch against Wakefield in Game 3 of the Northeast semifinals at NRHS. Labb allowed just one earned run in North Reading’s 3-2 victory, sending them to the championship game against Lowell on Wednesday after press time. (Alicen Encarnacao Racca Photo)

Wakefield would not go quietly, staving off elimination on Thursday at Sullivan Field. The Townies starter Jack Pennacchia kept the North Reading formidable bats at bay, allowing just 4 hits in all, while the offense got to Hornet pitching for a dozen.  The Townies, led by Aidan Bligh with a pair of basehits, along with a Pennacchia two-run double in the third, evened the series with a 10-3 win.

“That Wakefield team was very good,” said Vittozzi. “They had outstanding pitching and they could really hit the ball. It was quite an effort by them.”

Not all was rosy in the North Reading camp. There were a number of instances, throughout the series, when the Hornets’ trademark aggressiveness on the basepads proved costly. Several baserunners were picked off by the capable Townies’ arms.

“That is something, unfortunately, we’ve done in every game,” admitted Vittozzi. “We’ve had multiple people thrown out. We need to tighten that up from a coaching standpoint.”

The third and deciding game was postponed on Friday due to a torrential rainfall. Play resumed Monday evening with Labb returning to the hill. He left no doubt, after striking out the first two batters, that three days rest was ample. The Hornet batters were also determined to extend the tournament, with a trio of first inning hits and a go-ahead run.

Emery started them by drilling a basehit off Wakefield starter Cam Jaena and later scored, driven in by Nick Torra.

 

ZACH EMERY slides home for North Reading’s first run in their 3-2 Game 3 victory over Wakefield on Monday night. (Alicen Encarnacao Racca Photo)

North Reading made it 2-0 in the second as Antonio Ricca reached on a bunt, stole second, and later scored on a Wakefield throwing error. The Townies halved the deficit on a run in the third but the Hornets soon added insurance, on a Christian Lava RBI-basehit to make it 3-1.

Wakefield again closed to within a run, successfully executing a double steal and drawing a throwing error, scoring Jackson McGourty. But Labb, in response, was throwing even harder and kept the Townies baserunners safely in the dugout.

“Ryan Labb really set the tone in this series,” said Vittozzi. “He had great command, he was attacking the strike zone, and not worrying about baserunners. He showed that he can be hard to hit when he’s that focused.”

Dylan Matthews threw a pair of innings in relief, striking out 4 of the 10 batters he faced, and preserving the win for Labb.

“During the spring, we tend to throw strikes – that’s what we work on in practice as a pitching staff,” said Labb. “In the summer, it’s the same thing for me. I want to throw strikes, get someone to roll over, get a ground ball. I have trust in Jason Curran and the rest of the defense to make the plays and my catcher Matt Mancinelli – he’s a beast – I trust every pitch no matter the count.”