Lynnfield outlasts N. Reading
In a battle of aces, it was
Lynnfield that finally drew the winning hand yesterday.
Trailing 2-0 with two outs in the top of the sixth inning against Cape Ann League rival North Reading and Hornets starter Mike McCauley, the visiting Pioneers got a two-out, two-run double from senior Mike Federico to even the game at 2-2 before breaking through for four runs in the eighth to win in extra frames, 6-2.
Sophomore left-hander Fernando Gonzalez (10 Ks) went the distance for Lynnfield as the Pioneers improved to 6-0 on the season.
“We shot ourselves in the foot by giving them two runs, but to the kids’ credit, once they got over the shock of being down they started to grind out at-bats,” said Lynnfield coach John O’Brien. “And to (Gonzalez’) credit, he also buckled down and they had a tough time with him (yesterday).”
North Reading (3-1) grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Jeff Mejia scored on a wild pitch, and the Hornets extended their lead to 2-0 in the fifth when pinch-runner Cole Doke scored from second on two infield errors. But the Pioneers finally got to McCauley (7-plus innings, 6 Ks) in the sixth.
Mike Stellato walked and Bryant Dana singled to start the frame. McCauley fanned the next two batters before Federico roped his twoRBI double to left-center to make it 2-2.
After Gonzalez sat down the Hornets in the sixth, McCauley made quick work of the Pioneers in the seventh. An economical 1-2-3 seventh from Gonzalez sent the game to extras, and Lynnfield put the contest out of reach with a four-run eighth.
Dana led off with a single, and two more singles loaded the bases for Joey Mack, whose sacrifice fly scored Dana with the go-ahead run. A two-run base hit by Jonathan Luders made it 5-2, and a RBI triple from Kyle Hawes put Lynnfield up, 6-2.
Gonzalez (100 pitches) then closed out his gem by getting two flyouts and a strikeout.
“There are a lot of baseball guys on this team, and it is a lot of fun to be around,” O’Brien said. “It has been a pleasure coaching them so far, and we will see where this team can go from here.”
Elsewhere, Sean Neenan struck out 12 and drove in the winning run as Whittier (2-0) edged Lynn Tech, 1-0, in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference.
Owen Lynch pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts and Curtis Frazier knocked in four runs as Quincy (1-4) rolled to a 7-1 win over Weymouth in a nonleague tilt.
In the Tri-Valley League, senior Alex Reynolds went 3-for-3 with a RBI and three runs scored as Hopkinton (12) topped Millis, 7-2.
Junior Coleman Began went the distance while striking out four and scattering five hits as Burlington (2-2) topped Middlesex League opponent Watertown, 7-2. Softball
Kristan Kennedy drove in a pair of runs to pace the offense as Danvers (5-0) handled Somerville, 12-0, in the Northeast Conference.
Jenn Hutnyan fired a four-hitter as King Philip (5-2) edged Taunton, 3-1, in a Hockomock League matchup.
In nonleague action, Katy Holly hit a walkoff double in the bottom of the seventh as Hopkinton (4-1) edged Archbishop
Williams, 3-2. Boys lacrosse Sean Fagen compiled four goals and added three assists to pace North Reading (7-1) in a 14-2 win over Bedford in a nonleague contest.