Reading Varsity Baseball

Opening Day was at Morton Field and Reading rode the arm of sophomore lefthander Scott Tully, who yielded 3 hits and 2 runs over 6 innings while striking out 16. The Rockets banged out 15 hits, including two each by Tom Crowley, Mac Cook (double and homerun), Jeff Covitz, Mark Sheehan (2 doubles), and Tully.

This game was scheduled to be played in Watertown , but Victory Field is under construction (will be new turf field for baseball and football) so the game was played at Morton, with Watertown being the home team. Reading took a 5-1 lead in the top of the fourth , but Watertown came back to tie the game, 5-5 after four. Reading took a 6-5 lead in the 5th when Nick Scali singled home Mark Sheehan, who had singled and stole 2nd. Then Reading broke it open in the 6th on a double by Jeff Covitz, RBI single by Mike Grassi, triple by Sheehan, and single by Chris Welch. Senior righty Rob McHugh pitched 6 solid innings to earn the win while Tully struck out the side in relief in the 7th.

Burlington took an early 2-0 lead after two innings, but Reading scored in each of the remaining five innings for a 12-4 victory. Scott Tully pitched six innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out 14. Tully also had three hits and an RBI. Paul Andrick, Tom Crowley, and Welch also had two hits, Welch's being a triple and a homerun

Reading suffered its first loss at the hands of defending league champ, Lexington . Rob McHugh pitched well, limiting Lexington 's powerful offense to four runs, but Lexington 's Will Marcal shutout the Rockets on just three hits and 12 K's.

Reading lost its second straight game in a makeup vs. Melrose at Morton. Melrose took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 3rd on a walk, double, and error while Melrose 's pitcher held Reading hitless through four. In the fifth, Reading took a 3-2 lead on a single by Jeff Covitz, a catcher's interference, and a long homerun by Chris Welch. Melrose tied the game in the top of the 7th and Reading nearly won it in the bottom half. With one out, Nick Scali doubled to right and Paul Andrick hit a sharp single to left. Melrose 's leftfielder made a perfect throw to the plate to barely nip the speedy Scali, sending the game into extra innings. Melrose 's same leftfielder homered to left off Reading 's relief pitcher for the 4-3 win. Scott Tully pitched seven strong innings, giving up just one earned run and striking out 14.

Reading bounced back with a good win vs. Woburn as Rob McHugh pitched six strong innings to earn his second victory of the season. The Rocket offense scored in each of the first five innings and was led by Mac Cook (triple, homerun, 3 RBI), Jeff Covitz (3 hits, RBI), and Mike Grassi (2 hits, 3 RBI). Chris Welch and Nick Scali also had two hits.

Junior lefthander Andrew Zaccardi got his first start and did a good job pitching 5 innings to earn his first varsity win. Sophomore Garret Colantino made his first varsity appearance when he came in to pitch in the 6th inning with the score 8-6 and a runner on 2nd with no outs. Colantino retired the next three hitters, two on strikeouts and then Reading broke the game open in the top of the 7th with six consecutive hits. Mark Sheehan led the offense with a triple and single, good for five RBI.

Reading traveled to Belmont on a Saturday morning for its fourth game of the week and came out with its third straight win. This was a pitcher's duel between Belmont 's Nichols and Reading 's Tully. Reading mustered only four hits, one of which was an RBI single by Mike Grassi in the 5th. The only other run came in the 6th when Mac Cook walked with the bases loaded. But that was enough for Tully who pitched a one-hitter with 10 K's.

It took 10 innings and 3.5 hours for Reading to defeat Stoneham . Both Rocket pitcher Rob McHugh and Stoneham 's pitcher were very stingy, allowing just one run over the regulation 7 innings. McHugh pitched his way out of a couple jams late in the game and Scott Tully helped out by shutting down Stoneham in the 9th. Reading finally broke the game open with a series of walks and wild pitches and a key RBI rip by Jeff Covitz. Sophomore Garrett Colantino pitched the bottom of the 11th to finish the game.

