Andover right back to winning business
For Andover, the waiting was the hardest part.
More than a week after being left out of the Super Eight field to the disappointment of both the players and the coaching staff, and thanks to unseasonably lousy weather, the Golden Warriors finally got their opportunity to get back to playing baseball in a Div. 1 North quarterfinal game yesterday at home against Malden Catholic.
The wait was worth it as second-seeded Andover stormed back from an early 2-0 deficit to defeat No. 7 Malden Catholic, 6-5, setting up semifinal against Lexington today at Endicott College. “I have to be honest with you, it was like the end of the world for these guys when we didn’t get into the Super Eight, and then we had the long layoff with the weather,” said Andover coach Dan Grams. “I am just glad we are playing, and all the nerves and butterflies have come and gone.”
Malden Catholic (13-9) took an early lead in the top of the second with two runs off Andover starter John Marotta. Chris Pegureo (3-for-3, walk, two runs) led off with double and scored on a RBI single by Kellen Field, who later came around to score on a double from Will Montgomerty.
But Andover had an answer in the last of the inning as Michael Reilly doubled and scored on an infield error off the bat of Phil LeBlanc. A run-scoring single by Dan Gemmell later in the frame plated LeBlanc and tied the score at 2-2.
Andover (16-5) added three more runs to its tally in the last of the third on consecutive RBI singles from LeBlanc and Mikey Comeau (two RBI) before scoring an unearned run in the fourth.
The Lancers made things interesting with three runs in the sixth, but reliever Josh Gruenberg (five innings) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh to close out the contest and earn the win.
In another Div. 1 North clash, Brendan O’Shea scattered five hits and struck out seven, Owen Foote drove in the only run in the sixth inning, and Methuen (18-5) beat Chelmsford (13-9) by a 1-0 margin in Haverhill. The top-seeded Rangers face Lowell (15-7) in today’s late semifinal game at Endicott.
Two-time defending Super Eight champion Braintree staged a comeback for the ages to remain alive in the tournament.
Brennan Quigley singled in Alex Kennedy with the game-winning run in the last of the 10th to give the Wamps (16-6) a 5-4 victory over Belmont, knocking the Marauders out of the tournament. Braintree will take on Central Catholic tonight for the right to remain alive in the tournament.
Belmont (17-5) appeared primed to knock Braintree out of the tourney when Dennis Crowley and Max Meier delivered RBI singles in the top of the ninth to make it a 4-1 game. But the never-saydie Wamps fought back to tie the score on a three-run homer by Jackson Duffy.
Yeralson Baez threw a twohit shutout as No. 3 O’Bryant (13-6) dispatched No. 11 Winthrop, 6-0, in a Div. 4 North quarterfinal matchup.
Ben Shields pitched a complete-game shutout as No. 11 Westwood (13-8) defeated 14th-seeded Sandwich, 7-0, in a Div. 2 South quarterfinal. . . . Alden Newman and Kyle Gagliardi drove in runs in the second to send 10th-seeded Oliver
Ames (14-8) on its way to a 5-2 upset win over secondseeded Dighton-Rehoboth.
Patrick O’Halloran hit a game-winning two-run homer in the top of the seventh as No. 15 Burlington (1111) defeated seventh-seeded
Masconomet, 6-5, in a Div. 2 North quarterfinal.
Logan Bravo hit a two-run homer while Alex Martinez added a solo blast as No. 5
Austin Prep (18-4) defeated No. 13 Swampscott, 6-3, in a Div. 3 North quarterfinal.
Justin Juliano struck out five and registered two hits and an RBI at the plate to lead No. 3 Lynnfield (21-2) to a 7-3 victory over No. 2 Latin
Academy in a Div. 3 North semfinal.
In Div. 1 South action, Sam Phipps struck out nine and allowed just three hits, while Mike Gill drove in the game’s only run as seventhseeded Framingham (14-7) earned its second straight 1-0 postseason win, this one over No. 2 Silver Lake. . . . Henry Weycker tossed a complete-game four-hitter, while Max Zajec drove in a pair of runs to lead No. 13
Wellesley (13-9) to a 5-1 win over No. 5 Barnstable.