As it continues to try to solidify its standing in tough Division I, the Pinkerton Academy baseball squad experienced mixed fortunes against some of the division’s lesser lights last week.
The Astros dealt the scuffling Nashua North Titans a 5-1 defeat in the Gate City Wednesday, May 11, but when they made the trek to Rochester two days later to take on the 3-10 Spaulding High Red Raiders, the locals suffered a humbling 8-2 loss that left them with an 8-6 season record.
The academy crew then bounced into this week looking at a Monday, May 16 home game against a Winnacunnet High Warriors’ bunch sporting a 1-13 season mark.
In the tripping of the 3-10 Titans in Nashua, Pinkerton sprinted out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning and then received another fine pitching performance from John Polichetti in bagging the lopsided win.
Polichetti hurled a complete-game five-hitter at North, striking out nine batters and walking just two. He also made a difference at the plate for PA, lacing two doubles. The victors also got two safeties each from Ben Curry and Brian Sutton, and both of those Astros also drove in a run.
But then on Friday, May 13, in Rochester, the academy side had a nightmarish time of it in a lopsided loss to host Spaulding.
The two teams combined for seven errors, with PA committing three of them while its offense only managed to collect three hits.
The host Red Raiders, meanwhile, smacked out 10 hits off three Astros pitchers, tallying a four-run fourth inning to make it 8-2.
Continuing their hitting success from two nights earlier, Polichetti, Curry, and Sutton each smacked a hit in the losing effort. The Astros had won six of their previous seven hit games going into that contest.
In its Monday match-up with Winnacunnet of Hampton in Derry, the Pinkerton crew powered its way to a 9-1 victory to drive its 2016 record up to 9-6.
Astro baseball player Sean Muller hits the ball right on the screws as a base-running teammate looks on during a recent PA game. Photo by Chris Paul