Reading jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first on a Nick Scali single and stolen base, a sacrifice fly by Mike Grassi, a walk, singles by Jeff Covitz and Chris Welch, and a 1st and 3rd play. But that is all the scoring Reading could muster on the day. Scott Tully was on the mound and got through the first four innings unscathed, but Winchester scored a single run in the 5th and three more in the 6th for the 4-3 win.

Reading came back from the previous day's loss with its highest run output of the year. Andrew Zaccardi pitched very well, holding Watertown to one run through four inning and keeping a 2-1 lead. But Watertown tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth, as Rob McHugh came on to pitch. Then Reading 's bats came alive with a big 9-run 5th inning and 7 more in the 6th. The big rally started with Nick Scali’s double,a single by Mike Grassi, two walks, a 2-run double by Mark Sheehan, another walk, an RBI single by Andrew Ferraro, a sacrifice fly by Tom Crowley, a single by Alex Valente, and then a 3-run homer by Grassi. The 6^th inning rally involved a few walks, but also RBI hits by Scali, Grassi, Mac Cook, and Jeff Covitz. Grassi ended the day with three hits and 5 RBI. Rob McHugh earned the win with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless pitching, while Adam Halley pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

Reading was down, 3-1, entering the bottom of the 6^th inning when it came up with 3 runs to take a 4-3 lead. Mark Sheehan led off the inning with a single and, after one out, Paul Andrick singled and Tom Crowley walked. Scott Tully singled to get Reading within one run. A double steal tied the game and Nick Scali’s single gave Reading the lead. Scott Tully came on to pitch the 7^th with a runner on 2^nd, relieving Rob McHugh who had pitched 6.1 strong innings. But Burlington doubled to tie the game at 4-4. Reading did not score in the bottom of the 7^th and Garrett Colantino pitched a scoreless top of the 8^th. In the bottom half, Andrick led off with a single and was bunted to 2^nd by Crowley . A ground ball out moved Andrick to 3^rd and then Nick Scali fouled off two 2-strike pitches before driving a shot in the gap for the walkoff win.

This was the most spirited game of the season as the Rockets came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat a very good Melrose team. Down 3-0, Reading closed the gap on a 2-run homer by Mark Sheehan in the 4^th. Reading took the lead in the 6^th on a single by Mac Cook, a walk, a single by Sheehan, a 2-run single by Chris Welch, and an RBI single by Paul Andrick. Ahead 6-3, pitcher Scott Tully shut down the Melrose hitters while Reading scored one more in the 7^th. Tully finished the complete game win yielding just 3 hits while striking out 11.

This was the team’s annual game at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown . The opportunity to play on this beautiful, historic field was the only real positive from the game as Lexington jumped out to an 8-0 first inning lead to take control of the game. Reading scored its runs late in the game when Zack Driscoll (2 for 2) doubled home Garrett Colantino and Scott Tully who had both singled.

After a week of rain, the Middlesex League schedule resumed and Reading hosted Wakefield on a Friday afternoon. Scott Tully went the distance, yielding just two runs and striking out nine to earn his 6th victory of the season. After being down, 1-0, Reading responded in the 2^nd inning when Mark Sheehan (3 for 3) tripled, Chris Welch walked and Tom Crowley and Scott Tully singled for a 2-1 lead. The Rockets expanded the lead in the 3^rd inning when Nick Scali singled and Mac Cook launched a 2-run homer over the right field fence. Pitcher Scott Tully held the 4-1 lead through six and yielded a single run in the 7^th for a 4-2 final score. Tully yielded six hits and struck out nine.

Reading came right back to Morton on Saturday to play a tough Belmont team. But the Rockets put together their best all-around game of the season for a 13-1 win. Rob McHugh earned his 4th win of the season with his best outing, holding Belmont to just one run in six innings, while throwing just 70 pitches. Garrett Colantino pitched a scoreless 7^th. Rocket hitters banged out 13 hits, including three by Mac Cook (triple, RBI, 2 runs), two by Chris Welch (3 RBI, 2 runs), and two by Mike Grassi (2 runs)The middle infield combination of Greg Altobello and Tom Crowley also turned two pretty double plays.

