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 News 2001-2002 |
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Friday, May 18
A New Beginning
The Central Mass Senior Babe Ruth League begins its 14th season on June 11, 2001. We have eleven teams returning from last year. CMSRBR welcomes back Sudbury into the league as the twelth team.
This year should be another exciting year for CMSRBR. Many of the teams have a change in coaching and personnel, so anything could happen.
This year, hopefully you will also see additional information on the League and your favorite team with the changeover of this year's web site. We are hoping by opening up the privileges to the coaches that we can see more data, team photos, etc. to enhance the web site. So please encourage your local team to build on the web site.
See you around the diamond!!
Tuesday, June 12
A Soggy Opening Night
The CMSBR season got off to a wet start last night as only one game was played. All other games were postponed due to rain. Marlboro defeated Sudbury 5-0 in a rain shortened 5-inning game. You can see a brief write-up by clicking on the link provided under the "Home" section.
Saturday, June 16
Week 1 Wrap-Up
The week was hectic as some of the towns scrambled to make up the games from the rain-outs and other postponements. Milford and Bellingham came away from this week with two wins and are co-leaders of the South Division. In the North Division, Marlboro sits on top with two wins and a tie.
Check out your home team's site and schedule, then come down to the ballpark and cheer them on.
Saturday, June 23
Week 2 Wrap-Up
Baseball is a funny game. On any given night any team can beat any other team. Bellingham found that out when they received their first lost of the season at the hands of Holliston. Milford remains undefeated in the South Division. (Note: not all the scores were posted this week so the standings are not complete).
In the North Division, Marlboro maintained their unbeaten status thanks to mother nature. They were trailing 6-3 to Westboro with Westboro at the plate and the bases loaded in the third inning when lightning flashed. The game was suspended and will need to be rescheduled at a later time.
This also marked the first week of inter-division play for Central Mass. This year's format only allows one meeting across divisions so if you are interested in seeing any of these games, you best check out the schedules and make your plans.
Saturday, June 30
Week 3 Wrap-Up
The inter-division play this week proved to be exciting. Especially with the two undefeated teams (Marlboro and Milford) facing off. Milford won the battle of undefeateds and is now atop the South with a perfect 8-0 record. The rest of the league is close with Bellingham (5-3) in second, Hopkinton (4-3) in third, and Franklin, Holliston and Ashland battling for the fourth play-off position.
In the North even after suffering their first loss, Marlboro (6-1-1) maintains their slim lead over Sudbury (6-2), Westboro (4-4) surged to take over third place on three straight wins. Hudson (3-4-1) holds down fourth while Framingham slipped to 3-5 and the fifth slot. Natick (1-8) won its first game this week.
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Sunday, July 8
CMSBR All-Stars
SOUTH ALL-STARS
1 Paul Chercia, Holliston 21 Ed Bossange, Holliston
3 Brian Rhone, Hopkinton 23 Drew Pfeiffer, Franklin
4 Dan Sullivan, Ashland 24 Ben Starta, Franklin
7 Josh Crescenzi, Milford 25 Brian Bethel, Ashland
10 Craig Casey, Milford 34 Mark Delfanti, Milford
11 Justin Richards, Hopkinton 35 Willie Jonassen, Holliston
12 Jeff Manzella, Ashland 75 Scott Hogan, Bellingham
15 Josh Donovan, Franklin 77 Bob Chalmers, Bellingham
16 Ryan Forsmo, Hopkinton 79 JJ Taylor, Bellingham
The All-star game was played at Feeley Field in Sudbury and was won by the South 9-8. Missing from the North team photo were the Natick players: Nick Shkreli, Tim Nelson, and Mahdi Al-oun. Also missing was Gerry Patricks from Marlboro.
The MVPs were:
North - Marc Exarhopoulos (Hudson)
South - Mark Delfanti (Milford)
NORTH ALL-STARS
2 Brad Phaneuf, Hudson 16 Billy St. John, Hudson
3 Matt Chiccuarelli, Framingham 18 Gary Patricks, Marlboro
3 Mark Exarhopoulos, Hudson 22 Andy Cochran, Sudbury
5 Nick Shkreli, Natick 22 Chris Alves, Westboro
5 Chris McDonough, Sudbury 26 Dan Mancini, Marlboro
7 Joe Sannicandro, Framingham 31 Tim Nelson, Natick
12 Jon Anderson, Westboro 31 Greg Coutu, Sudbury
13 Bryce Buckley, Framingham 40 Jim Wood, Marlboro
14 Kevin Phillips, Westboro 70 Mahdi Al-oun, Natick
15 Rob Taft, Marlboro*
* Added due to injury to Dan Mancini
Saturday, July 7
Week 4 Wrap-Up
Another week has gone by and the league is pushing on. This was the final week of cross-divisional games (except for the odd make-up game or two) and now it is back to the divisional game schedule.
In the South, Milford is still maintaining their hold on first place with Bellingham a close second. The other teams are in the thick of the battle trying to lockdown a play-off position (four out of six teams make the play-offs).
In the North, Sudbury has taken a slim lead over Marlboro (but that one point for a tie that Marlboro has may prove to be important down the stretch). Westboro, Framingham, and Hudson are holding on. Watch out though, Natick could play a spoiler in the weeks to come.
Saturday, July 14
Week 5 Wrap-Up
Week 5 brought the divisions to intra-divisional play again with a few make-ups to boot. In the South the standings pretty much remained the same. However, Milford did drop their second game of the season to Ashland.
In the North Sudbury maintained their hold on first place even though they dropped one to Westboro. Framingham and Marlboro continue to hold down the 3rd and 4th play-off slots with Hudson lurking in 5th.
MetroWest Article
Next week will end the regular season then it's into playoffs the following week.
Friday, July 20
Final Week Wrap-Up
It was an interesting week. Playoff positions were pretty much secured after Monday's games, and in fact the pairings ended up with three out of the four pairs for the opening round on Monday facing each other in the last game of the season. Franklin and Ashland ended in a tie in the South. But, the tie breaker (head to head) went to Franklin.
In the South the seeding is: 1. Milford, 2. Bellingham, 3. Hopkinton, and 4. Franklin.
In the North the seeding is: 1. Sudbury, 2. Westboro, 3. Marlboro, and 4. Framingham.
The schedules are posted to the calendar and with a double elimination format and the highest seeds getting home field, you have to check every day for the game schedules.
Good Luck to all the teams in the playoffs, and thank you to all the teams in the league for an excellent and competitive season.
MetroWest Article 1
MetroWest Article 2
Tuesday, July 24
Playoff Day 1 Results
In the North, number 1 (Sudbury) and number 2 (Westboro) were upset in two very close games. Framingham was able to beat Sudbury by a score of 4-3 revenging their two previous losses to host Sudbury.
Marlboro beat the Scorpions 3-1 behind great pitching and solid defense.
In the South, Franklin almost upset number 1 Milford, but the Micros won the game 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh to pull the victory out.
In the only high scoring game on the first day, Bellingham beat Hopkinton 14-9 and earned the right to face Milford tonight.
MetroWest Article
Wednesday, July 25
Playoff Day 2 Results
Wild and woolly are these hot days of summer and Central Mass. Marlboro and Milford advanced last night to their respective divisional finals beating Framingham and Bellingham respectively, 6-3 and 6-2. But the other two games were the real stories last night.
In the other South game of the evening Hopkinton beat Franklin in a slugfest not seen much these days. Hopkinton won 11-10 in a game that saw the teams combine for 39 hits in an extra inning (eight) game.
MetroWest Article
And, at Feeley Field, Westboro toppled Sudbury in a "never say die" contest. Down 2-0 in the first, it took five innings for the Westboro squad to awaken. The big inning was the sixth when the visitors scored six runs capped by a grand slam from Jon Anderson. Yet, top-seed Sudbury came right back in the bottom of the inning to score two more runs and get two runners on again in the seventh to keep this game interesting to the end.
MetroWest Article
Thursday, July 26
Playoff Day 3 Results
Westboro advanced to the North Finals against Marlboro by beating Framingham 11-3. Tom Blackney in a rare start this year went six innings to earn the victory. The Scorpions played solid defense and got some timely hitting in this win.
The next North playoff game will be played on Friday July 27 at 5:30 PM at Westboro High School.
In the South, number 3-seed Hopkinton beat number 2-seed Bellingham 7-3 at Richardson Field. The Bulldogs playing at home and having a 2-0 regular season record and a win in the first round of the playoffs, could not make it a perfect 4-0 season against Hopkinton.
Hopkinton will now face Milford at Fino Field on July 26 at 7 PM in the final round of this double-elimination playoff.
MetroWest Article
Friday, July 27
Playoff Day(s) 4 Results
7/26 - Milford won another squeaker by beating Hopkinton 3-2 at Fino Field. With the score tied 2-2 and the Micros batting in the bottom of the seventh, the Micros were able to pull out the win, but not before the fog moved out. With the change in temperatures (one day 90 and the next 70), the umpires had to delay the game due to fog. But mother nature moved on, and Josh Crescenzi scored the winning run in a close play at the plate.
MetroWest Article
7/27 - The Scorpions have forced the North Division playoffs to the last possible game by beating Marlboro 5-2. Both pitchers went the distance in this one, but John Welsh got the win for the Scorpions in a well played game.
Offensively the big blow to the Devils was in the second inning. First, on a ball hit down the leftfield line, Tony Healy was able to stretch it into a double. John Welsh then hit a 1-2 pitch into center scoring Healy and tieing up the game. Welsh stole second, then a walk to Skip North set the stage for Jon Anderson. Anderson ripped a shot over the right-center field fence to gave the Scorpions a 4-1 lead.
Marlboro got one back with a shot from their first baseman, Dan Mancini, that cleared the left-center field fence. The Scorpions then got their last run in the fifth inning when with two outs Matt Gebo strethed a single to left-center into a double. Then, Tom Blackney plated Gebo on a seeing-eye single to right.
Chris Carty struck out nine Westboro batters, gave up five hits, and only allowed one walk, while Welsh struck out 11, gave up 3 hits, and walked four.
Saturday, July 28
Playoff Day 5 Results
It's no way to win a playoff, but unfortunately these things happen. Marlboro was unable to field enough players in the final game of the North Divisional playoffs.
Westboro will face Milford in the CMSBR World Series at Mahan Field, Natick. The first game is Monday night with a start time of 7:30 PM.
Thursday, August 2
Milford CMSBR Champions
The Milford Micros are this year's CMSBR Champions. They defeated Westboro 5-4 and 3-2 to take this year's title. The Micros played two very good games doing all the right things at the right time.
See the write-ups below by clicking on the links.
MetroWest Article Game 2
MetroWest Article Game 1
Tuesday, June 11
And We're Off!
