Quarterfinal Round: Reading 6 Danvers 7 (9 innings) Reading’s season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion in a thrilling 9-inning defeat under the lights at Twi Field in Danvers. This game featured two teams that perennially excel in Division II North and both clubs provided an intense, exciting game. Reading came out swinging and scored two runs in the top of the first inning. Garrett Colantino led off the game with a double and scored on a 2-out single by Derek Galante. Sean O’Neill followed with a long double to score Galante. After putting down Danvers in the first, Reading scored 3 more off Danvers’ undefeated (9-0) pitcher. Mike O’Leary singled to right field and stole second base. Colantino delivered and RBI single to score O’Leary. Liam Kenneally followed with an infield hit to put two runners on best. Then Scott Tully drilled a double to score both runners and give Reading a 5-0 lead. Reading scored one more in the 3rd inning when Mike O’Leary singled home Rob DiLoretto, who had doubled. But that would be the end of the scoring for Reading, as Danvers’ relief pitcher held Reading to no runs and just three hits over the next six innings. Danvers started its comeback in the bottom of the 3rd, with two 2-out runs. They did the same in the 5th: after Colantino struck out the first two batters, a walk and three singles plated two runs to make the score 6-4. Reading turned a nifty 4-6-3 double play to end the sixth inning and now just needed three more outs for the victory. But Danvers would not go down easily. In the bottom of the seventh, a single and walk but two runners on with no outs. Reading’s relief pitcher, Sean O’Neill, got the next hitter to send a fly ball to center field that fell in for a double and a 6-5 game with runners on second and third. The tying run scored on a ground out and O’Neill did a good job inducing another ground ball and getting a strikeout to send the game to extra innings. Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the 8th, and Reading gave it a shot in the 9th. With two outs, O’Neill doubled and went to third on a wild pitch. DiLoreto was walked intentionally to put runners at the corners. Two attempts at 1st and 3rd plays were ignored by Danvers, who did not want to chance giving up the go-ahead runner. So Reading had runners on second and third, but a strikeout ended the inning. Danvers got its walkoff win in the 9th on two walks, a ground out, and a suicide squeeze. This was a most difficult way to end the season, yet the game in which Reading’s players gave their best effort, great energy, and tremendous emotion.