Reading had a tough time at Stoneham the first time, needing 10 innings to beat the Spartans. But this time, Reading scored early and often on the way to a lopsided win. Drew Zaccardi earned his second win of the year as he pitched six strong innings, yielding just five hits and two runs. The offense was led by Anthony DeSimone who had three hits , scored four runs, and had two RBI and two stolen bases. Paul Andrick also had three hits and Tom Crowley (2 hits, 2 runs), Mac Cook (2 hits, 4 RBI), Jeff Covitz (2 hits 2 runs RBI), and Mike Grassi (2 hits, 2 RBI, run) were also offensive stars.

Reading finished its Middlesex season with its most impressive offensive showing of the year as 15 different Rockets combined for 24 hits. Nick Scali, Jeff Covitz, and Scott Tully had 3 each, while Chris Welch, Mac Cook, and Mark Andrick had two apiece. Meanwhile, pitcher Tully flirted with a no-hitter, yielding just a single hit in the 6^th inning. Tully also recorded 11 K’s which brought his season total to 97, a new all-time single-season strikeout record for Reading pitchers.

Reading won the opening round of the Dick Scanlon Invitational Tournament in big fashion, beating Wayland 14-0. Rob McHugh went the distance, pitching a 2-hit shutout. In the meantime, the offense was in full gear, scoring in five of the seven innings. The Rockets banged out fifteen hits, with Mike Grassi, Jeff Covitz, and Mac Cook getting three each. McHugh, Cook, and Mark Sheehan each tallied two RBI, and Covitz had three, by virtue of his 3-run homer.

Reading won the Dick Scanlon Invitational Tournament by virtue of its second shutout. Senior lefty Adam Halley got his first start and pitched a gem, going five strong innings without yielding a run. Reading scored in the top of the 6^th when Mike Grassi reached on an error and Jeff Covitz doubled him home with two outs. Scott Tully came on to retire Wilmington over the last two innings to preserve the win for Halley.

Four Rocket players were named to the All-Tourney team, McHugh, Halley, Grassi, and MVP Jeff Covitz.

Reading earned the #2 seed by virtue of its 16-4 record. The first round draw was Lynn Classical who proved to be a tough opponent. The game was scoreless through five innings at Classical’s pitcher held Reading off the scoreboard while Scott Tully had not yielded a single hit. But Classical rallied in the 6^th with a hit batsmen and three hits, good for three runs. They added three more runs in the 7^th. Reading responded with two runs in its last at bat, not nearly enough and fell, 6-2. Chris Welch had two hits for the Rockets.

2009 Season Game Summaries

Reading 9 Wakefield 5
Our opening game was played in Wakefield on a very cold and breezy day. Nevertheless, Reading's hitters came out swinging and produced 9 runs on 11 hits. Reading scored in the top of the 3^rd when Ryan Nelson singled, Alex Ravanis doubled, and Jeff Harvey hit an RBI ground out. The Rockets followed with a big inning, scoring 5 runs in the fourth on a single by Jeff Wyer, double by Andrew Gray, 2-run triple by Chris Tucker, an RBI single by Remy Carpinito, a reach-by-error by Nelson, a sacrifice bunt by Ben O’Shea, and a 2-run double by Ravanis. In the meantime, pitcher Ben O’Shea limited Wakefield to one run through four innings. Reading scored two more in the 6^th and one in the 7^th to open up a 9-1 lead. Wakefield scored one in the 6^th and 3 in the 7^th for the 9-5 final score. Winning pitcher O’Shea went 6 innings, giving up 5 hits, 1 earned run, and 9 K’s.

Reading 3 Winchester 1
The home opener was played on a beautiful 60 degree day on Morton Field. This game was highlighted by a "staff" no-hitter, as seniors Remy Carpinito and Ben O'Shea held Winchester hitless. It was not as pretty as you might think, as Carpinito walked 9 and hit one batter in 6+ innings. Nevertheless, Remy battled hard all day and earned his first varsity win. O'Shea came on in relief in the 7th with no outs and a runner on 1st and earned a 6-pitch save with a 1-6-3 double play and a groundout.
Carpinito was also the hitting star as he went 2 for 3 including a 2-run homerun over the right field fence. The other run was scored in the bottom of the sixth when Carpinito singled, Ryan Nelson then drag bunted safely, and Alex Ravanis singled to right to score Carpinito with and insurance run.