Last night marked the beginning of another season for Central Mass Senior Babe Ruth. For the North; Sudbury, Framingham, and Natick all jumped out to early leads and were able to pull out a win in their first games.
In the South; Ashland came from behind to win an extra inning effort from Bellingham, while Franklin outlasted Holliston. Milford and Hopkinton did not play last night as they had to reschedule their game to this Saturday due to Class night for Hopkinton.
Thursday, June 6
Another Season Begins
The Central Mass Senior Babe Ruth League begins its 15th season on June 10, 2002. We have all twelve teams returning from last year.
This year should be another exciting year for CMSRBR. Many of the teams have a change in coaching and personnel, so anything could happen. Please come down and support your favorite team. All the schedules have been posted.
Play Ball!!!
Sunday, July 14
Other News Articles
July 14
Senior Ruth Snapshot
This week marks the final regular-season stretch for the Central Massachusetts Senior Babe Ruth League. Four teams make the playoffs in each division and the regular season ends on Thursday.
One big game on the schedule is Wednesday night, when Franklin hosts Milford in a matchup of the South Division's top two teams. Milford is 13-1 and Franklin is 12-2.
Should both teams make it to Wednesday without a loss, the stakes will be high.
If Franklin wins and finishes with the same record as Milford, the league will go to a tie-breaker. The first tie-breaker is head-to-head competition, which if Franklin wins on Wednesday, which would be a wash.
The next tie-breaker is runs against each other. Milford won the first game against Franklin, 5-4.
The fourth playoff position is also up for grabs in the South, with Hopkinton and Bellingham looking to get in. Holliston/Medway clinched a playoff spot on Friday with a 6-4 win over Hopkinton.
Over in the North, a lot of things are up for grabs. Natick is in first place and in the driver's seat. Westborough and Sudbury figure to battle for second place, while Framingham, Marlborough and Hudson will likely vie for the fourth and final position.
Sunday, June 30, 2002
SENIOR RUTH UPDATE
The Central Massachusetts Senior Babe Ruth League is enjoying one of its finest seasons in recent memory, with competitive games being played on a regular basis.
Here's a snapshot of the league standings:
North:
Natick 6-2
Sudbury 6-3
Westborough 5-3
Framingham 3-5
Hudson 2-5
Marlborough 1-7
South:
Milford 8-1
Franklin 7-2
Holliston/Medway 4-5
Hopkinton 3-5-1
Bellingham 3-5-1
Ashland 2-7
The top teams in the two divisions met at the end of the week, with Natick handing Milford its first loss behind Matt O'Reilly's effort on the mound. O'Reilly allowed just four hits and struck out seven to improve to 2-0. David Cole (2 hits, 5 RBI) and Brett Allard (HR) supplied some key offense.
Natick looked to ride that momentum into Friday night's clash against Franklin, but Ryan Risica went 3 for 3 with a double, triple and three runs scored to pace Franklin. Kyle Dow and Drew Pfeiffer both had two hits and two RBI.
Part of the reason Senior Ruth is having such a fine season is the stability provided by its leadership.
The president of the league is Jim Doherty; the vice president is Steve Merritt; the treasurer is Joe Landry; and the administrator is Skip Walsh.
The league's web site is eteamz.com/cmsbr.
SUMMER BASEBALL NOTEBOOK: Schedule Busy for Ballplayers
By Jeff Cormier
Sunday, June 23, 2002
Work. Football tryouts. Basketball camps. For a high school athlete, time management is just as essential during the summer as it is during the school year.
Baseball is no exception. Unlike the high school season, which is spread out over a two- to three-month period, the summer leagues of Senior Babe Ruth and Legion ball cram over 20 games into a 60-day span.
With all these commitments, Senior Ruth league administrator Skip Walsh has made it a point during his three years at the helm to allow players more freedom. Not only do each of the 12 teams in the league play a maximum of three games per week, but Walsh - who coaches on the Westborough squad - and his fellow coaches even encourage their players to take games or practices off if conflicting schedules arise.
"It's not mandatory to go to every game," Walsh said. "Most teams are flexible and allow their players to take care of other matters should they come up."
Another alluring factor that has drawn more players to the league in recent years is the camaraderie. Unlike Legion teams, which draws their players from three or four surrounding towns to comprise its teams, Senior Ruth teams draw only from their respective towns.
According to Walsh, this setup allows players to feel more comfortable playing in a familiar setting with familiar faces.
"Most 15- and 16-year-olds don't want to switch (over to Legion) if they already know the guys they're playing with," he said. "They like the stability of playing with kids from the same town, kids from the same school."
While the Senior Ruth players enjoy a bit more freedom, it is not the only aspect attributing to the recent success of the league.
Recently, there has been more focus on stability. Walsh believes the league's board of directors has had a more regulatory role during the past few years, including the application of new rules designed to make the league more organized.
"Before (the Senior Ruth board) made these changes, there weren't a lot of rules to handle some of the earlier problems the league had," Walsh said. "For example, players were allowed to play Senior Ruth, then switch over to Legion when that season was over. Also, teams are allowed to use 14- and 15-year olds as long as they play for a high school team. With the appliance of these new rules, the Senior Ruth league is a lot more organized."
Maintaining the same 12 teams that competed last year for the 2002 season is another tribute to the new-found organization and credibility of the Senior Ruth league. For the first time in the league's 15 years of existence, no new team has been created to replace another that could not field enough players.
Keeping the stability has allowed the North and South Divisions of Senior Ruth to build something that was foreign to the league not long ago: rivalries. With the top four teams in each division able to earn a spot in the playoffs, the eight-team, double-elimination tournament is another peg of the Senior Ruth structure luring in more players and coaches.
"These teams build a mutual respect for each other," Walsh said. "By keeping the structure of the league the way it is now, the teams build good rivalries, like Framingham and Natick or Westborough and Milford. Not only that, but these rivalries create friendship and respect among the coaching ranks."
With all the recent accomplishments Walsh has instituted for the league, what one part stands out amongst the rest?
"It's just nice to see younger kids come out year after year, get playing time, and have fun on the field," he said. "As long as kids want to play baseball and (coaches) want to help kids learn, then this league will stay strong."
Around the horn
In its season opener, Sudbury Senior Babe Ruth found itself short-handed, missing six players because the Lincoln-Sudbury varsity baseball team was still involved in state tournament competition. Strapped for players, coach Rick Burpee put to good use a new league rule that allows teams to use 14- and 15-year-olds as long as they play for a high school team.
Burpee won the game with the help of three freshmen and one sophomore, one being pitcher Dan Cook, who dominated Marlborough - striking out eight and scattering five hits - to record the 7-1 victory. Cook - listed as an alternate on the roster - was on loan from the Lou Tompkins League.
Sudbury center fielder Todd Norton roams the outfield with a recklessness that has led to many outstanding early-season plays.
"He plays the outfield like a football player," said Burpee. "He's like a receiver going after the ball just like it's a pass."
Ironically, Norton catches passes for the Lincoln-Sudbury football team in the fall. ...
Framingham's Robbie Mayo was splendid in his debut for the FastSigns. After missing the team's first two games, Mayo was 4 for 4 with two triples and two singles in the team's loss to Natick.
Mike Wilhelm and Jason Gilpatrick have been nearly unhittable of late. Each pitcher threw five no-hit innings in consecutive games but to different results.
While Wilhelm only surrendered two hits in a victory over Hudson, Gilpatrick was a tough-luck loser against Natick. The Redmen scored six runs - all of them unearned - during Framingham's sixth-inning collapse.
June 16
Senior Ruth ready to roll
Jim Doherty and Skip Walsh return as presidents of the Central Massachusetts Senior Babe Ruth League and will be assisted by Andy Sharifipour.
The season officially kicked off on June 10 and each team will play 16 games. The playoffs begin on July 22, culminating in the World Series on July 29.
All 12 teams return to the league this year with the top four teams in each division - South and North - making the playoffs. The playoffs are double-elimination series.
The Milford Micros won last year's championship.
Fans can follow the day-to-day activity of the league at the web site ezteamz.com/cmsbr.
(Mike Reiss is a News sports writer. He can be emailed at mreiss@cnc.com. News sports correspondent Mike Lopez contributed to this report.)
Admin Note: Sorry to the Board for getting the positions incorrect!
Sunday, June 23
Week 2 In Review
This past week marked the start of inter-division play for Central Mass SRBR. But, there were a few important games played within the divisions as well.
In the South the two unbeaten teams (Milford and Franklin) faced off and Milford came away the winner. Milford sits atop the South Division with a perfect 6-0 mark. Franklin holds down second with a 4-2 record, followed by Hopkinton ((2-3), Holliston/Medway (2-4), Bellingham (1-4) and Ashland (1-5).
In the North Division with another perfect record (5-0), Natick is the comeback team of the year. Sudbury who lost to Natick this week is in second (4-2), with Framingham(3-2), Westboro (2-3), Hudson (1-3)and Marlboro(1-4) rounding out the division.
Thursday, July 18
Newspaper Write-ups - Updates Every Game Day
July 19
Westboro 10, Framingham 9
Down 5-2 after two innings, and 9-7 after four, visiting Westborough rallied to beat host Framingham, 10-9, to finish the CMass Senior Babe Ruth regular season at 8-8.
After scoring twice in the fifth to tie it, Ryan Panaro singled home Joe Black in the sixth to take the lead. Matt Gebo made that stick with an impressive relief performance. He came on in the sixth with the bases loaded and none out, but snared a liner to start a 1-5 double play. He then struck out the side in the seventh for the save.
Gebo also went 2 for 2 with a triple, four stolen bases, two runs scored and two RBI. Panaro added two hits, the game-winning RBI and a run scored. Catcher Chris Atchue had two hits, two runs scored and a RBI, while Peter Bouchard had two hits, two RBI and a run scored.
For Framingham (5-11), Ryan Gagne had two hits and three RBI, while shortstop Jason Gilpatrick knocked in two and scored one while playing strong defensively.
Both teams will play in the CMass North Division playoffs starting Monday, with Framingham playing at Natick, and Westborough traveling to Sudbury.
Natick 7, Marlborough 0
Natick capped its regular season in style with a shutout of host Marlborough in Senior Babe Ruth action.
Natick (14-2) will host Framingham in the first game of the four-team, double-elimination round-robin North Division playoffs on Monday (7 p.m.). Sudbury hosts Westborough in the other opening game on Monday.
Last night, Mike Reynolds struck out seven, walked none, hit a batter and allowed just two hits to improve to 3-1.
Offensively, Tim Nelson had a pair of hits, including a three-run homer, while David Cole had a double, a single and two RBI.
Paul Causey doubled for Marlborough (4-12).
Hudson 6, Sudbury 4
Hudson closed out a disappointing campaign with nice win over host Sudbury, finishing the summer at 3-13.
