DANVERS — Backed by a strong pitching performance from Max Guerin, who struck out nine batters, the Peabody Champions cut the series deficit to 2-1 in the North Shore Baseball League finals with a 3-2 victory over the Beverly Recs Saturday night at Twi Field.
The series resumes Monday night at Twi (7:45).
The Recs scored in the first inning after Guerin walked two of the first three batters he faced. Alex Toomey drove in lead off batter Dan Mello with a single to left field.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Champions took a 2-1 lead on an RBI singles from Andrew O’Neill and David Ruggiero.
Beverly starting pitcher Mike Davis tossed a complete game, but got no help from his defense, which committed three errors accounting for one Peabody run.
Guerin cruised through four innings but ran into a jam in the fifth inning when he walked the first two batters. John Guilmet took over on the mound for Guerin and got Peabody out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam to escape the inning unscathed.
However, in the sixth, Beverly knotted the game at 2-2 after a costly error from Chad Martin in left field on a ball hit by Toomey, who later scored on Mike Campitelli’s double to left.
In the sixth, Zach Keenan reached base on one of the three Recs errors that set up the game-winning run. Pinch runner David Hoar reached second after a failed pick off attempt from Davis, and Martin redeemed himself when he smoked a ball to the left-centerfield gap that allowed Hoar to easily cross the plate to give the Champions a 3-2 lead. Guilmet came on in the seventh to shut down the Recs offense to secure the 3-2 victory.
Peabody coach Steve Gridley was pleased with his team’s pitching and defense.
“When you’re in the finals, and you want to win, you can not walk guys and make errors,” said Gridley.
Under Gridley the Champions have won seven titles since 2001.