Reading 7 Watertown 0
Lefty pitcher Ben O'Shea was dominant as he pitched 6 innings of 3-hit ball while striking out 13 hitters and walking just one. Steve Cool pitched a scoreless 7^th inning. Reading’s offense consisted off two innings: a 3-run 4^th and a 4-run 6^th. Jeff Wyer led the 11-hit attack with two hits, including an RBI triple. Chris Tucker had two doubles and two RBI, and Ben O’Shea had two hits and two RBI.

Reading 10 Burlington 3

Both Reading and Burlington had 3-0 records coming into this game at Morton Field. Burlington scored a run in the top of the first off starter Remy Carpinito, but Reading tied the game in the bottom half and an RBI single by Carpinito. Burlington scored two more in the 3^rd to take a 3-1 lead, but again Reading responded with two runs to tie the game on another RBI single by Carpinito and a sacrifice fly by Alex Ravanis. Carpinito settled down and kept Burlington scoreless for the remainder of the game while his teammates scored 4 runs in the 5^th and 2 more in the 6^th. Carpinito ended up with a complete game win and 3 hits and 2 RBI on the day. Mike Shea had two hits, and RBI, and reached base four times.

Reading 4 Melrose 3 (9 innings)
This was a closely contested game with a wild finish. After two scoreless innings, Melrose jumped ahead 1-0, scoring and unearned run off pitcher Ben O’Shea. Reading came back and built a 3-1 lead in the 5^th inning on a hit batter, a bunt, an RBI single by O’Shea, a walk, a single by Mike Shea, and a sacrifice fly by Jeff Wyer. Melrose never quit and tied the game in the top of the 7th on a double, single, and 2-out, 2-run error. With the game tied at 3-3 and the go ahead run on 3rd, Melrose's hitter looped a soft liner toward left center. Reading's shortstop, Ryan Nelson, sprinted back and made a leaping, diving catch to keep the game tied. After a scoreless 8th inning, lefty senior Dan Blomerth replaced O'Shea and pitched a scoreless 9th. In the bottom of the 9th, O’Shea led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Ryan Carter. Jeff Harvey then hit a hard shot on the ground that the Melrose infielder couldn't handle. Mike Shea got hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Then Jeff Wyer lined a base hit to right field for the walk off win. Dan Blomerth earned his first varsity win for his inning of shutout work.

Reading 7 Lexington 5
In the annual game on Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, NY, Reading and Lexington had the usual hard fought battle. Reading went ahead 1-0 in the top of the first when Remy Carpinito’s single drove home Jeff Harvey, who had walked. Lexington came right back with 3 runs in the bottom of the inning off Reading's lefty pitcher Remy Carpinito. Further damage was avoided when Reading turned a 6-4-3 double play with the bases loaded and one out.
Reading made its comeback in the 4^th, scoring two runs highlighted by RBI singles by Derek Strukel and Alex Ravanis. In the Lexington 5^th, the bases were loaded with one out, Lexington's batter hit a hard smash toward the first base line. First baseman Alex Ravanis gloved the ball and stepped on first for the 2nd out and then fired across the diamond to nail a runner who had rounded the bag at 3rd. Reading got two more runs in the 6^th, courtesy 3 walks and a 2-out, 2-run single by Carpinito. Lexington threatened with two outs in the 7^th, scoring one run before succumbing, 7-5.

Reading 2 Belmont 1

In a matchup of two of the league’s top lefthanders, Reading squeaked out a 2-1 win in Belmont on a cool, windy day. Ben O’Shea was masterful, carrying a no-hitter into the 7^th inning and ending up with a 1-hit complete game with 7 K’s. Reading scored in the top of the 1^st when Jeff Harvey walked, Mike Shea sacrificed him to 2^nd, Jeff Wyer singled, and Remy Carpinito singled home Harvey. The insurance run came in the 6^th when Wyer and Carpinito hit consecutive doubles.