Joe Palange was the difference for Hudson, throwing a complete-game seven-hitter, allowing just one earned run, striking out seven while walking none in his first start of the summer.
Offensively, Matt Botelho went 2 for 2, but both hits were huge - a three-run home run in the second and a two-run single in the fourth - for a five-RBI night. He also scored a run. Carlos Vazquez added a double for Hudson.
Sudbury fell to 9-7, but hosts Westborough in the North Division playoffs on Monday.
Milford 11, Holliston/Medway 0
Up by 11 runs when the rains came in the bottom of the second, host Holliston/Medway chose to concede the victory to Milford, allowing the visitors to finish atop the South Division with a 15-1 mark.
Milford scored seven in the first and four in the second to post the runs. Sean Ricciuti had a bases-clearing double and walk good for four RBI. Mark Delvecchio had his first career Ruth hit, a two-run single. Mike Connell went 2 for 2 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Ray Barlow had a hit, two RBI and a run scored.
Anthony Coppola did the job on the mound, allowing no hits in the 12/3 innings played before Holliston/Medway (8-8) conceded.
Both teams will face off again Monday at the start of the South Division playoffs. In the other matchup, second-seed Franklin (12-4) faces No. 3 Bellingham (8-8) in the double-elimination, round-robin format.
July 18
Framingham 7, Marboro 5
Jason Gilpatrick pitched a complete game and scattered four hits, then helped his own cause with a 3-for-4 effort from the leadoff spot, leading Framingham past host Marlborough 7-5 in Senior Babe Ruth action.
The win was a big one for Framingham (5-10), which can clinch a playoff berth tonight with a win over visiting Westborough at Long Field (7 p.m.). Framingham could also clinch a berth if Marlborough (4-11) loses to Natick tonight (Stevens, 6:30 p.m.).
Gilpatrick, Matt Hurley, Andrew DelPrete and Jared Kamrowski had multiple-hit games for Framingham.
Adam Feeney (pitching) and Dan Bastian (outfield defense) turned in fine efforts for Marlborough.
Bellingham 3, Westborough 2 (8 inn.)
Chris O'Grady struck out 16 batters, didn't issue a walk and allowed five hits as host Bellingham defeated Westborough 3-2 in a Senior Babe Ruth League game that went eight innings.
Bellingham finished the regular season with an 8-8 record and now awaits the outcome of today's games to determine their Monday playoff opponent.
O'Grady struck out 18 batters in his last appearance on the mound, giving him 34 strikeouts in the last two games.
Tony Dionis (2-4) plated Danny Rolls, who had reached on an infield error, with a base hit in the right-field gap for the winning run in the eighth.
July 17
Marlboro 13, Westboro 6
Marlborough had 13 hits and all were singles, as the team kept its Senior Babe Ruth playoff hopes alive with a 13-6 upset over visiting Westborough.
A seven-run first inning put Marlborough on top early and starter Eli Rosenswaike took care of the rest with a complete-game effort.
Kyle Causey (2 hits, 3 RBI, 2 runs), Mike Bergeron (2 hits, RBI, 2 runs, 3 SBs), Dan Bastian (2 hits, 2 RBI, 1 run), Drew Dallamora (2 hits, 2 RBI, 1 run) and Adam Feeney (2 RBI, 3 runs) had big offensive days for Marlborough (4-10).
Chris Black (2 hits, RBI, run) and Greg Jones (2 hits, run) paced Westborough's 12-hit attack.
Marlborough hosts Framingham tonight (6 p.m.). The game is crucial as both teams are fighting for the North Division's fourth and final playoff spot.
Sudbury 8, Framingham 1
Shortstop Andrew Wilson went 2 for 3 with three RBI to power Sudbury to a Senior Babe Ruth win over visiting Framingham at Feeley Field on Wednesday night.
Wilson knocked in two runs in Sudbury's four-run sixth inning and added an RBI in the fourth. Jared Kamrowski cracked a double for Sudbury (9-6) and Todd Norley socked a triple. Framingham is 4-10.
Hopkinton 7, Ashland 1
Zak Weisberg and Kevin Binney had multiple-hit games and Matt Giusti pitched a complete-game six-hitter, leading Hopkinton past Ashland in Senior Babe Ruth action.
The game was the season finale for both squads as Hopkinton finishes at 6-10 and Ashland at 4-12.
Ross Weisman had two hits for Ashland last night.
Natick 10, Hudson 1: Natick 4, Hudson 2
In a doubleheader played in Natick, Brad Connelly had two big games at the plate to carry Natick to a pair of wins over Hudson.
In Game 1, Connelly (4 RBI) smacked a three-run homer in the first inning as Natick (13-2) opened up an early lead. David Gwynn (3 hits, RBI) and Mike Reynolds (2 hits, 3 RBI) helped out the offense.
Matt O'Reilly (4-0) pitched four strong innings, and Greg Latouf came on in relief to help out Natick.
In the second game, Connelly (2 hits, 3 RBI) and Gwynn (double, RBI) again carried the offense while Nick Billings (7 Ks) pitched a complete game to earn the win. Mike Reynolds played well at third base for the hosts.
For Hudson, Derrick Dowen had a pair of hits, including a double, and Marcus Vazquez had two hits and two runs.
Bellingham 5, Holliston/Medway 2
Bellingham, fighting for one of the final two Senior Babe Ruth playoff positions with Holliston/Medway, pulled out a key win.
Down 2-0 after the first, Bellingham's Mike Rolls brought home Danny Rolls and Jason Berthelette with a fielder's choice to tie the game at 2.
In the fifth, the visitors put the game away with a three-run rally, sparked by a Matt Pineau single that brought home Chris O'Grady and Tony Dionis (2 RBI).
On the mound for Bellingham, Andy Parker was dominant, settling down after the first inning to hurl nine strikeouts in the complete-game win.
Milford 6, Franklin 2
Justin Richards, the 19-year-old coach, and Milford clinched the league title on the strength of a combined five-hitter from Sean Ricciuti, Steve Divitto and Mark DelVecchio.
The win was Milford's seventh straight, improving the team to 14-1 and assuring it of the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Postseason play for the Micros begins Monday in Milford.
Starting pitcher Ricciuti tossed five innings and surrendered a lone, unearned run to earn the victory.
Team captain Divitto allowed the second Franklin run, also unearned, during his only inning of work but was able to prove his worth at the plate. Divitto went 2 for 4 including a two-RBI single in the third to give his team a 3-0 lead.
July 14
Bellingham 6, Hopkinton 5
With Hopkinton threatening in the bottom of the seventh inning, Bellingham's Steve Fenoff shut the door, striking out the side to preserve a 6-5 victory and lock up a Senior Babe Ruth playoff for the visitors last night.
Fenoff relieved Andy Crawford to begin the final frame with Bellingham (6-8) leading 6-4. He immediately fanned the first two batters he faced. However, Fenoff walked the next two batters and Zak Weisberg cut the deficit to one with an RBI single.
With runners at the corners and two outs, Fenoff then reached back and whiffed his third hitter to pick up his second save this season, securing the win for Crawford (3-1).
Jason Berthelette ripped an RBI single in the sixth to plate the eventual game-winner. Bellingham got its biggest boost when it scored four in the third inning, two on a double by Andy Parker. Parker, Danny Rolls and Matt Pineau each had two hits for the visitors.
Hopkinton (5-9) was led by Steve Peschler and John Geffert, who had two hits apiece. It scored one run in each of the first two innings, and tacked on two in the third when Bellingham opened up a 5-2 lead.
Ashland 4, Franklin 1 (5 inn.)
Ashland dealt Franklin's pennant hopes a severe blow, as four quick runs, the pitching of Rich Nicolas and a fierce rainstorm handed the hosts their third win of the season.
Franklin came in just one game behind first place Milford, one day before a showdown between the two top teams. But Franklin dropped to 11-3 with the loss, while Ashland is now 3-11.
A RBI single by Richard Smith and a RBI grounder by Ross Weisman gave Natick a 2-0 lead off Franklin starter Matt Wenger in the first inning. In the second, a double by Mike Karam and a single by Colin Mansfield set the stage for two more runs, on a RBI grounder by Anthony Magazu and a Franklin error.
That was enough for Nicolas, who wasn't touched for a run until the top of the fifth, allowing four hits, with three strikeouts and one walk.
The rains came in the bottom of the fifth, with Ashland having two on with two outs.
Ashland hosts Framingham tonight.
July 13
Westboro 5, Hudson 3 (9 innings)
Westborough's Curtis Garry won't soon forget yesterday's Senior Babe Ruth matchup against Hudson.
After his RBI double in the seventh helped Westborough send the game into extra innings, Garry socked a two-run walk-off home run to lift his team past the visitors 5-3 in nine innings.
Hudson led 3-0 through 6 1/2 innings before Westborough fought back. Tyler Anderson and Joe Black (3 hits) each singled to start the inning. After Anderson scored on an error, Garry rapped a double to left to plate Black. Chris Atchue put the finishing touches on the comeback, ripping a single to bring in Garry.
Then in the ninth, with Black on safely again, Garry blasted a shot over the left-field fence, allowing Westborough to creep over the .500 mark at 7-6.
Hudson (2-11) was led by Chris Bowler, who not only went the distance on the mound but had a team-high two hits. He got help in the fifth when Hudson turned a 1-0 edge into a three-run bulge as Nick Herman and Dickie Constantine had RBI singles.
July 12
Holliston/Medway 6, Hopkinton 4
Nick Peduto broke a tie with a leadoff home run in the top of the seventh inning as Holliston/Medway clinched a playoff berth with a 6-4 win at Hopkinton in Senior Babe Ruth action.
Steve Pfeil had a perfect game through five innings before Hopkinton (5-9) rallied for three runs in the sixth to tie the game. Peduto put Holliston/Medway (8-6) back ahead with a blast to left and the visitors tacked on two more in the frame.
Hopkinton scratched out a run in the bottom of the seventh, but Mike Coppinger came on for his third save of the year to close it out. Pfeil allowed three runs on three hits with five strikeouts in 61/3 innings, improving to 4-1 on the season.
Coppinger had a pair of hits, including a double, and an RBI and Brian Maroney added three hits and two RBI to lead the offense. Pfeil helped his own cause with a double, while Jay Turner also doubled.
Holliston/Medway hosts Milford on Monday.
July 11
Natick 4, Framingham 3
In Senior Babe Ruth action yesterday, visiting Natick edged Framingham, 4-3, behind a stellar effort from Justin Waters.
Waters pitched a complete game to pick up the victory. While he struck out just a pair of opposing batters, Waters induced 11 ground-ball outs to help his cause.
Framingham scored early to take a 2-0 lead, but Natick came back when Waters hit a third-inning single to bring home Dan Balc (2 runs). It stayed that way until the fifth inning, when Natick took the lead thanks to Brett Allard's two-run triple that scored Waters and Mike Reynolds.
