Published in the June 13, 2018 edition

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

LYNNFIELD — Defense might just win championships after all.

The LHS baseball team hosted rival North Reading in the Div. 3 North quarterfinals on Monday for a high-stakes game taking place in an emotionally charged environment against their bitter rivals.

It’s not exactly the type of habitat where defense flourishes.

Usually the higher the pressure, the stiffer the gloves. That wasn’t the case for the Pioneers, who made every play in the field as they cruised along with ace Fernando Gonzalez to a 2-0 win and a spot in the semifinals against Dracut.

“The defense played fantastic,” said head coach John O’Brien. “(Jonathan) Luders was terrific, (Matt) Fiore was great at third base. Joey (Mack) was terrific at second, the outfielders made the plays they needed to make and (Nick) Giammarco called a great game behind the plate. (Gonzalez) kept them off balance; a lot of lunging, a lot of ground balls. This might have been the best defensive game we’ve played all year. (Gonzalez) kept the pace up. It’s easy to play behind a kid that catches the ball, gets the sign and goes.”

JONATHAN LUDERS crosses home plate in the first inning to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead against North Reading in the D3N quarterfinals on Monday. The junior shortstop played an unbelievable defensive game for the home team, making multiple highlight-reel plays to help Lynnfield to a 2-0 win and a spot in the semifinals. (John Friberg Photo)

The offense did just enough to push the home team onward as Gonzalez helped himself with an RBI single in the 1st inning to score Luders who walked and stole second earlier in the frame.

Lynnfield’s only other run came in the 2nd when Mack walked, Jameson advanced him to second on a bunt and Will Garofoli singled Mack to third. After Luders was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Fiore came through with a clutch RBI base hit to make it 2-0.

To North Reading’s credit, the Hornets limited the damage all day and starting pitcher Cole Doke settled in, shutting out Lynnfield the rest of the game.

“They (NR) played terrific,” said O’Brien. “They’re pitcher was excellent and they played good defense. We were just able to make more plays in the field.”

They weren’t just routine plays either.

Luders led the charge up the middle, accounting for 11 outs as he got to every ball hit in the vicinity of his seemingly mile-wide radius.

“Their shortstop played one of the best defensive games I’ve seen in a long time,” said North Reading head coach Eric Archambault. “He saved a few hits and probably a couple of runs along the way. That was very impressive.”

Luders doubled off a runner at first after a nice sang on a line drive in the second to end a Hornet rally. He made all three outs on ground balls in the 4th, the final one a beautiful ranging play to his right, complete with a strong throw on the move. The play of the day came in the 6th, when with a Hornet at first, a sharp line drive destined for the outfield was picked by a superman dive from the Seton Hall commit that sent the home fans into a frenzy. If there was a better play made in Massachusetts this season, I would love to see it.

Not to be outdone, Matt Fiore, Joey Mack and Dan Jameson made up the full part of an elite infield with Fiore making an excellent sliding catch on a pop bunt in foul ground in the 5th, which combined with his at-bats, got him a tip of the cap from the coach as well.

“Fiore. I can’t say more about him he had two hits and played a terrific third base,” said O’Brien. “Laying out for the foul on the bunt was big.”

Overall, with a defense this strong and an ace in mid-season form, the Pioneers are a team that nobody wants to face in later rounds.

Lynnfield will take on No. 14 Dracut (10-10) in the semifinals on Thursday, 7 p.m. at Alumni Field in Lowell. The Middies upset No. 6 Gloucester, 3-2 on Monday.

But for now, The Pioneers have a little time to celebrate a huge win over their rivals.

“It’s a real emotional boost,” said O’Brien about beating North Reading. “That’s a good program over there. I’m very happy for the kids. It was a well-deserved win.”