Snowden rallies past Latin Academy
Captures third straight BCL title
For most of the Boston City League championship on Sunday at BC High, Latin Academy led Snowden, and the Dragons were in position to win.
But with three runs in the seventh, Snowden extended play, and then added another in the eighth to rally for a 5-4 victory and third straight BCL title.
“We had all the faith in the world, because I know we worked so hard the whole season,” said Snowden’s John Hernandez, who scored one of those runs in the seventh and also pitched six innings of relief. “We couldn’t lose. We couldn’t.”
“We’ve been facing adversity for the whole season, really,” Snowden coach Christian Ortiz said. “The team was confident, even when they were down, and they knew not to give up. They worked hard, and they deserve this.”
Since the second inning, Latin Academy (15-2) led, and the Dragons held a 4-1 lead going into the top of the seventh. But Hernandez drew a one-out walk, and
Justin Chevere tripled to right-center to bring him home. Richard Matos then singled to left to plate Chevere. After a strikeout pushed Snowden to the brink, Luis Espaillat hit a long drive to center that tangled up the center fielder. The ball fell in and Matos scored easily.
Hernandez had come on in the third inning as Espaillat tweaked something in his arm after starting the game. Hernandez escaped a little trouble in the bottom of the seventh to allow Snowden (12-2) to take the lead. In the eighth, Snowden loaded the bases, and an errant pickoff throw to first allowed Elias Medina to score.
Hernandez struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth to set off a raucous celebration. Normally a closer, Hernandez finished with 13 strikeouts in his longest appearance of the season.
“BLA is a great team,” Ortiz said. “Since Day 1, since the first game, we knew that was going to be the matchup. So we had to come out here, we had to prepare for them all year, pretty much.”
Snowden scored in the top of the first, but Latin Academy scored a run each in the first three innings. Quinn Kelly singled in Sam Draisen in the fifth as the Dragons took a 4-1 lead and seemed in control.
Peyton Heisner went the distance as Lexington defeated Reading 4-2 to advance to the finals of the Middlesex League tournament.
Aiven Cabral struck out 15 as St. Mary’s (15-5) defeated Bishop Stang 4-0 in the semifinals of the Catholic Central League tournament. The Spartans will face Austin Prep, a 3-1 winner over Bishop Feehan, on Tuesday for the league title.
Brendan Holland threw a two-hit shutout and Andrew Perry went 3-for-3 with three RBI as North Andover defeated Lowell 9-0 in the Merrimack Valley Conference.
Christian Oliveira allowed one run in five innings and also went 2-for-4 with two RBI as Somerville (6-4) defeated Malden 9-1 in the Greater Boston League.