Peabody Champions win marathon North Shore Baseball League showdown

Show of hands. How many fans didn?t make the trek to Peabody High Thursday night for the continuation of the Peabody Champions-Beverly Recs North Shore Baseball League game?Considering Beverly had taken a 5-4 lead in the top of the 10th and had runners on first and third when the game was called Tuesday night (the lights at Twi Field go off at 10:30 p.m.), it looked like it would be an early night for everyone involved. That didn?t happen.Peabody came back in the bottom of the 10th, tied the game and the two teams were off to the races once again. Both teams had scoring opportunities over the next few innings, but it was Peabody?s Mark Shorey who finally turned the lights out on Beverly for good with a walk-off single in the bottom of the 15th inning. Peabody won the game, 6-5, and will now play the Kingston Night Owls in a best of seven championship series beginning Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Twi Field in Danvers.Peabody kept the game going in the bottom of the 10th when Chad Martin (Bowdoin College) hit a gapper to right center. The Recs tried to get Martin at third, but the ball sailed out of play and Martin was awarded home.Both teams worked their way out of jams over the next few innings, but things came together for Champions in the bottom of the 15th. Mike Giardi led off with a walk. Marc Crovo followed with a walk and Andrew O?Neil re-entered for Kyle Multner. The Recs tried to get Giardi going to third, but the fielder went for a tag and Giardi slid under it. Beverly pitcher Nick Colanto got Brian Marshall to strike out and Dave Ruggiero to pop up, but the next batter, Shorey, got ahead in the count and was able to shoot a ground ball single into right field to drive in the winning run. Marshall (Danvers High/University of Southern Maine) got the win.?Beverly?s got some great players,” Peabody player/coach Giardi said. “They have a lot of young guys. They have some talent over there. They?ve got some pitching.”