Shopping on Amazon has become a way of life for many of us, and now there’s an opportunity to support North Reading Little League when you make your on-line purchases. 

It’s simple to do. Go to the NRLL link on AmazonSmile (http://smile.amazon.com/ch/22-3267782) and follow the prompts to select “Little League Baseball Inc.” as the charity you support. (That’s our official listing. To avoid confusion with any other Little League organizations, just make sure the location is North Reading, MA). Once you check the appropriate boxes, you’re all set.

For all eligible purchases at AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to North Reading Little League. 

You can help us spread the word, too:

Share this link: Send the link http://smile.amazon.com/ch/22-3267782 to family, friends, co-workers, and everyone else you know – and ask them to bookmark the link so all their eligible shopping will benefit North Reading Little League.

Send an email: In your next email to friends, mention NRLL’s AmazonSmile participation and include the link above.

Copy and paste this message in a Facebook post: When you #StartWithaSmile, Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to North Reading Little League. Bookmark the link http://smile.amazon.com/ch/22-3267782 and support NRLL every time you shop.

Copy and paste this message in a Tweet: Amazon donates to North Reading Little League when you shop @AmazonSmile. http://smile.amazon.com/ch/22-3267782 #YouShopAmazonGives

So start shopping…and thank you for supporting North Reading Little League!!!!

What is the AmazonSmile Foundation?

The AmazonSmile Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation created by Amazon to administer the AmazonSmile program. All donation amounts generated by the AmazonSmile program are remitted to the AmazonSmile Foundation. In turn, the AmazonSmile Foundation donates those amounts to the charitable organizations selected by our customers. Amazon pays all expenses of the AmazonSmile Foundation; they are not deducted from the donation amounts generated by purchases on AmazonSmile.

You can gear up for the baseball season – or any season – at the North Reading Baseball On-Line Store. It's the perfect way to show your Hornet Pride and support North Reading Little League!

Our on-line store is located at https://nrll2019.itemorder.com/sale and offers a wide variety of North Reading baseball apparel – for players all the way from Tee-Ball to Majors and high school, and even for parents and grandparents of the young slugger in your life.

We have North Reading Baseball shirts, hats, blankets, jackets, sweatshirts, and a lot more, all at great prices that will have you looking sharp on the fields and all around town.

For those who placed an order for the spring 2019 season, pickup will be at the Benevento Fields snack shack in mid-April. Specific details will follow in an email.

Though the store is currently closed, it will re-open in the spring. Keep an eye on your in-box for store dates.

Farm League Championship Game: Mariners 11,  Blue Jays 4

Pierce "the Fierce" Burnham brought the big wood to the Mariners' offense in Friday's championship game, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored on the night, including a two-RBI triple in the fourth to deep right field. Damian "the Destroyer" Pagliuca and Vincent "Lightning" Pagliuca both scored two runs and each had a double in the win. Harry "Wheels" Agganis, Charlie "the Champion" Sarno, Cole "the Flash" Donahue, and Ryan "RBI" DiCarlo all had two hits, with Agganis delivering an RBI double in the first inning to get the Mariners off to a good start. Bryce "Boss Man" Fitts, who has been a sensational leadoff hitter all season, rounded out the scoring with one run as part of the Mariners' fourth inning rally.

The Mariners saved their best defense for the final game of the season. The tone was set early by a high fly ball catch made by Agganis in center field that robbed the Blue Jays of their first inning lead-off hit. Jake "JakePotataCake" Barros and Jack "Smiles" Dhimitri added several key plays. Sarno made several key stops and Burnham added a fourth-inning-ending throw to Agganis at home plate for the third out to hold the Blue Jays to a single run. Donahue helped close out the fifth and final inning with a perfect throw to first.

It seems fitting that the Blue Jays and Mariners would meet in the championship game after each team took a win off the other in the regular season. This matchup of two great teams ultimately ended with the Mariners getting the decision after a defensive duel that saw both teams go multiple innings with no runs.

Minor League Championship Game: River Bandits 7, Thunder 3

The River Bandits stormed out to a 6-0 early lead, then held on thanks to clutch pitching and defense to upend the Thunder, 7-3, in the Minor League title game Saturday at Benevento Park. Pacing the winners' offense were Nolan Barrette, who had two hits and drove in a pair of runs, Charlie Cooper, who had a pair of RBI, and Scotty Costello and Matthew Mancinell, who each brought home runs.

On the mound, Mancinelli, went 3.2 strong innings, fanning nine to earn the victory. Reliever Jakob Hulett closed out the game in dramatic fashion with the tying run at the plate and the Thunder attempting to pull off a huge rally. Two runs had already scored and the bases were loaded with one out when Hulett snared a soft liner for the second out. He then astutely flipped the ball to Barrette at first base before the runner could get back to the bag to complete the double play, end the game, and start the championship celebration. Earlier in the game, Barrette made a diving stop at first base to end the fourth inning.

Christian Lava had a two-run single for the Thunder as part of that sixth-inning rally.