NR baseball beats Weston in first round, edged by Lynnfield

Published in the June 14, 2018 edition

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

LYNNFIELD — Picking a theme for the North Reading varsity baseball team isn’t easy.

Unity; taking responsibility on and off the field; being a leader; playing for your teammates; they all fit the bill.

But let’s go with never give up.

It’s really more of a mindset and an attitude, but it’s one the Hornets have always taken very seriously, especially this season. It helped them win their first round game over Weston last Thursday, and they stayed true to that mentality down to their very last strike as they fell to Lynnfield, 2-0 in the quarterfinals.

THE HORNETS know Matt Solecki is tough with two strikes. The junior centerfielder hit a two-strike RBI single to tie the game against Weston in the 6th inning during NR’s first round win. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

Rally past Weston

In what was largely a pitcher’s duel, the Hornets came back from a 1-0 deficit to plate five runs in the 6th and beat Weston 5-1.

Ryan Connor was dominant from the start, pitching a complete-game three-hitter with seven strikeouts and zero earned runs.

“We always feel confident every time he takes the ball,” said head coach Eric Archambault on Connor. “There is some more natural anxiety in the tournament, but he thrives off that. He pitched his heart out, it was awesome.”

There is no doubt, Connor was the story, but in true North Reading fashion, “R.C.” was quick to credit his teammates and coaches.

“Our coaches prepare us for this type of game,” said Connor. “Just like the whole season, there was a great defense behind me and a catcher calling a great game. It’s not just me, it’s the whole team.”

For the Hornets, never giving up falls under the category of hitting with two strikes. In fact, when a batter faces a two-strike situation, the dugout can be seen holding two fingers to the brim of their hats.

It paid off in the 6th, facing a 1-0 deficit and an ace who was on his game. Senior catcher Matt DeBenedetto was hit by a pitch to start the inning and senior Marco Vittozzi hit a two-strike base hit to get one base. Junior Matt Solecki followed with another two-strike rip to left while his teammates held up two fingers, scoring DeBenedetto. Those two-strike hits opened up the flood gates for NR.

“It’s just about keeping everybody focused and reminding everybody that we’re not giving up, even if they get two strikes on us,” said DeBenedetto in reference to the Hornets quirky dual-strike dugout tradition.

Dan Lignos was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Vittozzi scored on a wild pitch. Connor and Joey Frammertino also scored on wild pitches later in the inning, but it was the battle with two strikes and the mentality of never quitting that won the inning and the game for North Reading.

“We work on two-strike hitting like every team does, but we take pride in putting the ball in play and making things happen. The kids did an awesome job with it today,” said Archambault. “Their starter is a big strikeout pitcher, he has almost two strikeouts an inning. We knew it would be a tough challenge and he’s really good, we just hoped eventually we would get to him.” 

With a trip to Lynnfield to face the No. 2 Pioneers on the docket for the quarterfinals the Hornets were determined to maintain that focus.

“It’s just about being aggressive and never giving up, especially when we’re down like we were the whole game today,” said DeBenedetto.

Fall to Pioneers, 2-0

The Hornets got another great performance on the hill from junior Cole Doke, but they couldn’t take down Lynnfield who played a great defensive game and got another excellent performance from ace lefty Fernando Gonzalez.

“Both teams I thought played really well. Fernando pitched tremendously, and their shortstop played one of the best defensive games I’ve seen in a long time. He saved a few hits and probably a couple of runs along the way. That was very impressive,” said Archambault.

Lynnfield’s shortstop, Jonathan Luders, a Seton Hall commit, accounted for 11 outs by himself. He set the tone for a defense that was locked in. Even when the Hornets hit the ball hard, Lynnfield just secured every challenge.

The Pioneers got one run in the 1st and 2nd inning, but Doke and the Hornets did a great job of limiting the damage and shut down the Lynnfield bats the rest of the game.

“Doke pitched very well,” said Archambault. “He did everything we asked, he gave us five strong innings against a good hitting team and held them to two.”

In the end, it was a combination of Gonzalez and the defense that did the Hornets in.

“Against a really good pitcher, it’s tough to string a bunch of hits together in a row and we struggled to do that,” said Archambault. “I thought the kids competed, we hit the ball hard, just the timing was everything.”

While certainly a disappointing end, North Reading has plenty to be proud of this year. One team out of hundreds won’t experience this feeling. How you play the game and who you are as a person and teammate are what really gets remembered; and North Reading’s seniors: Matt DeBenedetto, Derek Reilly, Marco Vittozzi, Michael Brown and Joe Wallace will be remembered fondly.

“I’m just so proud of the quality of kids who have gone through this program,” said Archambault. “I truly mean it when I say these seniors are just phenomenal role models and leaders on and off the field. As much as it matters on the field, to me it’s more about off the field, how they handle themselves, their character, their leadership. The quality of kid who is graduating from the baseball program is something they should be very proud of.”