Defending Champion Hornets Dethroned in Quarterfinals

There will be a new champion in Division 3 baseball.

That's because defending state title winner North Reading was stunned in the quarterfinal round by No. 8 seed Newburyport on Tuesday afternoon. The top-seeded Hornets were sloppy on defense, and it hurt them as they fell by a 4-0 margin.

Newburyport snapped a scoreless tie in the fourth inning when the visitors committed multiple errors that allowed the first two runs to score. 

North Reading attempted to rally several times. The fifth inning come to a close on a controversial play when the umpire called for an automatic double play. The umpire determined the North Reading runner's slide to take out the shortstop was out of the baseline, thus impacting the errant throw to first base.

In the sixth inning, the locals had runners on first and third with two outs, but couldn't push home a run. The seventh inning began with a single, but the frame ended with a strikeout and a double play, bringing the team's season to an end with its third loss of the year.

The 2012 state champions ended the year at 19-3 while Newburyport advanced to face Whittier in the bracket semifinals.