By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

NORTH READING — Last Saturday afternoon, the North Reading Northeast Baseball League team (ages 15-18) beat visiting Lowell 7-3 at North Reading High School. With that win, the Hornets improved to 2-0.

“We hit the ball early on and did a good job,” said Hornets manager Marco Vittozzi.

North Reading got off to a great start plating three runs in the bottom of the first inning and four more in the second. Lowell scored all three of their runs in the top of the third.

Tim McCarthy was the winning pitcher going the first four innings. He gave up three runs, three hits, two walks and he struck out four.

Jared McDonald and Frank Castrano pitched the rest of the game and were able to shut Lowell down the final three innings.

The North Reading offense had seven hits led by Brian Baker who went a perfect 3 for 3 with a walk and two RBI. McDonald was 2 for 3 with one RBI while Aldo Vittozzi was 2 for 4 with one RBI.

Two runs scored by passed balls while the other run scored on an error.

Three games were rained out for the Hornets, the home game against Wilmington on July 6th, at Dracut on July 9th and at Woburn on July 10th.

North Reading will now play for three-straight days. On July 15, they visit Westford. The next day, they go to Woburn.

Both of those games will start at 6 p.m. The Woburn game is the makeup from July 10.

On July 17, the Hornets host Billerica at 9 a.m.

They then visit Billerica on July 20 at 6 p.m.