Reading 11 Woburn 3

Reading jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first and extended it to 5-0 after five innings. But in the 6^th, Woburn scored 3 runs to make the score 5-3. Reading was able to respond with 2 runs in the 5^th and 6 more in the 6^th to account for the final score. Remy Carpinito earned his 4^th win of the season with a complete game, 4-hit, 7 K performance. Offensive stars were Jeff Harvey (3 hits, 2 RBI), Chris Tucker (3 RBI) and 2 hits and 2 RBI each by Carpinito, Alex Ravanis, and Ryan Carter.

Reading 7 Stoneham 0

Reading finished the first half of the league season undefeated by blanking Stoneham. Ben O’Shea got the win with 6 innings of 1-hit, 12 strikeout pitching. Steve Cool pitched a scoreless 7^th. Reading scored 2 runs in the top of the second on a 2-run single by O’Shea followed by a 2-run homerun by Andrew Gray. Reading scored 2 more in the 4^th and one in the 5^th for the 7-0 final score.

Reading 0 Wakefield 5

Reading suffered its first lost of the season when Wakefield’s pitcher held the Rockets to just 4 hits. Wakefield took a 1-0 lead in the first and then pitcher Remy Carpinito kept the game close through 5 innings. But Wakefield took advantage of 5 walks in the 6^th inning to break it open, 5-0.

Reading 4 Winchester 5 (8 innings)

This was a highly competitive game in which Reading took a 1-run lead into the bottom of the 7^th but could not hold on. Reading went up 2-0 in the first on a walk error, RBI single by Remy Carpinito. Winchester got one back off Reading starter Ben O’Shea to make it 2-1. Reading scored a run in the 4^th on a double by Alex Ravanis, sacrifice bunt by Ryan Nelson, and a wild pitch. But Winchester tied the game with a 2-run 4^th that featured 3 hits, a walk, and infield error, two missed foul popups, and 2 runners thrown out on the bases. Reading took a 4-3 lead in the top of the 7^th on a single by Derek Strukel, stolen base by pinch runner Pat Mahoney, sacrifice bunt by Chris Tucker, and RBI ground ball by Ravanis. Steve Cool came on to pitch the 7^th and got two outs with a runner on 2^nd when Winchester’s batter singled to tie the game. Reading could not score in the 8^th, but Winchester combined 3 singles for the walkoff win.

Reading 5 Watertown 0

Reading bounced back after the tough loss to blank Watertown at Morton Field. Remy Carpinito pitched a complete game 3-hitter to earn his 5^th win of the year. Offense was supplied by Derek Strukel, who homered, and Carpinito, Andrew Gray, and Mike Shea who drove in the other runs. Shea, Strukel, and Alex Ravanis each had 2 hits on the day.

Reading 2 Burlington 3 (10 innings)

Reading dropped another extra inning heartbreaker on the road, again relinquishing a 7^th inning lead. This was a real pitcher’s duel between Ben O’Shea and Burlington’s Sam Cummings. Burlington went ahead 1-0 in the 3^rd and held the lead through five. Reading got two unearned runs in the 6^th and went into the 7^th ahead 2-1. Then a walk, single, and error allowed Burlington to tie the game. Neither team could score in the 8^th or 9^th, as O’Shea continued to pitch masterfully. In the 10^th, Burlington mustered the winning run off Reading’s reliever to win 3-2.

Reading 2 Melrose 5

Dan Blomerth got his first start on the mound for the Rockets and pitched well, giving up just 2 earned runs in 5 innings of work. Steve Cool pitched a 1-2-3 6^th inning. Yet 3 unearned runs gave Melrose a total of 5 runs and Reading’s offense could only manage 2. Remy Carpinito was the only Rocket with 2 hits; Jeff Harvey and Ryan Nelson drove in the Reading runs.

Reading 4 Lexington 3

Lexington came to Reading just a game behind the Rockets, so this game had first place implications. Reading took a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning when Remy Carpinito and Derek Strukel walked, Alex Ravanis bunted them up, and then Steve Cool delivered a 2-run single. Lexington cut the lead in half with solo run in the 3rd, then tied the game in the 4th, and took a 3-2 lead in the 5th. But Reading responded with 2 runs in the home half of the 6th. Jeff Wyer led off with a double and Mike Shea beat out a perfect drag bunt. Remy Carpinito's sacrifice fly tied the game (pinch runner Pat Mahoney scored the run). After a walk to Strukel, Ravanis roped a clutch single to left to score Shea with the go-ahead run. In the 7th, Lexington's leadoff batter walked and was sacrificed to 2nd base. But O'Shea bore down and got the next two hitters on a ground out and strikeout to end the game.

