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Photo by Bob Roche
Lynnfield shortstop Nick Padovani turns a double play in a recent game. The Pioneers lost a tough one Monday, 7-6, to Georgetown.

By Bob Albright

GEORGETOWN -- With Georgetown’s Tim Holland and Lynnfield ace Phil Perriello toeing the rubber Monday on a picture perfect afternoon, it looked like runs would be at a premium in a showdown of two of the best arms the CAL has to offer.

While both hurlers came up with solid, complete game performances, it was their efforts inside the batter’s box that was the real story as Holland and the Royals hung on for a tenuous 7-6 win over the Pioneers.

Both pitchers went yard in the contest that saw Lynnfield push two across in the top of the seventh and nearly force extra innings.

It was a tough loss for Lynnfield and coach John O’Brien whose Pioneers fell to 6-6, but the skipper was pleased to see the aggressive approach that his team took against Holland at the plate.

“We hit the ball pretty well,” said O’Brien. “We knew that he was a power pitcher. Kids went up there looking to hit fastballs and we had some success and then he got his off speed stuff working and he was pretty tough.”

Perriello (3-1), who conceded nothing to Holland on the radar gun, was saddled with his first loss of the season.

“I thought Phil pitched pretty well,” said O’Brien. “I think we probably should have made some more plays behind him. He’s pitched well for us and he’s a kid who’s probably going to pitch in college (at UMass Lowell).

Lynnfield wasted little time getting to Holland who has drawn considerable interest from a myriad of Div. 1 teams as well as a few professional clubs for his prowess at shortstop and at the plate. John Caruso got things started with a leadoff single and was promptly plated by Dante Padovani’s RBI double. That brought up Perriello who quickly made it a 3-0 game when he took Holland deep over the left field fence. Afterward Holland could only tip his hat to his counterpart in the Pioneers’ dugout.

“I know Phil pretty well and have played with him on a couple of different teams,”said Holland, who would return the favor by touching up Perriello for a solo shot. “He’s a good kid from a great family. I knew I had to be careful with him. He’s a pretty good player.”

Matt Connolly would add another run for Lynnfield with a beautiful squeeze bunt, but Georgetown came right back to make it 4-4 and then exploded for three runs in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from Chris Esposito and a towering two-run shot to center off the bat of Andrew Barba.

Trailing 7-4 heading into the seventh and with Holland seemingly back in a groove on the hill, the Pioneers showed plenty of gumption — not to mention bat speed — as they rallied one final time. Connolly jumped all over the first pitch of the inning for a line dive double down the third base line and came around to score on Mario Padovani’s RBI double to center. Pinch hitter Dan O’Donnell would follow suit with a single to left. Padovani would come around to score on a fielder’s choice to make it a 7-6 contest, but Holland would escape the jam with by getting the final Pioneer to fly to deep center.

“We’re just a hit away,” said O’Brien. “In just about all of the games we have lost that has been the story. For the most part they are all one-run games. It was nice to see the guys battle back like that in the seventh. With Holland and Phil going I figured it was going to be a close game and as it turned out it was.”

Lynnfield took on a struggling Amesbury club Tuesday and travels to Newburyport Saturday. to take on the Clippers.