Falasca, St. Mary’s baseball win in walkoff
As Tommy Falasca stepped to the plate in the seventh inning, the St. Mary’s senior knew it could be his last competitive baseball at-bat.
He wasn’t ready to be done.
Falasca lined a walkoff single to center at Fraser Field in Lynn, scoring freshman Jake Peterson and earning the 10th-seeded Spartans a 3-2 win over No. 23 Wakefield in the first round of the Division 2 tournament
“I just needed to step up big. Knew what I had to do,” said Falasca, who will play football at Saint Anselm College.
St. Mary’s plays No. 7 Pope Francis (16-6) or No. 26 Reading (14-6).
The low-scoring tilt was a pitcher’s duel between Wakefield’s Owen Riddell (6 innings, 7 strikeouts, 2 earned runs) and the Spartans’ Josh Doney (complete game, 7 strikeouts, 1 earned run).
Wakefield (15-6) took a 2-0 lead when shortstop Matt Elwell cracked an RBI single, and right fielder Cam DePrizio shuffled home on a passed ball in the third.
“We started off really slow but Josh really kept persevering and pitching well,” Falasca said.
That pressure resulted in two St. Mary’s runs in the fourth to tie it, followed by Falasca’s walkoff.
The Spartans (14-7) had four singles but got runners in scoring position with aggressive, scrappy baserunning. St. Mary’s stole six bases and a key bunt in the seventh set up Falasca’s heroics.
Division 1 State
Central Catholic 12, Attleboro 4 — Sean Mercuri went 2 for 3 with a three-run homer, five RBIs, and two runs. He closed out the game on the mound, pitching two innings with six strikeouts as the No. 4 Raiders (20-3) rolled in the round of 32.
Methuen 3, Andover 1 — With a sacrifice fly from Owen Kneeland and an RBI single by Owen Sullivan, the No. 21 seed Rangers (12-9) scored three runs in the top of the seventh to upset the No. 12 Golden Warriors (16-6) in the first round.
Division 4 State
Abington 6, Mashpee 1 — Jon Sellon pitched a complete game and added an RBI double for the No. 12 Green Wave (13-8) in a first-round triumph.
Amesbury 11, Southwick 2 — Trevor Kimball hit a grand slam and struck out nine in five innings, Will Arsenault went 3 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Luke Arsenault went 2 for 3 with an RBI as the 13th-seeded Red Hawks (11-10) won in the Round of 32. Winthrop 5, Bishop Connolly 2 — The Cougars lost a preliminary-round game at Fraser Field in Lynn, the final sporting event for a school that will close at the end of the year. After the final out, coach Sean Travis told his players he was proud of them while senior captain Connor Travis and teammates hugged. Zach Bogusz threw 5‚ innings for the victorious Vikings (9-12).
Division 5 State
Millis 3, Boston Collegiate 1 — Talon Shepardson went the distance, allowing a run on two hits with six strikeouts, and was 2 for 3 at the plate for the No. 12 Mohawks (6-15) in the first-round win. Shea Ferrentino was 2 for 3 and Aidan Sugrue had a key sacrifice fly. Colin Flynn hit a solo homer for Boston Collegiate (15-2).
St. John Paul II 8, Quaboag 1 — Sophomore Tyler Ross went the distance, fanning 15 and allowing no earned runs, and classmate Ty Reed went 2 for 3 with an RBI and two stolen bases to lead the No. 16 Lions (13-8) into the Round of 16.
Boys’ tennis
Division 4 State
Monomoy 3, Lenox 2 — Ryan Casey (6-0, 6-3), Vidan Vujosevic (6-4, 6-2), and Gavin McDonnell (6-2, 6-2) won to lift the ninth-seeded Sharks (12-7) in Harwich.