Reading 5 Belmont 4

This was another big game as four teams, including Belmont, were within two games of first place Reading. The Rockets blasted to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Jeff Harvey led off with a single, Jeff Wyer was hit by a pitch, Mike Shea's ground ball advanced the runners, and then Remy Carpinito singled to right to score both runs. Derek Strukel followed with a 2-run homer over the 361 sign in left center. After that, Belmont's pitcher settled down nicely and held Reading hitless over the next 4 innings. In the meantime, Belmont chipped away at the lead until tying the score at 4-4 in the 5th inning. Reading re-took the lead in the bottom of the 6th on a leadoff double by Steve Cool and a clutch RBI single by Harvey. Cool, who was pitching in relief of starter Remy Carpinito, retired Belmont in the 7th to seal the 5-4 win.

Reading 3 Woburn 0

Now with a 12-4 record, Reading traveled to Woburn with a chance to clinch at least a tie for the league title. Ben O'Shea and Woburn's pitcher battled to a scoreless tie over the first four innings. Reading finally broke the ice in the 5th on a walk to Ryan Nelson, sacrifice bunt by Jeff Harvey, and an RBI single by Jeff Wyer. After Wyer stole second, Remy Carpinito singled home Wyer for a 2-0 lead. Reading got a big run in the 7th on a single, walk, and error to extend the lead to 3-0. That was more than enough for O'Shea, who finished the complete game, totaling 11 strikeouts and yielding just 3 hits. With the win, Reading was assured at least a piece of the Middlesex League title.

Reading 0 Stoneham 2 (8 innings)

The 2009 Reading Rocket Baseball Team won the Middlesex League Championship on this day, but it happened in an unconventional way. Reading held a 1-game lead over Burlington so just had to beat 5-11 Stoneham at home to clinch it outright. Reading’s pitcher, Remy Carpinito, was brilliant, holding Stoneham to 3 hits and no runs over 7 innings. But Stoneham's pitcher was equally tough, as Reading had only 2 singles. Stoneham scored 2 in the 8th for the win, 2-0. Just when the team was about to accept a co-championship, we got word that Burlington also lost, so Reading won the title outright with a 13-5 record!

A whole bunch of our young alumni were at the game yesterday, including

Drew Guarino, Alex Kozlowski, Derek Rodger, Bill Cataldo, Brian Catanzano, John Halsey, Steve Buitkus, Matt Guarino, Pat Kiley, Nick Face, Sean McGoldrick, Joe Harvey, Brian Catanzano. Also TJ Murphy and Jason Angelini have come down to the field to see us lately. We love it when the alumni come by!

The day got even better when Coach Jason Zerfas proposed to his girlfriend, Jen, right at the field. After the game, when we all meet down the right field line to debrief, the coaches called Jen over to ask her a question (coaches were going out to dinner to celebrate, so we pretended we wanted her opinion whether wives and girlfriends should be included). We asked her to talk to Jason and that's when he popped the question. An all-time first at Morton Field! So huge congratulations and best wishes to Jen and Zerf.

Reading 5 St. Peter-Marian 3

In the opening round of the Dick Scanlon Memorial Day Tournament in Wilmington, Reading played a new opponent, St. Peter-Marian, a Division I school in Worcester. Reading jumped ahead, 1-0, in the top of the first on a single by Ryan Nelson and an RBI double by Jeff Wyer. St. Peter tied the game in the bottom of the first and then went ahead, 3-1, after two. Reading’s starter, Dan Blomerth, settled down and kept St. Peter off the board for the next couple innings while his teammates rallied for 3 runs in the 4^th to take a 4-3 lead. In that inning, Adam Paradis reached by error, and after two outs, Blomerth singled and Steve Cool singled, to load the bases. Nelson rifled a shot to right center to score two and tie the game. Jeff Wyer and then Derek Strukel both walked off the relief pitcher to force in the go-ahead run. Blomerth pitched a scoreless 5^th and, after a leadoff walk in the 6^th, was relieved by Steve Cool, who promptly struck out the side. Reading got an insurance run in the 7^th after two outs when Mike Shea walked and stole second and was driven home by Remy Carpinito’s single. Cool retired St. Peter in the 7^th to earn a save and preserve Blomerth’s win. Ryan Nelson went 4 for 4, the only Reading player to have a 4-hit game this season.

