PHOTO BY BOB ROCHE
Lynnfield’s Nick Colucci collects himself during a North Reading rally.
By GORDON VINCENT
LOWELL — There was no miraculous comeback this time for the Lynnfield High baseball team, which dropped a 5-1 decision to rival North Reading, in an all-Cape Ann League Division 3 North final, Saturday at LeLacheur Park.
The third-seeded Pioneers (19-5) were thwarted by a couple of defensive miscues and the pitching of North Reading starter Greg Johnson, who threw a complete game, allowing just four hits.
“I’m proud of the kids, especially the seniors who took on a leadership role, especially in the tournament,” Lynnfield coach John O’Brien said. “Their pitcher threw a good game, and they capitalized on our mistakes, which is what a good team does.”
The top-seeded Hornets (21-3) won their third sectional title in five years, a run that started with their epic 3-2 win in eight innings over Lynnfield in 2012 in the Division 3 North final en route to a state championship. The Hornets face the South sectional champion Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.
With four strikeouts, Johnson wasn’t overpowering, but he scattered the hits he gave up and allowed just one walk and one hit batsman. Only the Lynnfield runner who scored made it as far as third base.
“Give their pitcher credit. He kept the ball down and he threw strikes,” O’Brien said.
Offensively, the Hornets were led by Jared Valade, who scored three runs and drove in another. Patrick Driscoll also also had a pair of hits and scored a run. All the damage was done after the fourth spot in the North Reading order.
Lynnfield starter Nick Aslanian yielded three runs, two earned, in four innings. Fernando Gonzalez pitched one inning and allowed a pair of unearned runs that scored when his reliever, Nick Colucci, made a wild pickoff throw to third.
Justin Juliano had a pair of hits and an RBI for the Pioneers. Colucci singled and scored Lynnfield’s only run.
The Hornets broke on top with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Driscoll slapped a 1-out hit to left field and scored when Valade blasted a triple that 1-hopped the fence in right center. Aslanian got Robert Donohue to foul out to third, but Valade scored when Lynnfield catcher Dan O’Leary threw a ball back to the mound that went over Aslanian’s head.
The Pioneers got a run back in the top of the third. Colucci beat out an infield hit over the mound, stole second and scored on a double to left center by Juliano. Juliano was called out at third though he appeared to avoid the tag on a relay throw that pulled Driscoll off the bag.
“It was very, very, very, very close,” O’Brien said. “That’s all I’m going to say.”
North Reading restored its 2-run lead in the fourth. With one out, Valade singled to left, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Donahue and scored on a single to left by John Merullo.
Facing the lefty Gonzalez, Driscoll led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, and Valade followed with a bouncer up the middle. Lynnfield second baseman Tom Anastasi knocked the ball down, but his high flip went off shortstop Juliano’s glove and both runners were safe. Mike McCauley followed with what was supposed to be a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by Gonzalez, but no one covered first and the Hornets had the bases loaded and no one out.
Gonzalez struck out Merullo for the first out, and O’Brien brought in the right-handed Colucci to face right-handed hitting Sean Castro, who topped a grounder to the left of the mound. Colucci fired low to the plate, but O’Leary dug the ball out of the dirt for the second out.
Colucci tried to pick Valade off third, and had him leaning the wrong way, but his throw went well up the line, allowing both Valade and McCauley to score.
“I’ll take the blame for that one; it was my call,” O’Brien said. “We thought we could catch (Valade) off the bag.”
Spencer Balian led off the top of the seventh with a single to left field, but unlike the Austin Prep game in the semifinals, the Pioneers couldn’t mount a rally, as Johnson set down the next three hitters.