Peabody clinches share of NEC/North title

LYNN – In a showdown that could determine who wins the Northeastern Conference, the Peabody Tanners bounced back from a couple of tough losses to top Lynn English, 11-1, Tuesday at Fraser Field.
The Tanners (16-5) scored twice in the first, as Matt Correale led off the game with a double and Nick Palma followed with a single. A hit batter loaded the bases, and a fielder?s choice from Matt Gonick scored one for Peabody. Michael Petrosino?s sacrifice fly put another on the board, and English (13-6) starter Lucas Harris worked out of the jam without any further damage.
Kyle O?Connor started things off for the Bulldogs with a triple, but English stranded him at third.
In the second, Harris allowed a double to David Hoar and walked two to load the bases with two outs, but got a popup in foul territory to end the threat. Harris settled in over the next couple of innings, but the Bulldogs couldn?t get much going with the bats to give him run support.
After O?Connor?s lead-off triple, Peabody starter Joe Maguire didn?t allow another hit until the sixth inning. Maguire went six innings and struck out five, allowing one run on four hits, two walks and a hit batter.
?He was phenomenal today,” said Peabody coach Mark Bettencourt. “He had his curve working from the get-go, and stranding the runner at third in the first was a big confidence builder for him.”
The Tanners tacked on another run in the fifth as Correale singled and was driven in on Gonick?s sacrifice fly, his second RBI of the day. Correale reached base four times, collecting three hits with an intentional walk.
Peabody broke the game open in the sixth, scoring three times. A leadoff double from Christian Morales, a run-scoring triple off the bat of Hoar and an RBI single from Aaron Dolin knocked the starter Harris out of the contest. Denny Santana allowed an inherited runner to score, but retired the next three batters in order.
The Bulldogs got one back in the bottom of the frame as Carlos Cordero singled and scored as part of a double steal, though the runner stealing second was thrown out.
Things fell apart in the seventh for English. Peabody scored five times on three hits, a hit batter, a walk and an error as the Bulldogs cycled through three pitchers before they got out of the inning.
With the win, the Tanners clinch a share of the NEC title. If they beat Lynn Classical on Wednesday, they?ll end in sole possession of first place. The title is the 10th consecutive for the Peabody team.
?This game was exactly what you hope for after a bad weekend,” Bettencourt said. “To respond the way they did in a high pressure situation…this was an important game. It means a lot to carry the torch and get the title, to keep the streak alive. It?s not just about us, but it means a lot to our program too.”Katie Morrison may be reach at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @KatieMo61.