Reading 2 Wilmington 1

The championship game was a pitcher’s duel where all the runs were scored in the first two innings. In the bottom of the first, after two outs, Jeff Wyer tripled and Remy Carpinito singled him home. Wilmington tied the game with and unearned run off pitcher Ben O’Shea in the 2^nd, but Reading responded with a run of their own when O’Shea doubled and Jeff Harvey drove him home with a single. Both pitchers were done yielding runs, accounting for the 2-1 final score. O’Shea’s line included a complete game with 0 earned runs, 0 walks, and 10 K’s. O’Shea’s 2^nd strikeout of the game established a new Reading Baseball single-season record for strikeouts. His 83^rd strikeout surpassed the 82 K’s recorded by Steve Langone in 1996 (although Ben got his 83^rd K in his 63^rd inning, while Steve pitched 52.0 innings in his season). Ben ended the regular season with 93 K’s in 69.2 innings.

After the game, Reading was awarded a plaque for winning the tournament and four players were chosen for the all-tournament team: Ryan Nelson, Jeff Wyer, Remy Carpinito, and tourney MVP Ben O’Shea.

Also, three Reading players were selected to the Middlesex League All-Star Team. Junior first baseman Alex Ravanis, senior pitcher-outfielder Remy Carpinito, and senior pitcher Ben O'Shea, who was also named Middlesex League MVP.

Ben O’Shea received further accolades for his outstanding season as he was named to the Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic Teams, was named Daily Times Chronicle Pitcher of the Year, and was selected to play in the Eastern Mass. All-Star Game.

MIAA Division II North Tournament

Division II North First Round Reading 4 Pentucket 0

With its 15-5 regular season record, Reading was the #4 seed for the tournament, thus earning home games in the first two rounds. The first round game was vs. 11-9 Pentucket, the first times these two schools have met since the 1996 tournament. Ben O’Shea took the mound for Reading and was dominant in his 3-hit, 13 K, complete game shutout. He was supported offensively by Mike Shea, who hit a 2-run homer over the center field fence in the 3^rd inning. Reading’s other two runs came in the 6^th, when Shea doubled, Jeff Wyer had a bunt single, and then Remy Carpinito singled home Shea. A wild pitch accounted for the final run. Shea, Wyer, and Carpinito each had two hits for Reading, with Steve Cool providing the only other Reading hit.

Division II North Quarterfinals Reading 7 Belmont 4

The quarterfinal game, also at Morton Field, saw two Middlesex League rivals play each other for the 3^rd time this season. Reading had won the first two, both by one run, so it would be a challenge to beat a tough Belmont team again. Reading jumped out to a lead in the bottom of the first. Jeff Harvey was hit by a pitch and promptly stole 2^nd base. Mike Shea smoked an RBI double and Jeff Wyer singled and stole 2^nd. RBI groundouts by Remy Carpinito and Derek Strukel made the score 3-0. Reading’s starting pitcher, Remy Carpinito, held Belmont scoreless for the first two innings and his teammates got another run in the bottom of the 2^nd on a walk by Ryan Carter, a single by Ryan Nelson, a walk by Shea, and then a wild pitch to score Carter. Belmont responded with 2 runs in the 3^rd inning to close the gap to 4-2. Reading got a big run in the 5^th on a single and stolen base by Steve Cool, followed by and RBI single by Shea. Once again, Belmont came back with single runs in the 5^th and 6^th to make it a 1-run game at 5-4. But Reading got 2 key insurance runs in the home half of the 6^th: Adam Paradis led off with a pinch hit single and Nelson reached by error when his bunt was misplayed. With runners on 2^nd and 3^rd, Jeff Harvey lined a single to left to score two runners to make the score 7-4. Steve Cool was the winning pitcher, as he came on in relief in the 4^th inning and pitched 3 innings, yielding one earned run.

