ITEM FILE PHOTO
Lynnfield’s Nick Colucci had a great pitching performance to help lift the Pioneers to the Division 3 North Final.
BY STEVE KRAUSE
You couldn’t blame Lynnfield baseball coach John O’Brien for having a strange sense of déjà vu coming into today’s Division 3 North Final.
The last time the Pioneers got this far was in 2012, when they rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning to shock Bishop Fenwick to win the right to face North Reading in the sectional final.
So what happens today, after Lynnfield staged another five-run rally in the seventh inning to stun Austin Prep Thursday night? The Pioneers will, once again, face North Reading in the sectional title game today (3:30) at LeLacheur Park in Lowell.
The only difference is that Frank Carey coached the Hornets four years ago, and he led to a state title. Now it’s Eric Archambault.
“He’s done a nice job,” said O’Brien. “They do some different things. He’s got them playing good ball.”
O’Brien was aware Thursday that the Pioneers have precedent for shocking rallies.
“It was in the back of my mind, I suppose,” he said, referring to Thursday’s comeback win. “It kind of had that same aura to it.”
O’Brien said that he got a good feeling after a Spencer Balian single to lead off the seventh.
“He had a fantastic at-bat,” O’Brien said. “It was a nine-pitch at-bat, and I think that helped turn the momentum. We got a couple of walks, we put the ball in play, and then the kids at the end came up with a couple of base hits.”
Justin Juliano’s two-run double tied the game, and Mike Stellato’s single brought home the winning run.
Then, Nick Colucci, who had already thrown two innings, had to take care of the Cougars in the bottom of the inning.
“He really manned up and got through that inning,” O’Brien said. “He struck out the last two batters with the tying run on third and winning run on first.”
There was other motivation for the Pioneers in that game too.
“They knocked us out last year in a close game, and they got the win in the last inning,” O’Brien said. “Our kids were very motivated. A lot of these kids were on that team. To their credit, they hung in. Our guys just hung in there.”
O’Brien said he doesn’t know who will get the ball today.
“Nobody threw more than 30 pitches, so everybody’s ready,” he said. “All our kids say they’re ready to go.
“We have some quality pitching,” he said. “We need to hit the ball. We struggled for a while (Thursday) night, but we stayed with them, put the ball in play, and made their guys throw a lot of pitches.”
Lynnfield and North Reading, Cape Ann League rivals, split their two games. O’Brien said knowing about the Hornets doesn’t give the Pioneers any particular advantage.
“They know us too,” he said. “They do a good job scouting. I see (Archambault) at a lot of games. He brings a little bit of a different style to them than Frank.”
With all the knowledge, and all the skill, O’Brien says luck definitely plays a part in these days.
“We definitely had a little bit of luck (Thursday),” he said, “but we made our own luck too. We can play with them. We can play with anybody.”
