Perez leads Rams into semifinals

TOPSFIELD – You could cut the tension with a knife on Monday in the Division 2 North quarterfinal between Masconomet and Lynn Classical.Masco’s Jeff Daniels and Classical’s Jorge Perez each carried no-hitters into the seventh inning. But it was the Chieftains who blinked first as Perez’ bloop single scored pinch runner Brad Scuzzarella and led the No. 15 seed Rams into the semifinals with a 2-0 win on a one-hitter by Perez.”The way Jorge pitched reminded me of the Gloucester game he had,” Classical coach Mike Zukowski said. “We said that if he pitched that way, kept the ball down, and threw his curve for strikes that we would be right there. And that’s what happened.”Having knocked off one of the best the Middlesex League had to offer in Reading and now one of the Cape Ann League’s power teams, the Rams will see a familiar foe in the semis: Danvers (Wednesday at Fraser, 7).For the better part of an hour and a half on a sun-scorched afternoon, Perez and Daniels’ duel on the mound was the show as neither pitcher blinked.”You have to give their kid credit. Jeff threw a hell of a game,” Zukowski said. “But we said before the seventh inning started that we needed to get some baserunners.”Angel Tavares reached on an error to begin the seventh, spelling the end of Daniels’ time on the hill. Spiros Varinos came on in relief and faced pinch hitter Ryan Hayward, who bunted into a fielder’s choice that erased Tavares.A wild pitch sent Hayward to second and Zukowski went to his bench again, replacing Hayward with pinch runner Scuzzarella. Greg Rybak then walked, bringing Perez to the plate.Fighting off a fastball, Perez dumped a looper between Corey Tudor and Jack Hamburger to plate Scuzzarella with the go-ahead run.”Brad got a great jump and in that situation, I had to send him to take the chance. And they made a bad throw,” Zukowski said.Rybak went to third on the play and that proved pivotal when Huebert Segura grounded to short, allowing the senior right fielder to come home with a big insurance run.”Greg did a good job on that play. He read the ball well and was able to score,” Zukowski said.Perez went to the mound for the Masco half of the seventh in search of the Rams’ second no-hitter in two weeks. Pinch hitter Joe Klingersmith dispelled that notion with a sharp single to lead things off for the Chieftains.Hamburger then lifted a ball to short left that shortstop Wilfredo Feliz made an over-the-shoulder catch on at full speed for the first out.Varinos then grounded into what looked to be a game-ending double play but the ball was dropped at second. A popout from J.R. Sheehan got the Rams on the precipice before Perez hit Ethan Sheehan to load the bases.Jason Katz then put a charge in one but Rybak raced back and made a nifty catch to end the game.”This team just has a lot of heart and they stick together,” Zukowski said. “Jorge stepped up in the seventh and got the RBI he deserved to win the game.”