Division II North Semifinals Reading 3 Brighton 2

The semifinal games are played at a neutral site, Lowell’s Alumni Field. The 7:00 game drew a nice crowd from Reading on a pleasant night. The two teams were locked in a scoreless tie through 3 and one-half innings, as Reading had only mustered 2 hits thus far, while Brighton was hitless vs. Ben O’Shea. Reading broke through with 2 runs in the bottom of the 4^th when Remy Carpinito reached first on an error and Derek Strukel walked. With two outs and two men in scoring position, Steve Cool ripped a single to left to score both runs. Brighton threatened in the top of the 5^th when O’Shea hit a batter and then gave up his first hit of the night. With runners on the corners, O’Shea bore down and fanned the next three hitters, keeping the score at 2-0. But Brighton threatened again in the 6^th and tied the game on two singles and a fly ball lost in the twilight. The favor was returned in the bottom of the inning: with two outs, Carpinito got to second on a “twilight” double and Strukel singled up the middle for the go-ahead run. O’Shea closed the door in the 7^th, giving Reading its first berth in the finals since 2001.

Division II North Finals Reading 0 North Andover 2

The sectional finals were played at spectacular LeLacheur Park in Lowell, a great thrill for the players, coaches, and parents. After pre-game warm-ups, player introductions, and the National Anthem, Reading batted first as the visiting team. Jeff Harvey led off with a line drive single to center, but that is as far as he could advance. In the bottom half, North Andover combined an infield hit, walk, error, and single to score two runs. And that was it! North Andover got just two more hits the rest of the game off starter Remy Carpinito and reliever Ben O’Shea. Unfortunately, Reading only got five hits on the day: singles from Harvey, Derek Strukel, Alex Ravanis and doubles by Ravanis and Steve Cool. The hits came in five different innings, so Reading never could muster any real threats against North Andover’s excellent pitchers and solid defense.

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The team ended with an overall record of 18-6, the Middlesex League Championship, the Dick Scanlon Memorial Tournament Championship, a Division II North Finals berth, and a Boston Globe Top Twenty ranking. This was the first team since 1996 to win the Middlesex League and advance to at least the DII North Finals, an amazing accomplishment. Add to that, two prestigious awards, described below, and you have a most memorable season!

Sportsmanship Awards

Reading Baseball was awarded the MIAA Massachusetts District B Team Sportsmanship Award, which was accepted by Coach Jason Zerfas and captains Jeff Harvey and Jeff Wyer at LeLacheur Park, prior to the Divison II State Championship Game.

To top that, the team was given the statewide MIAA Sportsmanship Award, given to just one baseball team in the entire state! This was a big deal, as the award was presented to the team at Fenway Park, prior to the Red Sox game. The entire team and coaching staff met for pizza (thanks to RMHS Athletic Director, Phil Vaccaro) at the Field House and then traveled by bus to Fenway. Mr. Vaccaro and Principal Joe Finigan were invited guests, as well. We were escorted to the field where we hung out for 45 minutes, taking in the sights and sounds from field level. Many parents joined us on the field and got great photos. Steve Langone and Scott Reinold, Reading Baseball players from 1996 who work for the Red Sox, came down to the field to greet the players. Just prior to game time, the team assembled near home plate and was presented a beautiful plaque to commemorate the award. The scene was shown on the Jumbotron, as well. Then we were brought to our seats for the game, and the team enjoyed being together for a Sox win and the 500^th consecutive sellout at Fenway.

Many thanks to Mr. Vaccaro, who did the application process and legwork required for our team to be considered. He cited the outstanding behavior and sportsmanship our players demonstrate every day, as well as :

The team’s commitment to helping with Challenger Baseball
Our players’ acceptance and kindness toward our various Batboys of the Day, our young team managers, and coaches’ children
Our players’ fulfilling promise to do a day-long spring yard cleanup for a Reading resident
Our players’ patience and respectful manner toward our Cooperstown bus driver during a 2-hour flat tire delay

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