O’Sullivan, Tango Lead Rockets Over North Reading

The hitting and defense of the left side of the Reading Memorial High School Rockets infield were the difference on Thursday afternoon.

The Rockets behind SS Siobhan O’Sullivan and 3B Ashley Tango upset the fourth-ranked North Reading High Hornets 5-2 in the first round of the MIAA Division 2 North tournament.

The Hornets took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second after a triple by Meredith Moise and bunt single by Alicia McCauley. The Hornets were still cruising in the bottom of the third when Tango made a diving catch in front of home plate to end the inning.

There’s an old baseball adage that great offense follows a great defensive play when the fielder leads off the next inning. That was the case in North Reading Thursday as Tango led off Reading’s fourth with a double. O’Sullivan followed up with a double of her own. Lindsay Tango later singled home O’Sullivan.

The Rockets continued pouring on the offense in the fifth with three more runs.

The Hornets got a run back in the sixth. They continued to threaten in the seventh, but O’Sullivan made a diving catch. The Hornets kept battling and had the tying run at the plate, but lefthander Michaela Reeves, who went the distance for the Rockets, got Tarah Reilly to ground out to Ashley Tango to end the game.

The Rockets next play on Saturday against Arlington Catholic, which beat Winchester on Thursday.