NORTH READING — The Lynnfield baseball game was right in the mix through three and a half innings Tuesday afternoon, but the Pioneers allowed 11 runs over the final three frames and fell to rival North Reading by a score of 15-5 in six innings on the road at Carey Park.
The Pioneers were able to push across five runs despite only registering three hits on the day, mainly due to the strong play of Tyler Scoppettuolo — who went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI. David Tracy, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI, added the other hits for the Pioneers.
Dan Dorman took the loss on the mound for Lynnfield after going 3 1/3 innings and allowing eight runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Tim Pivero came in and pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits. Only two of the 15 runs allowed by Lynnfield were earned runs, as the Pioneers’ four errors all came at inopportune times.
After an inning and a half of scoreless play, North Reading pushed across three runs in the bottom of the second behind an RBI single from Jack Fischer, an RBI walk from Matt Ryan and a score on a passed ball. The Hornets would never relinquish the lead from there.
Lynnfield responded back with a run in the top of the third after Scoppettuolo reached on an error and then came around to score on another, but the Pioneers couldn’t really get anything going until the top of the sixth — and by then it was too late.
Trailing 9-1 going into the top of the sixth, Lynnfield moved runners to first and third after a walk and an error. That opened the door for Tracy, who knocked an RBI single into left field to make it 9-2. Another error brought home a third run, then Scoppettuolo stepped in and laced a two-run single to cut the deficit to four runs at 9-5.
But that was as close as the Pioneers would get. In the bottom of the sixth, a three-run single by Alex Carucci, a two-run single from Zach Rosatone and an RBI single from Ryan brought home the six runs necessary to end the game via the 10-run rule and hand the Hornets the victory.
Lynnfield (3-7) hosts Hamilton-Wenham Thursday (3:45).