Finally, in the top of the seventh, Balc walked and came home on a double by Waters (2-3, 2 RBI, 2 runs) to make it a 4-2 lead. While Framingham managed to bring home a run in the bottom of the inning, a great defensive play from David Cole helped preserve the victory.
Bellingham 9, Hopkinton 8
Bellingham played stellar defense and took advantage of three Hopkinton errors to pull out the win in Senior babe Ruth action.
In the second inning, Bellingham's Danny Rolls helped turn a pair of double plays in picking up the victory. While Rolls walked five and struck out just one, it was his own defense and the infield behind him that helped halt potential Hopkinton rallies.
At bat, the hosts used a four-run rally to put the game away in the sixth inning. Bellingham's Matt Mineau and Mike Russell finished the game with a two RBI each. Dave Nawrocki slapped a double for Bellingham (5-8), which is now tied with Hopkinton for the last and final playoff spot in the South division.
July 10
Marlboro 7, Framingham 5 (8 innings)
On the road, Marlborough rallied from a 5-2 deficit to tie the game in the top of the seventh, then won a Central Section showdown with two runs in the eighth inning to stun host Framingham, 7-5.
It was Marlborough's second win of the season, moving it to 2-10, while Framingham fell to 4-8.
Aggressive baserunning earned Marlborough the win. Paul Hubbard walked and stole second to start the seventh-inning rally. Mike Bergeron singled him home, then stole second. Adam Feeney tripled home Bergeron, then Kyle Causey singled home Feeney to force extras.
In the eighth, Dave Pacific singled then stole second - allowing Eli Rosenwaike to knock him home. Rosenswaike then stole second, and Hubbard singled him home.
Feeney and Causey each had two hits for the victors. On the mound, Adam Feeney relieved with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth and pitched out of the jam, then tossed two scoreless innings to get the win.
Westborough 8, Hudson 5 (8 inn.)
Curtis Garry collected a pair of hits, drove in two runs, including the game-winner in the eighth inning, and picked up his first win on the mound as visiting Westborough edged Hudson in extra innings in a Senior Babe Ruth clash.
Chris Atchue added two hits, including a double, as Atchue and Garry smacked back-to-back doubles in the fifth to put Westborough (6-5) on the board. Westborough added two more in the seventh, but Hudson (2-9) answered with three in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. but Hudson had no answer for Westborough's three-run rally in the eighth.
Matt Botelho and Chris McDonald each had two hits for Hudson, with Botelho, Dickie Constantine, Carlos Vazquez and Nick Herman each adding doubles. Vazquez went the distance on the mound for Hudson.
Natick 8, Sudbury 5
Pat Forshner collected three hits, including a double, and two RBI to lead Natick past host Sudbury in a Senior Babe Ruth clash.
David Cole added two hits and two runs and Ryan MacKinnon drove in a pair of runs for Natick (10-2), while Greg Fortini also doubled.
On the mound, Mike Reynolds struck out three over six innings to improve to 2-1, while Greg Latouf pitched the seventh to pick up his second save.
Mike Albano had two hits, including a double, and three RBI for Sudbury (5-7), while Alex Burpee added a two-run double.
Franklin 8, Hopkinton 1
Franklin moved to 11-2 in South section play with a dominating performance against Hopkinton in the final score, but not in the hit column.
Franklin hurlers Steve Florest and Chris Livingstone allowed 12 hits, but surrendered just one run. Franklin only had five hits, but used six Hopkinton errors to win the game big.
Drew Pfeiffer went 1 for 2 with two RBI, while Todd Bartolomei added a hit and a RBI for the victors.
For Hopkinton, Brian Colella went 2 for 3, knocking in his club's only run.
Holliston/Medway 7, Ashland 1
Matt Pendleton delivered on the mound and Paul Cherchia came up big at the plate as Holliston/Medway downed visiting Ashland in Senior Babe Ruth action.
Pendleton (1-3) earned his first win of the summer as he went the distance, allowing just one run on three hits while fanning seven and walking none.
Cherchia was 3 for 3 with a triple, a double and two RBI. Nick Peduto added a double and Stephen Pfiel was 2 for 2 with an RBI for Holliston/Medway (7-6).
Pat Olson went the distance in a losing effort for Ashland (2-9).
Milford 3, Bellingham 2
Sean Ricciutti tossed a complete game seven-hitter, striking out three and lowering his ERA to 0.90 in a nail-biting win over Bellingham.
Milford (12-1) scored two runs in the first inning and one more in the second, thanks in part to Steve Devitto (2-3, RBI), Brian Hayes (2-3) and Kevin Casey (2-2).
July 9
Hopkinton 10, Marlboro 5
Stephen Peshler had the key hit in what was an offensive boom for Hopkinton, rapping a two-run single in a four-run fourth that finished off visiting Marlborough, 10-5 in a Senior Babe Ruth game shortened to five innings due to rain.
Hopkinton (5-6) got started with three runs in the first, fueled by a two-run double by Zak Weisberg. Chris Malone followed with a double of his own, bringing in Weisberg.
The hosts were ahead 6-1 before Marlborough struck for four in the top half of the fourth. Drew Dallamora and Chris Fucci each logged multiple-hit games for Marlborough, which couldn't mount enough of a comeback to beat the rains.
Hopkinton looks to reach .500 tonight when it travels to Franklin.
July 8
Milford 5, Hopkinton 4
Anthony Coppola came through with a two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth to lift Milford past Hopkinton, 5-4, in Senior Ruth South Division play.
Coppola finished the day 2 for 3 with three RBI to pace the Milford (11-1) offense. Mike Connell chipped in with a 3-for-3 day and scored twice, while Dan Messer had two hits and scored once. On the mound, Mark Delvecchio improved to 4-0 by striking out five in going the distance.
For Hopkinton (4-6), Steve Flynn had two hits, an RBI and a run scored.
Milford hosts Bellingham tomorrow at Town Park (6 p.m.).
Franklin 7, Holliston 3
Franklin improved to 10-2 on the season behind a 10-hit attack in topping Holliston/Medway in South Division action.
Ray Adams had a big day for Franklin, by going 2 for 2 with a home run and two RBI. Brian Risica and Todd Bartolomei each chipped in with two hits and combined for two RBI and two runs.
For Holliston/Medway (4-6), Mike Shilaie scored twice, while Mike Coppinger had a double and RBI.
Franklin hosts Hopkinton tomorrow (6 p.m.).
Bellingham 5, Ashland 3
Chris O'Grady struck out 18 batters and walked just one to lead host Bellingham over Ashland.
Ashland (2-8) scored three runs in the first inning after O'Grady walked his lone batter and was hurt by two errors behind him. But after the three runs scored with one out, O'Grady shut the door. He struck out the final two batters of the inning, and then the side in the next four innings, a total of 14 batters in a row.
Bellingham (4-6), meanwhile, scored twice in the bottom of the first and then single runs in the second and third innings to take a 4-3 lead. They added one more run in the sixth for the final margin.
With the win, O'Grady improved to 1-1 on the season.
Bellingham plays at Milford tomorrow evening.
Framingham 6, Hudson 2
Framingham had five players with multiple hits and four players with RBI as an even offensive attack led Framingham over visiting Hudson, 6-2, in a Senior Babe Ruth league game.
Matt Hurley went 4 2/3 to get the win for Framingham (4-6) while Matt Hurley took the loss for Hudson (2-8). With the win, Hurley improves to 2-0, while Bowler falls to 2-1.
Framingham scored single runs in the second and third innings to take a 2-0 lead before Hudson got on the board with a run in the top of the fourth. After Framingham answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth and both teams scored single runs in the fifth, Framingham led 4-2. The hosts added two more runs in the sixth for the final margin.
Framingham next plays at home against Marlborough tomorrow evening.
July 7
Check Swings
Milford (10-1) and Franklin (9-2) are on a collision course for first place in the South Division of the Central Massachusetts Senior Babe Ruth League. The teams are scheduled to meet July 17. That game, which is right around the end of the regular season, is scheduled to be held at Franklin High School. The teams met on June 19, with Milford taking a 5-4 decision.
July 3
Franklin 4, Westborough 2
Chris Livingstone went 2 for 2 with a triple to lead host Franklin to a Central Mass Senior Babe Ruth League win over Westborough.
Franklin (9-2) had only three hits on the day, but rode to victory on the strength of a solid defense that made just one meaningless error. Conversely, Westborough (6-4) committed five costly errors.
Steve Florest (3-0) earned the pitching win with relief help from Drew Pfeiffer.
For Westborough, Curtis Garry went 2 for 3 with a triple and Tom Blackney went 2 for 3 with a solo home run.
Both teams will be in action Monday with Franklin traveling to Holliston and Westborough hosting Natick.
July 1
Natick 6, Ashland 0
Nick Billings didn't need an offensive explosion but he got it. The Natick fireballer struck out 10 and threw a one-hitter, while Tim Nelson and Brad Connelly belted first-inning homers to top off Natick's 6-0 shutout of Ashland in a Senior Babe Ruth clash.
Nelson socked a solo shot to lead off the game, and shortly after, Connelly connected on a two-run homer that quickly put Natick (7-2) up 3-0.
With Natick up by four, Matt O'Reilly added more insurance in the sixth with a two-run double, but it was insurance that Billings wouldn't need.
Milford 4, Framingham 1
Sean Ricciuti improved to a perfect 3-0 on the season by going the distance, allowing three hits, one run and striking out four to pace Milford past Framingham in interleague play.
Dan Messer led the offense for Milford (9-1) by hitting a solo home run in the fourth and going 2 for 3 on the day. Anthony Coppola (2 for 3, RBI) and Jeff Innis (2 for 4) also had good offensive games Andrews.
Hopkinton 5, Hudson 4
Hopkinton used a pair of bookends to win this Central League affair in Hudson, taking a 4-0 lead in the top of the first, then breaking a tie with a singleton in the top of the seventh to post the one-run triumph.
Hopkinton moved to 4-5 thanks to Chris Malone and Brian Colella. Malone went 3 for 4 on the day with a RBI triple and two runs scored - the last on Colella's RBI double in the seventh.
That was just enough for Steve Flynn to notch his first win of the year, who went the distance in a five-hitter, striking out three, walking two and hitting two batters.
Flynn made one big mistake, to Brad Phaneuf, who roped a three-run double in the fourth to get Hudson (2-7) back into the game. Carlos Vasquez went the distance but was tagged with the loss for the hosts.
Holliston-Medway 9, Marlborough 1
Mike Coppinger had three hits including a two-run home run, three runs batted in and scored one run to lead Holliston-Medway over host Marlborough.
