Topped by Lynnfield, Masco to start season

Published April 18, 2019

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

LYNN — Joey Frammartino earned every high five he got on April 11 when the NRHS baseball team opened their season against rival Lynnfield at Fraser Field in Lynn.

Frammartino settled into the type of groove rarely seen on the mound this early in the year. After allowing a run in the 1st inning, the junior shut out the Pioneers for the next five frames until Lynnfield finally broke through in a big 7th inning, reclaiming the lead and eventually winning 6-2.

“Joey pitched a heck of a game, he competed the whole time,” said NR head coach Eric Archambault. “Unfortunately we ended up walking the first two batters of the 7th and that set up the inning for them. They played a little small ball as it got late and obviously had a couple of clutch hits.”

All told, Frammartino went 6.1 innings allowing four runs on four hits and striking out nine.

THE HORNETS line up for their first game of the season on April 11 at Fraser Field in Lynn. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

The Hornets had a hard time getting to Lynnfield ace Fernando Gonzalez who shut out North Reading until the bottom of the 6th inning.

“We’ve seen him for four years now,” said Archambault of Gonzalez. “We saw him as a freshman during a sectional game. He was good then and he’s only gotten better. We did our best to compete. I thought we had some good at-bats but we definitely have some areas of improvement.”

Frammartino (2-for-3) got a rally going with a leadoff single and stole second. Cole Doke put a bunt down and beat the throw to first. The senior then saw an opening at second base and took off getting to the bag as the Hornet dugout and fans got going.

A wild pitch scored Farmmartino and advanced Doke to third. Alex D’Ambrosio hit a sacrifice fly to score the run and give the Hornets a 2-1 leading heading into the final inning.

Frammartino finally showed signs of fatigue in the 7th as he walked the first two batters. A sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out, setting up a two-RBI double that reclaimed the lead for the Pioneers who would add three more runs in the inning after that.

It’s the beginning of the season, a learning experience and we hope to improve and get better,” said Archambault.

The challenging start to the campaign included a matchup with Masco for the Hornets’ second game on Tuesday.

The Hornets got on the board first in Boxford thanks again to Frammartino who led off with a walk, took second on a dropped third strike and stole third. D’Ambrosio fouled out but Frammartino tagged and scored.

Jack Keller was tasked will containing a powerful Masco offense who scored three runs in the first.

The Hornets cut the lead to one in the 3rd. Jimmy Currier (3-for-3) led off with a double to left and advanced to third on a groundout. Frammartino hit a sac fly to score Currier and make it 3-2.

Currier took the mound in the 2nd and shut down Masco in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th until the home team scored five in the last two innings. Only two of those five Masco runs were earned.

The Hornets will look to get back on track this week. They hit the road Thursday morning to play Triton. They travel to Newburyport on Saturday at 11 a.m. and return home to Carey Park on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. to play Pentucket.