RallyNorth.net

Tue, Apr 22, 2008 10:00 AM @ Triton

Team	Final
Lynnfield	7
Triton	0

Triton suffers first defeat of season

Wednesday, April, 23 By Evan Mugford
Staff writer

The spring sports season is here in full effect, and the weather is finally beginning to agree with high school's warmest season.

However, despite clear skies and a bright, late morning sun, the Triton baseball team played with more gloom than boom in their aluminum bats.

Yesterday at home, the Vikings finally surrendered, losing for the first time this season to a Lynnfield squad that brought its guns, bats, and wheels.

Thanks to a strong showing from Lynnfield ace and UMass Lowell-bound Phil Perriello, the Pioneers shut out the Vikings, 7-0.

With such a strong win over North Reading last Saturday, Viking coach Steve Padovani had an inkling that yesterday's contest with Lynnfield (who had been squashed by North Reading, 13-4) would be a typical trap game.

"After such a great win over North Reading, I think some of the kids were looking forward to the next big matchup with Masconomet," said Padovani. "I tried drilling it into their heads that Lynnfield is a very solid team, and that if we think we can just throw our gloves on and win, we weren't going to.

"I'm not sure the kids came to play today," said Padovani. "I told them I was very disappointed because I don't feel that Lynnfield is better than us."

The Pioneers jumped out to an early start thanks to Padovani's cousin, Dante Padovani, who led off the inning with a single and a steal, and was eventually doubled home by Vinny DiCesare. The next batter, John Caruso, singled to drive in the second run of the inning. Pitcher Mike Cerbone (7 runs, 10 hits, 3 strikeouts, 2 walks) had a rough outing, but still managed to quell the Pioneers attack with a strikeout and a ground out to end the inning.

The bottom of the first proved fruitless as the Vikings stranded a runner on third and had another caught sliding home after a passed ball.

Cerbone forced two consecutive pop-ups to start the second, but the Pioneers added another run in the second when Padovani homered to right field with two outs. Cerbone closed out the inning with another pop-up.

After getting hit by a pitch, Viking Will Short was caught leading off of first, and Cerbone struck out to end the second.

Perriello continued to use his fastball to overwhelm Vikings batters, and though his location seemed a little shaky at times, his velocity never slackened.

Thanks to a couple sac bunts, some base stealing, an error, and some timely hitting, the Pioneers added three more runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth, pushing the lead to 6-0.

A boisterous Viking dugout still maintained optimism that a late-game rally would end their club's woes, but it never materialized. Triton stranded runners at second and third in the bottom of the sixth.

Perriello continued his dominance and closed out the seventh with two more strikeouts, pushing his total to nine and holding his opponents to six hits.

Vikings Adam Johnson (2-3, double, steal), Cam Kneeland (2-2, double), Joe Katin (1-3), and Cerbone (1-2) were the four Triton players to record hits.

Lynnfield coach John O'Brien was pleased with the efforts of his team.

"I think the kids came ready to play after two very disappointing losses," said O'Brien. "To come around today and play great in the field, get great pitching from Phil and have some good hitting, it was a boost."

Triton's Padovani understands that with some important games on the horizon, the Vikings will need to forget about the loss.

"I think we need to get back to what we've been doing," said Padovani. "Which is good, solid pitching, making plays in the field and battling at the plate with good at-bats. (Tomorrow')s going to be a very difficult test for us, but hopefully with a good practice (today), we'll be able to bounce back and give Masconomet some trouble."