Coppinger relieved starter Steve Pfeil in the third inning and held Marlborough (1-8) in check to earn the win. In addition to Coppinger, Holliston-Medway (5-5) got two doubles, an RBI and a run from Paul Cherchia and Sean Fitzpatrick doubled and had two RBIs.
Franklin 4, Sudbury 0
Franklin's Chris Gordon had shoulder surgery two years ago. He started one game that year, took last season off, and returned to the Senior Babe Ruth squad this summer.
All Gordon did in his third career outing was throw an 11-strikeout no-hitter, dazzling Sudbury in Franklin's 4-0 triumph.
"He pitched phenomenal," Franklin coach Larry Bartolomei. "He was around the plate all night long. He was never in trouble."
Gordon gave up just one walk and avoided damage from two errors in the field. Other than that, he dominated, retiring the last 18 batters he faced.
Offensively, Drew Pfeiffer had two hits. His RBI single in the first provided all the run support Gordon needed.
Franklin (8-2) padded its lead in the third by scoring three runs. Sudbury was victimized by five errors on the day. Two in the third led to runs, and Kyle Dow's sacrifice fly plated another.
But the story was Gordon, who had a good rhythm with catcher Todd Bartolomei all evening.
"In this heat, to go seven innings, it really was phenomenal," the Franklin coach said. "He did a great job. And behind every great pitcher is a great catcher."
The no-hitter was a far cry from Gordon's first go on the mound this season. On June 12, the senior-to-be gave up seven walks in throwing a two-hitter against Hopkinton. Franklin won the game 8-2.
Franklin returns to action tomorrow when it hosts Westborough
June28
Westboro 6, Holliston/Medway 0
Tony Healy pitched a three-hit shutout to lead visiting Westborough to a 6-0 win over Holliston-Medway in a Senior Babe Ruth matchup.
With the win, Westborough improves to 5-3 on the season while Holliston-Medway falls to 4-5 with the loss.
While Healy (2-1), who struck out 11 and walked just two, was shutting down Holliston-Medway, Joe Black was leading the Westborough offense. Black had two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Russell Heim was 2 for 2 with two runs, Vic Melfa tripled and Healy helped his own cause with a pair of hits and an RBI.
Westborough next plays Bellingham on Monday while Holliston-Medway hosts Marlborough the same evening.
Milford 7, Marlborough 5
Rob Martinelli drove in the game-tying and game-winning runs with a double in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead host Milford over Marlborough in a Senior Babe Ruth matchup.
Milford (8-1) trailed Marlborough (1-7) by three runs heading into the sixth inning before erupting for five runs highlighted by Martinelli's two-run double. Earlier in the game, Martinelli tripled.
Ray Barlow was 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI and Brian Hayes was 2 for 3 with a run for Milford.
Marlborough scored four runs in the top of the first, and after Milford scored twice in the bottom of the first, Marlborough added a run in the top of the third to make the score 5-2, where it stayed until the decisive sixth.
Mark Delvecchio went the distance on the hill to earn the win for Milford and improve his record to 3-0 on the season.
Mike Bergeron was 3 for 4 with three stolen bases for Marlborough, while Drew Dallamora doubled.
Milford next plays at Framingham on Monday.
Bellingham 5, Framingham 2
Mike Rolls doubled in two runs in the first inning while Andrew Parker went the distance on the mound to lead Bellingham over visiting Framingham in a Senior Babe Ruth game.
Framingham opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning, but Bellingham (3-5) responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning highlighted by Rolls' double.
Bellingham added a run in the third, and after Framingham scored in the fourth, Bellingham ended the scoring with a run in the fifth to make the score 5-2.
Parker (1-0) threw 120 pitches in the complete-game victory, striking out 10 batters and walking two.
Bellingham hosts Westborough on Monday.
Franklin 5, Natick 4
Ryan Risica went 3 for 3 with a double, triple, three runs scored and a run batted in to lead Franklin over host Natick in a Senior Babe Ruth matchup.
In addition to Risica, Franklin (7-2) got significant production from Kyle Dow and Drew Pfeiffer, both of whom had two hits and two RBI.
Pfeiffer started for Franklin and went six innings to earn the win while Mike Reynolds took the loss for Natick (6-2).
The Natick offense was led by Pat Forsher, David Cole and Jared Doucette, who each had two hits.
Franklin hosts Sudbury on Monday while Natick hosts Ashland that same day.
Hudson 12, Ashland 7
Ryan Botelho (3-4, RBI, 2 runs), Matt Botelho (3-4, RBI), Dickie Constantine (1-1, 4 SB) and Carlos Vasquez (1-2, 3 RBI) paced a strong offensive attack, as Hudson defeated host Ashland in a Central Massachusetts Senior Babe Ruth League game on Friday night.
Pat Olson (3-4, 2B, RBI) and Brad Jollymore (2-3) led the way for Ashland.
June 26
Natick 9, Milford 1
Matt O'Reilly went the distance on the hill and David Cole went deep in a five-RBI night as host Natick knocked off previously unbeaten Milford, 9-1, in Senior Babe Ruth action.
O'Reilly allowed just four hits while striking out seven to improve to 2-0 on the year. Cole had two hits and five RBI, including a three-run homer in the first as
Natick (6-1) tallied five runs in its first at-bat.
Brett Allard also homered - a solo shot in the third - and finished with two hits,
while David Guen doubled and drove in two runs. Right fielder Pat Forshner made six putouts to lead a flawless defensive effort.
Kevin Casey was 2 for 3 for Milford (7-1), while Chris Vine tossed three innings of hitless relief.
Natick hosts Franklin tomorrow, while Milford hosts Marlborough tomorrow.
Holliston/Medway 3, Hudson 2
Stephen Pfeil fired a complete-game four hitter, leading host Holliston/Medway to a win over Hudson.
Pfeil struck out three as he improved to 3-0. Mike Shalalie provided offensive support, going 2 for 2 with a double, while Joe Terio added an RBI single in a two-run third.
Hudson (1-5) scored one in the first and one in the sixth, but Holliston/Medway (4-4) pulled ahead with two in third and one in the fourth.
Holliston/Medway hosts Westborough tomorrow.
Hopkinton 7, Framingham 6
Brian Colella went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI, including the game-winning double in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs as Hopkinton squeezed by Framingham.
Hopkinton (3-4) received a solid pitching performance from Kevin Binney (complete game), as well as at the plate from Ryan Schiloski (2-4) and Zach Weisberg (2-4, RBI).
Framingham's offensive attack was led by Matt Saari, who belted three hits.
Westborough 13, Ashland 2
Tom Blackney took a no-hitter into the seventh, and host Westborough held on for a win over Ashland.
Blackney (2-2) struck out 11 and allowed just one hit as Westborough improved to 4-3. Blackney also tripled while Curtis Garry had two hits, including a triple, and two RBI and Joe Black added two hits.
Anthony Magazu broke up the no-hit bid with a double in the seventh for Ashland (2-6).
Westborough hosts Medway/Holliston tomorrow.
Sudbury 4, Bellingham 3
Dave Antico belted a one-out, bases-loaded RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, helping power host Sudbury to this Senior Ruth triumph over Bellingham.
With one out, Sudbury loaded up the bases via two walks and a hit batsman off Bellingham reliever Dave Nawrocki. Antico then belted the Nawrocki offering through the right side, scoring Adam Kurtzer from third. The hit was Antico's second of the game.
Mike Albano picked up the win in relief of Sudbury starter Kurtzer. Kurtzer struck out four through the first six innings.
Todd Norley played a solid defensive game for Sudbury. In the top of the fourth, Bellingham's Andrew Parker smacked a long fly to deep center, snared by Parker on the run.
Sudbury is in action again at Feeley Field on Friday hosting Hopkinton (7 pm).
June24
Holliston/Medway 3, Natick 0
In his debut performance on the Senior Babe Ruth hill, Jay Turner likely earned himself another outing.
Turner, who just completed his sophomore year at Holliston, gave up four hits and fanned 14 as Holliston-Medway stunned Natick 3-0 in a Senior Babe Ruth matchup.
Turner struck out the side in the first, second and sixth inning. He had eight strikeouts through three and polished off the shutout by whiffing two more in the seventh.
"I was going to give him a look in a mop-up at some point," Holliston-Medway coach Pete Cherchia said. "The starter didn't show tonight, so I threw in Turner. That's the truth. I think I'll pitch him again, though."
Sean Fitzpatrick and Nick Peduto each had RBI singles in the first for Holliston-Medway, and Paul Cherchia added a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Holliston-Medway takes on Hudson tomorrow at 6 p.m.
Ashland 8, Marlborough 7 (8 inn.)
A Ross Weisman sacrifice fly brought home Mike Rinaldo in the top of the eighth inning with the game-winning run, catapulting Ashland over Marlborough.
Rinaldo, who had singled to start the inning, stole second and reached third on a passed ball to set up the final run. Ashland stole a total of six bases in game.
Rinaldo finished 3 for 5 with an RBI and three runs scored. Richie Nicolas, in his first appearance of the season, picked up the win for Ashland.
For the hosts, Paul Hubbard went 2 for 4 with a double and a triple.
Franklin 8, Framingham 7
After Framingham took a one-run lead after five innings, Franklin jumped out in front with two runs in the sixth to take home a win on the road.
Tyler Pasquarosa led off with a single and Franklin (5-2) then took advantage of two walks. A throwing error on an attempted pickoff plated the tying run and the game-winner.
Steve Florest went 32/3 innings, giving up just an unearned run in registering the win. Chris Livingstone's two-run double in the fifth gave Franklin a momentary lead.
Framingham (3-3) was led by Chris Rushing, who had two hits. His two-run single in the second inning got Framingham off on the right foot.
Westborough 12, Hopkinton 3
Curtis Garry threw just 92 pitches in pitching a complete game to lead host Westborough past Hopkinton.
Chris Black was 3 for 3 with three RBI, Joe Black went 2 for 3 with two runs scored, and Greg Jones drove in a pair of runs to lead the attack for Westborough (3-3).
Zak Weisberg went 2 for 3 with two RBI to spark Hopkinton (3-3).
Bellingham 13, Hudson 2
Visiting Bellingham stole 11 bases and belted out 14 hits in route to a win over Hudson.
The game was called due to darkness after the sixth inning.
Chris O'Grady, Andy Parker and Tony Dionis all had three hits and combined to drive in six for Bellingham (2-4). Dan Tracy added two hits in the win.
Steve Fenoff controlled Hudson on the mound, scattering six hits in giving up two runs in six innings, while striking out three.
Milford 7, Sudbury 1
Sean Ricciuti threw 54 of his 80 pitches for strikes in going the distance in Milford's interleague win over Sudbury.
Milford, which improved to 7-0, got a two-run triple from Steve Divitto in the fifth to break the game open. Ray Barlow (2 for 3, RBI, 2 runs) and Rob Martinelli (2 for 3, RB,I run) also had strong games at the plate.
