By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
WORCESTER — It was a memorable day for the North Reading 13/14-year old Junior Little League baseball team as they won the state title on Sunday afternoon defeating Millbury, 15-5, in a six-inning mercy-rule game at Fitton Field on the campus of Holy Cross in Worcester.
It is the second time in team history that they have won it.
“It was a great, team-hitting effort,” stated North Reading head coach Nick Rosano, as his squad had 12 hits on a hot, sunny day.
Millbury scored two runs in the first inning but the locals answered with five runs in their half of the first. North Reading had one run in the second and third innings. They plated five in the fourth, two in the fifth and got the game-winning run in the sixth to get to the mercy-rule score of 10.
The other three Millbury runs came in the second.
Tyler Boviard led the North Reading attack going 3 for 3 with a walk. He also knocked in one run. Christian Lava also reached base all four times up as he up as he was 2 for 2 with two walks and two RBI.
Brandon Levine also had a big day as he was 3 for 4 with one RBI while Gavin Griffith went 2 for 3 with one RBI.
“We kept our foot on the gas,” pointed out Rosano. “It was very impressive.”
Lava was the winning pitcher going to 1-0 this summer. He went the first 2 2/3 innings allowing five runs, three hits, four walks and he struck out two.
Charlie Scott pitched the final 3 1/3 innings allowing no runs, one hit, one walk and fanning one.
“Charlie did an excellent job,” said Rosano.
In the semifinal game the day before, North Reading blanked Swansea, 4-0, at Horgan Field in Oxford.
Boviard was the hero in this game pitching 6 1/2 innings. He gave up only two hits, one walk and he struck out 12 to improve to 4-0 this postseason.
“His location was great,” said Rosano. “His off-speed pitched kept them off balance.”
In the second inning, Glen Mello had an RBI on a fielder’s choice grounding out to second for the first run.
In the fourth, Mello delivered a key, two-run single to center to make it 3-0.
“Glen did the job and came up big,” said Rosano.
Scott had a sacrifice fly in the sixth for the final run.
North Reading will now travel to DuBois, Pennsylvania on July 31 to compete in the regionals. This regional will be a double-elimination format.
On July 15, North Reading defeated East Bridgewater, 5-1, at North Reading High.
With that win, the Hornets improved to 5-1 in the tournament. Tyler Boviard was the story in this one as he pitched six innings to go to 3-0 in the tournament. He gave up five hits, five walks and struck out three.
“He started off slow but got better as the game went along,” said Rosano.
Boviard also helped his own cause at bat going 2 for 4 as the team had 10 total hits.
Christian Lava led the team in his as he went 3 for 5. Charlie Cooper, meanwhile, reached base all four times going 2 for 2 with a pair of walks and two RBI.
James Wyatt was 2 for 3 while Brandon Levine was 2 for 4.
On July 13, North Reading blanked host Whitman-Hanson, 10-0, in a five-inning mercy-rule game.
Boviard pitched 2 2/3 innings while Lava pitched the final 2 1/3 innings to preserve the shutout.
“Combined, they only allowed one hit,” pointed out Rosano.
Boviard was 2 for 2 at bat with two walks while Gavin Griffith went 2 for 3 with a team-high two runs batted in.
Overall, the Hornets had seven hits.
The lone tournament loss for the team came on July 11 as they were shutout, 2-0, at home against Canton in the team’s first state sectional game.
Canton scored both of the game’s runs in the top of the first inning.
The Hornets offense was held to two hits as Cooper and Drew Nichols both singled.
“Their pitcher had decent velocity and a good command of the strike zone,” said Rosano.
The tough-luck losing pitcher was Ryan DiCarlo who went all seven innings. He gave up no earned runs, four hits, one walk and he fanned four.
“I felt bad for him because he pitched a great game,” stated Rosano.
In District 13, the Hornets beat Wilmington 2-0 in the best-of-three game series. On June 26, they won at Wilmington 4-0. They then beat them, 13-4, at home on June 28 and 29 as the game took two days due to the rain.
In the second game against Wilmington, North Reading broke the game open plating nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as they scored the final 13 runs of the game after Wilmington scored four times in the top of the first inning.
The Hornets had 14 hits led by Cooper who went 3 for 4 with two RBI. Harry Agganis was 2 for 3 with a walk and one RBI.
Lava was 2 for 4 with one RBI and a pair of steals.
Charlie Scott was the winning pitcher going the first four innings giving up four runs in the first before settling down and not allowing a run the next three frames.
In the first game on June 26, the Hornets were led by their pitching as Boviard, Scott, Levine and Glen Mello combined to shut the Wildcats out.
Griffith was the star of this game as he went 2 for 3 with two RBI as he was the team’s lone multiple hitter.
Overall, North Reading had seven hits.