Traveled to No. 1 Austin Prep on Wednesday
Published June 24, 2021
NORTH READING — The NRHS baseball team won their first game of the Div. 3 North tournament in convincing fashion, beating Wilmington 10-0 in six innings on Monday at Carey Park. The Hornets played a quarterfinal game at No. 1 Austin Prep on Wednesday night after press time. The Cougars beat No. 16 Arlington Catholic 5-0 in the first round.
Timmy McCarthy spun a gem against the Wildcats earning a complete game shutout on three hits and one walk while striking out three.
The Hornets collected 10 hits and eight RBI’s. They scored one in the 1st and six in the 2nd to break the game open.
Michael Vittozzi, Frank Cassarino, Ryan McCullough and Alex Carucci each had two hits. Vittozzi, Cassarino and Nick Shea each had two RBI’s while McCullough and Joe Giacalone each had one.
The defense was sound with no errors committed while also converting two double plays. The first came in the 4th when Shea made a catch on a liner at third and threw to first to catch the runner off the bag. Cassarino also made a solo double play in the 5th at short scooping a grounder, stepping on second base and throwing to first.
North Reading’s big second inning started with a lead off base hit by Carucci. Ryan Baker then reached on an error to put runners at first and second. A Shea double to left scored both to make it 3-0.
Matt Ryan then bunted Shea to 3rd for the first out and Giacalone did a job with a sac fly to push the lead to 4-0.
The Hornets kept at it with a two-out rally started up when Vittozzi was hit by a pitch and Cassarino singled him to second. Nick Ciardello hit a pop fly that the centerfielder couldn’t handle, scoring two more runs. Ryan McGuire came on to pinch run. He stole second and scored on a base hit by McCullough to make it 7-0.
The Hornets added to their lead and eventually ended the game via the mercy rule in the bottom of the 6th.
Ryan reached on a bunt single to lead off. Giacalone walked and Vittozzi drove them both home on a double to left. Cassarino’s RBI base hit ended it. The winner of North Reading vs. Austin Prep will play in the semifinals on Friday at 4 p.m. against the winner of No. 4 Stoneham vs. No. 5 Newburyport.