Milford travels to Natick tomorrow.
June22
Bellingham 12, Marlboro 1
Tony Dionis went 4 for 4 with a double, five RBI and two stolen bases as Bellingham won its first game of the year over host Marlborough 12-1 in Senior Babe Ruth action.
Chris O'Grady went 2 for 4 with an RBI and two stolen bases and Mike Russell was 2 for 4 with two stolen bases, as Bellingham (1-4) swiped nine bases and banged out 10 hits in all.
Bruce Karlson (1-0) overcame a blister on his pitching hand to go the distance for the win in his first start, limiting Marlborough (1-4) to six hits.
Bellingham plays at Hudson on Monday.
Hudson 4, Franklin 3
In a three-run fifth inning, Jeff Bates had an RBI groundout and stole home for the second time in the game to lift Hudson past visiting Franklin in a Senior Babe Ruth tilt.
In the crucial frame, Hudson took advantage of two walks when Chris McDonald squeezed home Nick Herman for the first run. Bates followed with a fielder's choice and once at third, Hudson coach Bob Rego again gave Bates the green light to head for home on the throw back from the Franklin catcher.
"We lost a game against Marlborough last Friday on the exact same play," Rego said. "They scored the winning run on that play so I said what the heck."
Franklin (4-2) was led by Todd Bartolomei, who went 2 for 3, rapping one of his two doubles in the third inning to score a run. Brian Risica chipped in with a pair of hits.
But they couldn't do enough off Hudson starter Chris Bowler, who gave up six hits and struck out five in the complete-game effort.
"We needed the win," Rego said. "We're a young team and it's definitely a confidence builder because Franklin's a good team and they had beaten a lot of good clubs coming in."
Milford 8, Westboro 1
Milford's Mark Delvecchio carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh before falling just short in his bid to write his name in the Senior Babe Ruth record books.
Still, Delvecchio improved to 2-0 on the season, as he led Milford to a 8-1 Senior Babe Ruth interleague win over Westborough. With the loss, Westborough falls to 2-3.
On the evening, Delvecchio displayed pinpoint control, throwing just 76 pitches in seven innings, including 50 for strikes. He finished the game with five strikeouts, while allowing only two hits.
Milford (5-0) provided its hurler with plenty of offensive support by scoring twice in the first.
Four straight singles from Andy Barlow, Steve DeVitto, Jeff Innis and Mike Connell gave Milford the early 2-0 advantage. They padded the lead by adding three more in the fourth, two of which came on Innis two-run double.
For the game, Innis finished 3-for-5 with three RBI, while DeVitto had three hits and two RBI.
Milford is at Hopkinton today (3 p.m.).
Natick 6, Hopkinton 5
Tim Nelson blasted a two-run homer in the top of the seventh as Natick dug out of a 4-0 hole to down host Hopkinton in Senior Babe Ruth action.
Hopkinton (2-2) went up 2-0 in the first thanks to a pair of Natick errors, then doubled its lead in the fourth on a two-run double by Steve Peshler. Ryan Schiloski and John Geffert also doubled for Hopkinton.
Natick (5-0) tied it in the fifth with Pat Forshner's two-run double and an RBI single by Matt O'Reilly being the key hits. After Nelson gave Natick its first lead in the seventh, Hopkinton threatened in its final at-bat, with Geffert making it 6-5 with an RBI double. With runners on first and third and two outs, Nelson ended the game by fielding a grounder at shortstop for the final out.
Nick Billings struck out six and gave up six hits as he improved to 2-0 with a complete-game effort for Natick.
Natick plays at Holliston/Medway on Monday.
Framingham 5, Holliston/Medway 4
Matt Hurley went the distance and struck out eight, as Framingham topped Holliston/Medway in interleague action.
Andrew DelPrete provided all the offense Framingham (3-2) needed, when he laced a one-out, two-run single in the third to give Framingham a 5-2 lead.
For Holliston/Medway, Brian Maroney had a double.
Framingham hosts Franklin on Monday (8 p.m.).
June20
Natick 16, Sudbury 1
Brett Allard blasted a three-run home run in the first inning while Mike Reynolds pitched a three-hit complete game to lead host Natick over Sudbury in a Senior Babe Ruth North Division matchup.
The win was Reynolds' first of the season, while Natick improved to 4-0 on the year. Sudbury fell to 3-2 with the loss.
In addition to Allard, Natick got multiple runs batted in from Dave Cole, Jeff Hansen and Jared Doucette, each of whom drove in two.
Tim Nelson had two hits and scored three runs on the night.
Hopkinton 4, Ashland 2
Second baseman Ryan Shiloski went 2 for 3 with a pair of singles, helping Hopkinton edge Ashland, 4-2, in Senior Babe Ruth action.
Shiloski proved to be the catalyst for two separate Hopkinton rallies, leading off with hits in the first and the fifth. With the win, Hopkinton moved to 2-1, while Ashland fell to 1-3.
Hopkinton starter Keith McDonald went the distance, notching his first win of the season. McDonald allowed four hits and two runs while striking out seven and walking six. He hit one batter.
Designated hitter Steve Pesheler reached base three times for Hopkinton, walking twice and reaching on an error.
Holliston/Medfield 4, Bellingham 3
Joe Terrio proved himself a clutch performer yesterday, helping lift visiting Holliston/Medfield (2-3) over winless Bellingham.
Terrio came up with two on and two out in the top of the seventh, trailing 3-2. Terrio laced a two-strike fastball to right-center field, scoring teammates Stephen Pfile and Nick Peduto, giving Holliston a 4-3 lead.
Pfile picked up his second win of the year (2-0), going seven innings, striking out seven and walking three.
Westborough 15, Marlborough 2
Tom Blackney went the distance on the hill and Westborough banged out 12 hits to down visiting Marlborough.
Blackney (1-1) scattered five hits and walked just two while striking out eight, including setting down the side on just nine pitches in the seventh.
Jarrod O'Donnell led the offense, going 2 for 2 with a double and an RBI, while Russell Heim had two hits and two RBI for Westborough (2-2). Blackney helped his own cause with a double and Chris Black added a triple.
Drew Dallamara and Chris Fucci each had a pair of hits for Marlborough (1-3).
Milford 5, Franklin 4
Steve Divitto had two hits, including a 2-run double, and pitched a complete game to lead visiting Milford over Franklin in a matchup of previously undefeated teams.
With the win, Milford remained undefeated and improved to 4-0 on the season, while Franklin suffered its first loss and fell to 4-1.
Divitto, who gave up two earned runs on five hits while striking out four and walking three, ran his record to 2-0 on the season.
Franklin opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second inning, but Milford quickly answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Frankling then took a 2-1 lead with a run in the top of the fourth, but Milford scored four times in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by Divitto's double, to take a commanding 5-2 lead that they would not relinquish.
Framingham 9, Sudbury 4
FRAMINGHAM - The groundskeepers at Framingham's Bowditch Field need not trim the infield today. Thanks to Jason Gilpatrick, the infield received plenty of attention last night when Framingham and Sudbury squared off in Senior Babe Ruth.
Using a sharp curve to record 14 ground ball outs, Gilpatrick hurled a complete game six-hitter to shut down previously undefeated Sudbury, 9-4.
Gilpatrick, whose only vice was three wild pitches that resulted in two Sudbury runs, struck out three and walked three while surrendering only one run.
"It seemed like I put it exactly where I wanted it every time I threw it," said Gilpatrick of his curve.
Gilpatrick's propensity to induce Sudbury hitters into ground ball outs gave Framingham infielders numerous opportunities. The duo up the middle - shortstop Brandon Steacy and second baseman Jeff Doucette - was flawless despite being extremely active.
"Many of the teams we've played so far have been generous to us in the field," said Sudbury coach Rick Burpee, whose team drops to 3-1. "We had to work for our baserunners tonight."
Gilpatrick's contributions with the bat proved crucial as well. His second-inning, swinging-bunt infield single with the bases loaded just escaped Sudbury pitcher Ben Tatkow's glove before landing near the third base line. Had Tatkow snagged the ball, it would have resulted in a sure double play. Instead, Jared Kamrowski - who led off the inning with a walk - scored from third to plate the second of seven runs Framingham (2-2) recorded in the inning.
"That play gave a whole different complexion to that inning," said Burpee. "If you're going to look at a big play in the game, that was it."
Gilpatrick was the fifth of six straight players to reach base, including the third man to dribble an infield single. Tatkow surrendered two walks and six hits in the inning - the last a Ryan Galluzzo two-RBI rocket that nearly hit the left-hander in the head on its way through the middle.
Galluzzo and Gilpatrick each drove in two runs for the FastSigns while Matt Saari, Andrew DelPrete, Robbie Mayo, Brandon Steacy and Matt Hurley each knocked in one.
Once again, right fielder Adam Kurtzer was outstanding for Sudbury, blasting three hits, stealing a base, driving in one run and scoring one run.
Kurtzer's sixth-inning double helped ignite his team's only real threat of the game. Leadoff batter Todd Norley reached base on an error, Kurtzer doubled and eventually scored on a wild pitch, and Brad Chase walked. Gilpatrick buckled down and induced three ground balls to extinguish the rally and hold Sudbury to only two runs in the inning.
"The sixth inning gave me some worries," said Framingham coach Steve Merritt.
Sudbury's Jeff Goodman pitched well in relief of Tatkow, tossing four innings while allowing only two runs on three hits.
June 17
Summer baseball: Healy hits his spots; Westborough hurler tosses gem in win
Westboro 4, Framingham 0
Westborough's Tony Healy sparkled on the mound, striking out seven en route to a 4-0 one-hit shutout of visiting Framingham in Senior Babe Ruth action.
Healy walked one, hit a batter and threw 94 pitches for Westborough (1-2).
"He just kept them at bay with the curve ball and off-speed stuff and fastball here and there," Westborough coach Skip Walsh said of Healy.
Healy got all the offensive support he needed in the first inning when Matt Gebo's single drove in Jarrod O'Donnell. O'Donnell finished the day with two hits, and his RBI double in a three-run third was followed by a run-scoring two-bagger from Healy.
Framingham broke up Healy's no-hit bid in the fourth with an infield single.
Westborough hosts Marlborough Wednesday while Framingham takes on Sudbury.
Franklin 6, Ashland 1
Todd Bartolomei and Anthony Pasquarosa combined on a one-hitter, as the Franklin Senior Babe Ruth squad moved to 4-0 overall and in South section play with a convincing win over visiting Ashland.
Bartolomei won his first decision of the season by allowing just the one hit - a second-inning double - in five innings of work, walking one and striking out two. Pasquarosa tossed two innings of no-hit relief to close it out, striking out five, walking two and surrendering an unearned run in the top of the seventh.
