Rain interrupts Gallant action

SALEM – Simply put, Mother Nature has had her way with Little League Baseball action on the North Shore this summer.After wreaking havoc with district, sectional and state tournament play, rain once again made a grand entrance at Forest River Park on Friday at the Gallant Tournament.Peabody’s and Marblehead’s opening-round game was delayed 20 minutes by rain and lightning before the two teams played through off-and-on rain showers. But a deluge with Peabody batting in the top of the sixth inning was too much to overcome as the teams will return to O’Grady Field this morning (10) to finish the game that Peabody leads 9-2.The suspended game also changes the schedule of games on Saturday. Lynn and Salem are tentatively slated to start at 11 with three other games to follow in the afternoon and evening.On Friday, Peabody put its high-powered offense and stellar pitching on full display. Tyler Noe struck out 10 and allowed one hit over the first five innings while his teammates pounded out 11 hits before the rain came.Peabody took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Eric Razney led off with a double but was thrown out at third on Jon Barrett’s infield hit. Noe then cranked a double to left-center, putting two runners in scoring position.First baseman Dave Cravotta delivered both men with a sharply-hit single to center.Marblehead, meanwhile, could get nothing started against Noe as the Peabody ace struck out seven in the first three innings.Peabody upped the lead to 3-0 in the third when Frank Lowry went yard with two outs off Marblehead starter John Cavolina. Cory Finch took over on the hill for Marblehead in the fourth, but Peabody still upped the gap to 4-0 when Travis Jacques walked and scored on two errors and a Noe fielder’s choice.Marblehead fought back in the bottom of the inning as Brian Daily got his team’s first hit of the game with one out. Noe then struggled to find the plate as two passed balls and a wild pitch allowed Daily to score.But Noe settled back down and struck out Jordan Chimara and Cavolina for whiffs Nos. 9 and 10.Peabody busted the game open in the sixth, knocking Finch out in the process.Mike Raymond led off with a walk and Razney followed with a bunt base hit. Barrett lined out to left before Noe was plunked to load the bases.Two passed balls allowed Raymond and Razney to score before Cravotta’s infield single plated Noe. A wild pitch and a double from Ryan McManus allowed Cravotta to make it 8-2.By this point, the heavy rains had returned, turning the field into a mudpile. McManus scored on two wild pitches and when Austin Batchelor had a tough time rounding first on a single, the game was stopped.