(Haverhill, Mass.) Freshman Richard Reidy (Amesbury, Mass.) pitched a no-hitter as Northern Essex Community College took a 9-0 Game One, mercy-rule shortened victory over Suffolk County Community College in the 2018 National Junior College Athletic Association District F Super Regionals at Trinity Stadium. The left-hander needed only 99 pitches over seven innings to fire his first no-hitter as he struck out seven while issuing one walk and hit two batters.
The Knights (25-14), champions of the NJCAA Region 21, got on the board early with a six-run first inning. Freshman Kyle Hawes (Lynnfield, Mass.) singled home the first run with a base knock to left and classmate Leo Romero (Lawrence, Mass.) followed that with a two-run single to give Northern Essex a 3-0 advantage. Freshman Spencer Balian (Lynnfield, Mass.) also brought home two runs with a sharp single to left and sophomore Nolan Steevens (Wilton, N.H.) capped the scoring with a RBI base hit through the left side.
Northern Essex would plate another run in the second on a sacrifice fly by Romero and two more runs crossed the plate in the fifth when freshman Alexander Almonte (Lawrence, Mass.) drove a two-out single to the left-center gap.
Reidy improves to 6-2 on the season while Suffolk County (30-12) sophomore Nicholas Morena suffered the loss and falls to 6-5 on the year after allowing six earned runs on seven hits in his only inning of work.
Almonte finished the day leading the Knights going 3-for-4 with 3 RBI at the plate. Hawes also collected a three-hit game as he went 3-for-4 with a run batted in and Romero ended his afternoon with a 2-for-3, 3 RBI showing. Steevens was a perfect 2-for-2 in the win as Northern Essex combined to record 14 hits in the series opener.
Game Two of the 2018 NJCAA District F Super Regional Championship Series will begin at 9:30 AM tomorrow (5/19) morning.
