With the returning talent at its disposal, we had a feeling it could be a special year for Pentucket.
And so far through two games, that’s looking to be the case.
On Saturday morning, Pentucket took full advantage of its opportunities to take down rival Newburyport, 6-1. Max Cloutier got the start and was clutch when it mattered most, scatting seven hits across five innings of work to go along with six strikeouts. He then gave way for Jake Snyder to get the win after tossing two scoreless innings with three punchouts, which was all made possible thanks to the Panthers exploding for six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Trailing 1-0 at the time, Julien Powers and Noah Meyer (2-for-2) got the rally started with back-to-back singles. Cloutier (2-for-3) then tied the game with an RBI-single, and another single from Donovan Yoder loaded the bases. A drawn walk by Tedy Cloutier plated a run, and was followed by a two-run single from Snyder (2-for-3) and a two-run double from Will Cacciapuoti.
Which was more than enough support for Snyder to close out the win.
And this all came after Pentucket (2-0) opened its season with a thrilling 4-3, walkoff win over Essex Tech on Thursday afternoon. After Powers started the bottom of the seventh inning reaching on an error, he was singled over to second base by Luke Pergola, then driven home by a game-winning single from Max Cloutier (2-for-4).
Pergola, a returning Daily News All-Star from a year ago, got the Opening Day start in that one, and went the distance to get the win. The Panthers will now travel over to defending Division 3 state champion North Reading on Monday.
NEWBURYPORT: Tough stretch against elite competition
Meanwhile for Newburyport, it might have faced the two best teams in the CAL in back-to-back games.
The Clippers were looking solid for 5.5 innings on Saturday morning against Pentucket, with Jack Oreal tossing five scoreless with six punchouts before running into trouble in the sixth. The returning Daily News All-Star also went 2-for-4 at the plate during that game along with senior Ray Arcand, and Parker Johnson, Bennett Beaulier, Tommy Gagnon and Shea Cook each had a hit as well.
But it wasn’t meant to be.
And this came after Newburyport traveled to North Reading — the defending Division 3 state champions — on Thursday and dropped a 9-0 final. Oreal and Tim DeGraves had the only hits in that one for the Clippers (1-2), who will look to get back on track when they travel over to Hamilton-Wenham on Tuesday afternoon.
GEORGETOWN: Top of the order lifts Royals past Amesbury
It’s an easy game when your stars show up to play.
Which is exactly what happened for Georgetown on Saturday morning in an 8-2 win over Amesbury. On the mound it was returning Daily News All-Star senior Ollie Thibeault getting his second start and win, tossing five strong innings before Rex Nadeau pitched two scoreless frames to close it out.
But check out what the top of the order did.
The Royals (2-1) had eight total hits for the entire game, and their top three batters combined for seven of them. Brendan Loewen went 3-for-5 with an RBI out of the leadoff spot, Willy Valera went 2-for-3 and drove in a pair, and Ty Southall went 2-for-3 with two RBI as well. AJ Machiavelli (RBI) had the final hit for the Royals, who will next host Lynnfield on Tuesday.
Meanwhile for Amesbury, the weekend wasn’t all bad.
Sure, Saturday’s loss down at Beane Park wasn’t optimal. Justin Dube went 2-for-3 at the plate in that one, and Andrew Parsons (RBI), Josh Roberts, Connor Scialdone (RBI) and Jacob Noyes each had a hit as well.
But it came after Amesbury got its first win of the year on Thursday thanks to an 11-1 thumping of Lynnfield. Roberts was dialed in on the mound during the win, scattering six hits over six innings of work with four strikeouts. Then at the plate, Scialdone went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Parsons (RBI), Thomas McElaney, Roberts (RBI), Ethan Kirby (2 RBI), Noyes and Logan Genualdo each had a hit.
The Redhawks (1-2) will next travel to Essex Tech on Tuesday.
TRITON: Vikings drop a pair, move back to .500
It’s not the symmetry that Triton was looking for.
After winning their opening two games of the season, a rough stretch saw the Vikings drop two straight over the weekend. Which started on Thursday night, when visiting Lynnfield came into Eiras Park and scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull out the 7-5 win. The Pioneers were actually double-up on total hits for the game, 8-4, but the hosts combined to walk seven batters to go along with a costly error.
Offensively for the Vikings (2-2) in that one, Wyatt Allen went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple out of the leadoff spot in the order. Caleb Murray went 1-for-3 with a double, and Gavin Fraser (RBI), Sam Harding, Kellan Haley, Noah Collins (2 RBI) and Adrian Meza Pina each had a hit.
Then on Saturday, Triton hung with the defending Division 3 state champs.
Haley pitched a complete game in that one, scattering eight hits with a pair of strikeouts, but the Vikings couldn’t get any offense going in a 2-0 loss to North Reading. Haley also went 2-for-3 at the plate, and Fraser, Harding and Collins had the other hits for the Vikings.