Offensively for Franklin, Matt Wenger gave his team a lead with a two-run double in the second. Kyle Dow went 2 for 3, including another double.
Milford 16, Holliston-Medway 7
Steve Divitto drilled two doubles and drove in four runs while Rob Martinelli also doubled twice and drove in two runs to lead Milford over visiting Holliston-Medway in a Central Massachusetts Senior Ruth South Division matchup.
Chris Vine started and got the win for Milford, his first of the season against no defeats.
With the win, Milford improved to 3-0 both overall and in the division while Holliston-Medway fell to 1-3 both overall and in the division.
Sudbury 10, Hudson 6
Chris Nouby went 4-for-4 and Mike Albano added three hits as the Sudbury scored the Senior Ruth win over host Hudson last night
Sudbury (3-0) plated a single run in the first and then broke the game open with five runs in the second and four in the third.
Ryan Botelho (2 for 2, RBI) and Jeff Bates (2 for 3 with an RBI) led Hudson (0-3). Carlos Vasquez had a triple.
Natick 6, Marlborough 1
Matt O'Reilly gave up one run on three hits and at the plate tripled and had two runs batted to lead host Natick over Marlborough in a Central Massachusetts Senior Ruth North Division matchup.
In addition to O'Reilly, Natick got a double and two runs batted in from catcher Brad Connolly.
With the win, Natick improves to 3-0 overall and in the North Division, while Marlborough falls to 1-2 both overall and in the division.
June 15
Hopkinton 14, Holliston/Medway 1
Hopedale High junior-to-be Kevin Binney tossed a no-hitter for Hopkinton in a 14-1 Senior Babe Ruth win over Holliston/Medway that was called after five innings because of rain.
Binney, who improved to 1-0, struck out six and the evening and walked only two. He surrendered an unearned run in the bottom of the first, as Hopkinton (1-1) committed two errors on the night. He was aided by an offense that got nine hits from eight different players. Keith McDonald was the only Hopkinton player with multiple hits, as he doubled and singled.
Natick 7, Framingham 2
Brian Leshinski's two-run single highlighted a six-run fifth inning in which host Natick all but secured a victory over Framingham in Senior Babe Ruth action.
Brett Allard also stole home in the inning, and Natick (2-0) scored another in the bottom half of the sixth. Justin Waters pitched a complete-game four-hitter, striking out 12 while walking just one.
Sudbury 11, Westborough 9
Host Sudbury took advantage of a series of walks and two errors to plate six unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to down Westborough in Senior Babe Ruth action.
Adam Kurtzer was 2 for 3 with a double and Alex Burpee added a double and three RBI for Sudbury (2-0). Matt Gebo was 2 for 3 with two doubles and three RBI and Greg Jones was 3 for 3 with a double and two RBI for Westborough (0-2).
Franklin 6, Bellingham 3
Drew Pfeiffer went 2 for 3 with three RBI as Franklin remained unbeaten on the year with a strong victory over visiting Bellingham in Senior Babe Ruth action.
Pfeiffer had an RBI double in the first inning and added a two-run single in a five-run sixth for Franklin (3-0). Todd Bartolomei also singled in the sixth, scoring two more and put Bellingham away.
Andy Crawford gave up just two hits over 51/3 innings for Bellingham.
Milford 9, Ashland 5
Mark Delvecchio didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning, as Milford scored five times in the first two innings to top Ashland in Senior Babe Ruth South Division play.
Delvecchio struck out seven in six innings of work and walk only one. Milford (2-0) was aided by 14 walks on the evening and scored three times in the first inning without the aid of a hit. Ashland falls to 1-2 with the loss.
June 13
Milford 15, Bellingham 8
Milford Senior Babe Ruth began its season with a bang, ripping 15 hits to send host Bellingham to its second successive defeat as Milford rolled to a 15-8 victory.
Milford (1-0) was led by hurler Steve Divitto, who got the win with six solid innings (3 ER, 3 Ks, 2 BBs), while also going 3 for 4 at the plate with two runs scored and four RBI. His big blow was a three-run home run that highlighted Milford's eight-run sixth inning.
Ray Barlow added to the Milford attack by going 3 for 3 with three walks, three RBI and three runs scored.
Milford travels to Ashland tomorrow night (7).
Franklin 8, Hopkinton 2
Franklin moved to 2-0 on the early season with a resounding win over host Hopkinton in a South section Senior Babe Ruth contest.
Coach Larry Bartolomei got a big game from his son Todd, as the Franklin catcher went 2 for 2 with a walk and two RBI on run-scoring singles in the second and sixth innings.
Tyler Pasquarosa added two hits and a run scored for the victors.
Chris Gordon, in his first pitching outing in two years, allowed no runs and just two hits in five innings. He struggled with his control, walking seven, but struck out five. Matt Wenger came in to twirl two innings of no-hit relief.
Franklin hosts Bellingham tomorrow night (6).
Holliston/Medway 9, Ashland 6
Jay Turner 4 for 4 with two doubles, a triple and four RBI to lead Holliston/Medway past Ashland in Central Mass. Senior Babe Ruth action.
Holliston/Medway (1-1) jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first and tacked on a two more in the third to take a commanding lead. Ashland scored four times in the fifth to cut into the lead, but could not over take the hosts.
Reliever Mike Coppinger was outstanding in relief for Holliston/Medway, striking out five in 12/3 innings of work.
Sunday, June 16
Week 1 In Review
The first week was exciting and...wet! The teams did their best to get all three days of playing in, but Mother Nature did not want to cooperate. That means many of the teams are going to have to scramble to make up at least one game. But, let's talk about the games that were played.
In the North Division, Natick was a surprise start out of the gate with two wins. The Redmen had only mustered 3 wins in the last two seasons. Coach Landry returning this year, must have some tricks up his sleeves as his Redmen took on Westboro and Framingham.
Sudbury the North Division regular season first place finisher last year, also started 2-0. Under new head coach Rick Burpee, Sudbury beat Marlboro and Westboro for a tie for the league lead.
Marlboro, also with a new coach (Tom Bergeron, lost their opener, but "stole" their win against Hudson, as the Devils winning run was scored on a steal of home in the last inning with two outs.
In the South, Franklin sits atop the division, winning their first three games. The Milford Micros under new head coach Justin Richards won their first two games. Both teams demonstrated a potent offense and some excellent defense.
Hopkinton, Holliston/Medway and Ashland each have a win, while Bellingham finished the week a surprising 0-3.
Saturday, July 20
Week 6 In Review
The one word that describes the last week of play is....INTERESTING! With rainouts and playoff positions trying to be solidified this week was all of that.
In the North, the final fourth position was not finalized until the last day. With Framingham beating Marlboro on Wednesday by just two runs, Friday's matchups came in to play. Marlboro had to win to have a chance to get into the last spot, but Natick squashed their hopes. Framingham, if they had won, would have clinched it, but a phone call after their loss to Westboro confirmed they were in.
In the South, there was a chance for a showdown for first place, but a surprise win by Ashland over Franklin, stopped that from happening. Milford walked away with first place. Bellingham surged this week and secured third spot, but only after Holliston/Medway conceded their last game against Milford due to the 11-0 lead and the rains.
So it's PLAYOFF TIME!!!! See you Monday.
Tuesday, July 23
He does it all: Pfeiffer hurls, hits Franklin to victory
Franklin 7, Bellingham 3
It wasn't a hard decision for Larry Bartolomei. The Franklin Senior Babe Ruth manager had only one solid candidate for last night's game ball.
Propelled by his bat and his arm, Drew Pfeiffer led Franklin to a 7-3 win over visiting Bellingham in the first game of the South sectional playoffs.
Franklin, now 13-4, will travel to Milford tonight, while Bellingham (8-9) plays a must-win game against Holliston/Medway in the double elimination postseason format.
Pfeiffer threw five innings to get the win, surrendering just one earned run on six hits, striking out four while walking one. He was as good at the plate, going 2 for 3 with two runs scored and a RBI single in his club's 3-run first inning that handed him a 3-0 lead.
Franklin hitters were in a sacrificing mood. Todd Bartolomei went 1 for 1, but his big play was laying down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt for a RBI. Chris Livingstone added a sacrifice fly to score another run.
Larry Bartolomei also singled out the defensive work of center fielder Kyle Dow, who threw out two runners at the plate - one to end the third inning, and another in the fourth.
"Those were huge plays at the time," Bartolomei explained. "We were up 4-1 when he threw out the first one. We scored a run in the bottom of the third to go up 5-1, and they could've come right back to erase that, but Kyle came up big again."
Franklin then scored twice in the fifth to put it away. Matt Wenger pitched two innings of relief, giving up two runs in the sixth. Steve Fenoff went the distance for Bellingham, suffering the loss.
Chris Gordon will get the call for Franklin tonight, against one-loss Milford. The winner will advance to the divisional final.
Tuesday, July 23
Milford quickly turns close one into rout
By Shane Donaldson
Milford 9, Holliston/Medway 1
Good teams capitalize on the opponents' mistakes, which is how Milford turned a quality pitching duel into a 9-1 romp over Holliston/Medway at Fino Field in the first round of the CMass Senior Babe Ruth South Division playoffs.
Leading 2-1 going into the bottom of the fifth, Milford (16-1) scored seven times on three singles, one walk and four errors to blow the game open. It was more than enough run support for pitcher Steve Divitto, who scattered five hits and threw just 71 pitches in tossing a complete game.
The first batter of the game, Holliston/Medway's Brian Morony, reached on an infield single, moved to second on a groundout and then scored on an error, putting the visitors up 1-0 just three batters in. That's all they got off Divitto.
The only other scoring chance came in the fourth, when Joe Terrio led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on a groundout. He was erased in a rundown when Mike Shalalie topped a ball back to Divitto.
"We've been getting incredible pitching all season," Milford coach Justin Richards said. "Steve did an excellent job of moving the ball around and keeping them off balance. He doesn't overpower hitters, but he keeps the ball in play and lets the defense take care of things for him."
Divitto helped his own cause at the plate, banging three hits and driving in three runs. His single to plate Rob Martinelli in the third inning proved to be the deciding run.
Though Divitto did the most damage, the whole Milford lineup made Holliston/Medway starter Steve Pfeil work. By showing patience at the plate, Milford forced Pfeil to throw 87 pitches in five innings.
"This team has been able to lay off high pitches and work counts into their favor," Richards said. "Tonight we got an umpire who was consistent and wasn't calling high strikes. Their kid (Pfeil) threw well, but we made him throw a lot of pitches and eventually we got to him."
For Holliston/Medway coach Peter Cherchia, the loss was particularly tough because his team played very strong defense, the fifth inning notwithstanding. Holliston/Medway turned a pair of slick double plays, and shortstop Mike Coppinger made a lunging grab of a line drive off the bat of Milford's Kevin Andrews that saved two runs in the second.
