Jul. 23—BEVERLY — There’ll be no need for tiebreakers in this year’s Section 4 Little League tournament. Reading pitcher Avery Koehler made sure of it.
Koehler shut down District 16 champion Peabody West in impressive fashion under the lights at Harry Ball Field on Thursday, going the distance in Reading’s 4-1 victory. The result means all four teams in the section are 1-1 after two rounds of pool play, so the winner of Friday’s pool play games (Reading vs North Andover at 5:30 and Peabody West vs. Danvers American at 7:30) will go on to Saturday’s title game (noon).
It was the first setback of the summer for Peabody West, now 5-1 overall, and probably the most times they’d struck out all year. Koelher fanned 11 in all and used the K to retire eight in a row from the fourth inning until the final frame.
Early on it looked like West would enjoy a banner night. Leadoff man James DiCarlo sent the game’s second pitch over the fence for a 1-0 lead and Cullen Pasterick nearly hit a 2-run homer two batters later; Reading’s center fielder made a game changing grab reaching over the fence for the out to keep it a 1-0 game, however.
Reading tied it up in the bottom half thanks to two walks and a bases loaded single. It remained 1-1 until the fourth when the District 13 champs, who had stranded six on base to that point, broke through.
Caden McNeese’s leadoff single led to a run coming home on a error to give Reading the lead for good. Cam Greatorex followed with a 2-run triple to the fence in right to make it a 4-1 lead. Koehler did the rest, not allowing another Peabody West base runner for the remainder of the night.
In fact, he retied the last 11 in a row and conceded only five hits, all of them singles except for DiCarlo’s leadoff bomb. Aidan Horgan singled twice for West and DiCarlo added another single but was tagged out rounding the bag in a tough break for the Tanner City kids. Jackson Taylor has his team’s other hit, a second inning single.
Stephen Saggese pitched for Peabody, fanning three with three hits allowed over 3 1/3 innings. Horgan finished the game on the hill, allowing only one hit and getting five outs on 27 pitches.
Defensively, second baseman Ryan Skerry made a great line out snag for Peabody and third baseman Brendan Kobierski had a nice outing with some great throws across the diamond to first baseman Mark Bettencourt, who picked them out expertly.
Now, Peabody West must focus on Friday’s tilt with Danvers American as they aim to win the league’s first Section 4 title since 2013. Danvers American last went to the state Final Four back in 2005 while North Andover and Reading have never advanced beyond the sectionals.