Classical stuns No. 2 Reading in Division 2 North first round

READING – Back in the state tournament for the first time in six years, the Lynn Classical baseball team made a huge splash on Thursday at Morton Field.Facing No. 2 seed Reading, runner-up to unbeaten Lexington in the Middlesex League, the 15th-seeded Rams broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning to take a stunning 6-2 win over the Rockets and move to Monday’s quarterfinal round against Masconomet/Burlington.The Rams (11-10) regained the form Thursday that had led them to wins in 9 of their first 14 games before scuffling to a 1-5 record down the stretch.Kyle Gauthier, who no-hit Revere to get Classical in the postseason, held one of the better offenses in the tournament to one earned run on five hits in a complete-game gem. He also drove in the go-ahead run with two outs in the sixth.”Kyle pitched an unbelievable game,” Classical coach Mike Zukowski said. “He kept the ball down and kept them off balance. And then we got some big hits when we needed them.”Classical needed Gauthier at his best on Thursday because Reading starter Scott Tully was on his game too. The sophomore actually held the Rams hitless for the first five innings before the wheels came off in the sixth.”That kid is just a sophomore and he did a great job,” Zukowski said. “But he started to get tired and left some balls up. And we made him pay for the mistakes.”Neither team had a serious scoring chance until the fourth when Wilfredo Feliz walked for the Rams. He then went to second on a wild pitch with no outs. But Tully retired Kyle Devin, John Finnigan and Angel Tavares to end the inning.Reading wouldn’t have a runner reach third base until the fifth when Chris Welch singled, took second on a balk and third on a flyout. Tom Crowley had drawn a walk as well and the Rockets tried to manufacture a run but Gauthier picked him off to end the inning.Bolstered by that momentum, Classical finally got its offense going against Tully.Tully hit No. 9 batter Huebert Segura to begin the inning. Gauthier made him pay for the mistake with a double up the gap in right-center for a 1-0 lead.Feliz followed with a single and then saw Gauthier come home on the back door of a double steal for a 2-0 lead. John Finnigan then missed a home run by mere inches as his double sent Feliz home with a 3-0 lead for Classical.”When you look at all zeroes on the scoreboard through five, you’re looking for anything to try and get a run,” Zukowski said. “And we have the hit and run on and Gauthier rips a big double.”Gauthier immediately retired the Rockets in order to get his hot offense right back to the dish and his teammates obliged by delivering the knockout blow ? but not without a hiccup.Jorge Perez led off with a walk but was part of a double play that saw Segura called out because Perez did not slide on a play at second base.Gauthier followed with a single. Feliz walked and Devin was hit to load the bases. A passed ball scored the Rams hurler before Finnigan and Tavares followed with singles that increased the lead to 6-0.Reading would push two runs across in the bottom of the seventh before Gauthier struck out Tully to end the game.”The team that was 9-5 showed up (Thursday),” Zukowski said. “And when we play like this, I think we can compete with anybody.”