Follow @pbrnewengland

By Mark Andrick
PBR NE Scout

PBR New England is eagerly anticipating bringing the New England states the best high school coverage throughout the region.

We will have the 2016 Scout Blog, Spotlight Games, Inside the Recruitment Articles, Unsigned Senior Spotlights, The Recruiting Trail, All-State Selections, Full Coverage of the State Tournaments as well as numerous other articles throughout the spring.

To view the Regions Preseason All-State Teams, click below:
+ Connecticut
+ Maine
+ Massachusetts
+ New Hampshire
+ Rhode Island
+ Vermont

To view the Team Power Rankings, click below:
+ Connecticut
+ Maine
+ Massachusetts
+ New Hampshire
+ Rhode Island
+ Vermont

To view the full list of 2016 Team Previews that we have already completed, please click here.

For insider information and scouting notes from the PBR staff during the 2016 spring season visit the 2016 New England Scout Blog by clicking here.

Interested in attending a PBR New England event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.

PBR New England Spotlight Game: North Reading vs Masco

On a beautiful afternoon for baseball, the Masconomet Cheiftans used great pitching and timely hitting to take down the Hornets of North Reading 3-0.

Masco RHP and senior Elias Varinos kept the bats silent, allowing just five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks for the complete game victory.

Sophomore DH Andrew Manni had the big hit for the Cheiftans with a two-run double, the eventual game winner.

Junior RHP Mike McCauley took the loss for North Reading, after entering the game with one out in the 5th. He took over for senior Greg Johnson, who pitched well until running into trouble prior to McCauley taking over.

In a game that saw a lot of small ball, it was Masco who played the complete game and hung on to hand the Hornets their first loss of the season.

 

The Hornets threatened to score in the 1st inning when junior left fielder Jeff Mejia led off with a single to right. Next batter, senior right fielder Mike Driscoll grounded to the right side but the attempt to get Mejia at second was late and both runners were safe.

Varinos buckled down, getting two strikeouts and a ground out to escape the frame.

Masco would start the second inning in similar fashion.

Senior shortstop Blaise Romanowski singled to right and moved to second when classmate Michael Oullette reached on an error.

The Chieftans then got a little too aggressive by attempting the double steal, with Romanowski being thrown out at third and Johnson ended up escaping the jam.

In the 4th, it was the Hornets who tried to get creative in order to get on the board.

After loading the bases with two outs after singles by Driscoll, senior shortstop Tyler Calos and center fielder Anthony Eldridge, the runner on second took a giant secondary lead. This prompted senior catcher Dylan Toumayan to fire down to second, when he did Calos took off for home, but he was nailed by Romanowski at the plate to end the inning.

They would again put runners on second and third the following inning but were unable to cash them in.

With one out in the 5th, Varinos had an infield single that Calos made a great diving play on but did not get the runner in time. Sophomore center fielder Jack Seymour walked and Johnson was replaced by McCauley.

The first batter he faced was Manni and he delivered on a high fastball, depositing it to left-center and scoring both runs to give the Chieftans a 2-0.

Next batter, senior first baseman Angus McNeil ripped a line drive that deflected off the first baseman and into right field, scoring Manni and capping the scoring at 3-0.

North Reading would again get a runners into scoring position in the final two innings, with the aid of some sacrifice bunts, but never could get anything across against Varinos.