Pentucket Baseball is off to a good start, as they have gone 2-1 through their first 3 scrimmages. Despite a couple of errors and a few struggles at the plate, the boys aren’t looking half bad. 

They started their season right across the bridge at Haverhill Stadium. The team got right to work against the Hillies. In the first inning, Nick Kutcher got on base and eventually got hit into home to give the Panthers their first run. Sadly, the bats died down after this and the boys weren’t able to put up any more runs after this. Errors in the field, quiet bats, and lack of energy from the dugout were the three main contributors to their loss last Wednesday. Final Score: 7-1.

Two days later, they took on Methuen at the Pines. There was rainy weather in the forecast but that did not slow them down. The boys took advantage of slower pitching and put up two runs early in the scrimmage. Methuen did not go down without a fight, as the two teams battled it out for a few innings. In the end, Methuen’s poor pitching performance put a lot of runners on and the Panthers stacked it up against them, giving them their first win. Final Score: 10-5.

On Monday, the Panthers played the Greater Lawrence Tech Reggies. With moods high and the boys ready to go, they struck the iron while it was hot and put up two early runs. However, the bats quieted down a little bit after the first inning. It was back and forth between both defenses. The Reggies weren’t going down without a fight, as their bats got hot later on in the scrimmage. They put up one run, but they couldn’t get more than that. The Panthers did not directly answer, but eventually they put up two more runs to make it a defeating 4-1 score. With great pitching performances and defensive showings from Pentucket, they came out victorious with a three run margin. Final Score: 4-1.

The team was back against Greater Lawrence last night with hopes to improve their preseason record, 3-1. Pentucket wasted no time in the first inning and got right to work. With early runs and great at bats, they were up big early. On the defensive side, junior Jake Woodsum pitched two impressive innings. His first inning, he retired the first three batters he faced with a good mix of pitches. His second inning was similar to his first. He struck one out, but his fielders had his back and got the next two. It was a similar theme for the rest of the game, and the Greater Lawrence Reggies did not score their first and only run until the last inning. The bats stayed hot, the defense locked things down and the boys came out with a much earned win. Final Score: 15-1

Although they’re only scrimmages, winning always feels good. With a lot of forward momentum from the preseason wins, the guys are fully ready going into the season. The improved defensive showings and hot bats have shown that they’re ready to win and show the CAL what they can do.