Wellesley makes history
13th seed wins first sectional since 2005
SCHOOL BASEBALL
Wellesley looked at the beginning of the state tournament as a clean slate, and so far in that new season the Raiders are perfect.
Thanks to John Ciolfi’s go-ahead double in the seventh and two shutout innings from closer Teddy Goss, Wellesley beat Bridgewater-Raynham, 3-1, in the Division 1 South final yesterday at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton to capture the program’s first sectional title since 2005.
The Raiders (15-9) entered the postseason as the No. 13 seed carrying an 11-9 record. But they knocked off fourth-seeded Mansfield, No. 5 Barnstable and now the third-seeded Trojans (16-8) to take the South.
“We have been in the tournament for the 11th season in a row and have learned that seeding means nothing,” Wellesley coach Rob Kane said. “This is a whole new season and our league prepares us for this.”
B-R trailed 1-0 in the sixth inning but Mike DiBari’s RBI double tied the score. The Trojans then put runners on the corners with nobody out, but Wellesley sniffed out a suicide squeeze attempt and picked off the Trojans runner at third base to quell the threat.
In the seventh inning, pinch-hitter Jason Maiona had a one-out single, bringing Ciolfi to the plate. The Raiders leadoff hitter drilled a 2-1 fastball into the rightcenter gap to score Maiona. One batter later, Brendan Dolan belted another double to put Wellesley up 3-1.
BC High 11, Braintree 10 — Gavin Reily had a two-run triple in a seven-run fourth inning, and came on in relief to get dangerous hitter Alex Kennedy to pop out with the tying run in scoring position as the Eagles (15-9) eliminated the two-time defending champion Wamps from the Super Eight last night in Brockton.
BC High held an 11-7 lead heading into the ninth inning, but the never-say-die Wamps began with three straight hits to pull within 11-8. After two consecutive groundouts and a walk pulled Braintree within 11-9, Justin Files reached on an infield hit to set the dramatic ending.
After BC High had the big frame to take an 8-1 lead, Kennedy’s two-run double in the fifth cut the deficit to 8-4. But Sean O’Connell clobbered a two-run homer in the sixth to put BC High back up by six, at 10-4.
Gr. New Bedford Voke 5, Westwood 3 — In Braintree, James Estrella’s two-out, two-run single in the sixth inning delivered the No. 5 Bears (18-6) a win against the No. 11 Wolverines (14-9) for their first Div. 2 South title.
The feat came almost a year to the date after GNB Voke student AJ DaSilva lost his battle with cancer. It was fitting that Estrella, who received a scholarship in DaSilva’s name this year, delivered the big blow.
After Mark Bernardo’s two-run single gave Westwood a 3-1 lead in the fifth, GNB mounted its comeback. Tylor Arruda laced a two-out triple to tie the score, and in the sixth the Bears loaded the bases to set up Estrella’s heroics.
DJ Lopes tossed a complete game, allowing three hits and striking out seven, He finished it off by inducing a 6-4-3 double play.
Austin Prep 8, Lynnfield 2 — Patrick Burke went 3-for4, scored three runs and drove in three more, while Cam Seguin, Denis Taylor and Brendan Barry combined on a four-hitter as the No. 5 Cougars (20-4) beat the No. 3 Pioneers (21-4) to capture their first Div. 3 North title, in Lynn.
Dover-Sherborn 7, Norton 5 — Jake Scurrah had a RBI hit and pitched out of a jam in the fifth inning, and struck out the side to end the game, as the No. 8 Raiders (16-8) beat the No. 3 Lancers (18-8) to earn their first Div. 3 South crown, in Braintree.
Archbishop Williams 7, Upper Cape 3 — In Brockton, Freshman Myles McDermott was solid through 52⁄ innings and the fourthseeded 3 Bishops supported that pitching with timely hitting to win the Div. 4 South title.