"One bad inning did us in," said Cherchia, whose team fell to 8-9. "It's tough because we hung in there. Hopefully we can leave this one behind us and come back strong (Tuesday)."
With the win, Milford advanced in the winner's bracket of the round-robin tournament and will host Franklin, a 7-3 victor over Bellingham, tonight at 7 p.m.. Mark DelVecchio will start on the mound. Holliston/Medway will play at Bellingham in the loser's bracket.
Tuesday, July 23
Winning ugly in the playoffs: Sudbury takes opener
By Mike Lopez / Correspondent
Sudbury 10, Westboro 9
It's not often a team can commit 10 errors, get outhit by an opponent, and still come out with a win. But that's exactly what host Sudbury did last night.
Despite the ugly defense, the hosts used some patient and timely hitting, rallying from a 9-8 seventh-inning deficit to take home a 10-9 victory in the first game of the North Division Senior Babe Ruth playoffs.
"We were lucky to win," said Sudbury head coach Rick Burpee. "We didn't play all that well, but I am proud of the effort we gave at the end."
Sudbury's Greg Mullin was the hero, driving in Andrew Wilson with two outs to tie the game in the final inning, and then coming home on a wild pitch with the game-winning run.
It was tight throughout. After Alex Burpee's sacrifice fly in the sixth gave Sudbury an 8-6 lead, Westborough rallied against a tired Mike Albano to take the lead in the final inning. Chris Black reached on an error, and Greg Jones followed with an RBI double to right. Vic Melfa drove him home with a single, tying the game at eight.
Westborough's Matt Read and Matt Gebo then walked, loading the bases. Jarrod O'Donnell followed with a liner up the middle, grabbed by Sudbury shortstop Andrew Wilson. But Wilson's throw to second baseman Jeff Goodman was not in time, and Melfa came home to make it 9-8. Sudbury's Steve Wilson came on to record the final out of the inning.
Westborough was in the driver's seat, but then Mullin stepped in. With Wilson, who was hit by a pitch, on first, Mullin smacked a 1-2 pitch from Westborough's Matt Gebo deep to right center, bringing home Wilson to tie the game.
After Goodman reached on an infield hit, Mullin moved to third. He came home when Anderson threw a wild pitch.
On one side, the loss left Westborough coach Jim Doherty disappointed, but nonetheless happy with his team's effort.
"Read, Melfa and Panaro were all outstanding," said Doherty, whose team moves onto face Framingham, which fell to Natick 7-5 last night. "And the whole team all played well out there today."
Burpee, meanwhile, will take the win, but was not so happy with the way the game went.
"To our credit, we didn't give up, but it was an ugly win," said the coach. Sudbury now faces Natick tonight at 7 p.m.. "We are going to need the good pitching we got tonight, and some much better fielding if we want to win again."
Westborough opened the game with an unearned run off Albano, when Gebo, who was hit by a pitch, went to second on a sacrifice and came home on an error.
But Sudbury then took control, scoring three runs in the second to build a 3-1 lead. After a Dave Antico single, Wilson, Mullin and Jeff Goodman all walked, scoring Antico and loading the bases. Perry Crowell reached on an error, driving home Wilson to make it 2-1, and then Mullin came home on a wild pitch for the 3-1 advantage.
The visitors tied the game in the third, thanks to a pair of walks, two Sudbury errors, and a hit batsman. Burpee ended the inning by making a diving stab of a liner by Melfa (2-3, BB, RBI).
The hosts fought back in the bottom of the inning. Brad Chase sparked the rally, driving home Burpee and Albano with a double to left center. Chase and Antico (2-3, HBP), came home on wild pitches to make it a 7-3 Sudbury lead.
But Westborough (8-9) was not finished.
With reliever Tom Blackney (4 IPs, 2 Ks) setting in on the mound, Westborough scraped a run in the fourth and two in the fifth to cut the Sudbury lead to 7-6. Read's fifth-inning single was the big hit as Westborough tightened the contest. Read finished 2 for 2 with a pair of walks.
Tuesday, July 23
Natick ends postseason skid
By Damian Vega
Natick 7, Framingham 5
Joe Landry coaches with a simple philosophy in the regular season: if you practice, you play.
Landry's credo, however, gets scrapped come the postseason.
"Normally we get 17 or 18 people into the game," said the Natick Senior Babe Ruth coach. "Right now, though, those games are behind us. We'll try to get in as many people as we can, but right now we need to win."
For the first time since 1998, Natick did that last night.
Behind a strong effort on the mound from Nick Billings and timely hitting, Natick topped Framingham 7-5 in the first round of the North Division Senior Babe Ruth playoffs. It marked Natick's first Senior Ruth postseason appearance in four years, and snapped an even longer drought for Billings.
"I haven't been to the playoffs since Little League," he said. "This is really big for us."
"It's been a long time since these guys have played in a game that has been meaningful," Landry added. "We tried to instill into everyone that this is for real and what they did in the regular season doesn't count."
The playoffs are a round-robin, double-elimination format and with the win, top-seeded Natick (14-2) moves on to host Sudbury tonight at Mahan Field (7 p.m.). Meanwhile, fourth-seeded Framingham (5-12) falls into the losers bracket and will travel to Westborough tonight (Gibbons Middle School, 6 p.m.), which it loss to twice in the regular season.
"I really thought we had a good shot tonight," Framingham head coach Steve Merritt said. "We dropped two to them in the regular season and played well again tonight. We just can't seem to get over the hump."
With Billings struggling early on, Framingham appeared to be headed in the right direction.
Jason Gilpatrick (4-4, 2 runs, RBI) led off the game with a single, stole second and came around to score on a single by Joey Sanicandro (2-4, RBI) to make it 1-0. Billings shut down Framingham in the second, and Natick scored three times in its half, as Mike Reynolds plated two with a two-out bloop single to right field. Reynolds reached second on a Billings single and advanced to third when Chris Curtis walked. Reynolds then made it 3-1 by scoring on a passed ball.
"Natick just kept coming at us," Merritt said. "We played well, but they just hit the ball well."
In the third, it was Framingham's turn to hit the ball. Jeff Doucette stroked a single, followed by a one-out double by Gilpatrick. Matt Hurley then tied the game at 3 with a triple to right-center, plating Doucette and Gilpatrick.
From there, Billings took over. The Natick righty surrendered only four hits over the next four innings, while striking out four.
"It always takes me the first few innings to settle down," Billings said. "I went into the game a little nervous. I knew we would produce some runs and I just had to keep it close and keep them to a few runs."
Natick produced those runs in the third inning, as Brad Connelly came around to score on an RBI single from Dave Guen, making it 4-3. Dave Cole and Connelly provided more offense in the fourth with RBI doubles to make it 6-3. Rusty Fortini tacked on a solo home run in the fifth, before Framingham staged a mini-comeback in the bottom of the seventh that fell short.
"The kids are very satisfied right now," Landry said of his Natick bunch. "They want to play well and they want to win. But they want to win the whole thing, and that's not going to be an easy task."
Thursday, July 25
Franklin pulls off South Division upset
|  | | Franklin Pitcher Chris Gordon |
| |
By Jeff Cormier / Correspondent
John Thorton Photo
Franklin 5, Milford 3
Franklin co-coach Larry Bartolomei was so confident of a Milford victory last night, he was having his team make prior arrangements for the upcoming week of the South Division Senior Ruth playoffs.
Sometimes it isn't always smart to plan too far ahead, because one never knows how events will turn out.
Using a four-hitter from Chris Gordon and a strong hitting attack, Franklin knocked Milford from its South Division pedestal with a 5-3 victory at Fino Field, dealing Milford only its second loss of the season in the process.
Milford now needs to win three straight games in three days in order to advance to the World Series. Meanwhile, Franklin earns a day off to regroup and reload for the winner of tonight's Milford/Bellingham contest. Franklin needs only one win for a berth in the World Series.
"This win is big on a bunch of levels," said Franklin co-coach Steve Kittredge. "We're figuring (Milford) will be the team we'll have to play because we're the two best teams. But now we get a night off, our pitching all in line, and we get the momentum and reassurement knowing we can play with this team."
Milford found out immediately just how well Franklin could play after falling behind 2-0 in the first.
After a one-out triple by Kyle Dow plated Brian Risica (who had walked), Todd Bartolomei continued the barrage by punching a two-out single to left to score Dow and give Franklin the two-run edge.
Franklin grabbed another run in the second, this time using a two-out triple from Steve Florest and an RBI single by Ray Adams to increase its lead to 3-0.
Both clubs traded runs in the fifth before Franklin jumped ahead by four in the sixth. That was more than enough for Gordon, as he held Milford to one hit during his first five innings of work and struck out six before being lifted with two outs in the seventh.
"We came out dead the first six innings," Milford coach Justin Richards said. "We finally woke up in the seventh, but it was just too late."
Thursday, July 25
Senior Babe Ruth playoffs: Framingham 6, Westborough 6
Westboro 6, Framingham 6 (top of 8 in)
Framingham held a 6-2 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning but Westborough made a spirited comeback to knot the game at 6 in a North Division playoff. Then the elimination contest was called due to darkness.
The teams will pick the game up tonight, entering the top of the eighth inning. The contest will be at the Gibbons Middle School at 6 p.m. The winner will immediately travel to Sudbury tonight for an 8 p.m. scheduled start.
Thursday, July 25
Parker lifts Bellingham
Bellingham 8, Holliston/Medway 1
Bellingham's Andy Parker has earned the nickname "El Guapo" from his teammates for his resemblance to Red Sox pitcher Rich Garces.
Turns out Parker's having a better year than Garces himself.
Sparked by a six-hit, 12-strikeout effort from Parker, Bellingham secured an 8-1 victory over Holliston/Medway in Senior Babe Ruth playoff action. With the win, Parker improves to 5-1 and Bellingham advances to tonight's elimination game against Milford (Town Park, 6 p.m.).
"We're on a roll right now," said second-year Bellingham coach Lee Rolls, his team now 9-9 after opening the season 0-3. "We've come together in the past month."
Parker's effort was his third straight complete game.
Meanwhile, Holliston/Medway's season ends at 8-10. Brian Maroney led Holliston/Medway by going 2 for 4 with a stolen base.
Dan Tracy (2B, 2 RBI), Tony Dionis (3-4, 2 RBI, BB) and David Nawrocki (2B, 2 RBI) had big hits for Bellingham. Rolls said a successful suicide squeeze by Mike Russell in the second inning "changed the tone of the game" as Bellingham took control.
The winner of tonight's Bellingham-Milford game will advance to face Franklin, which needs just one victory to advance to the World Series.
Friday, July 26
Ruthians beat Westborough, but season ends at Sudbury
Framingham 12, Westboro 6 (8 innings)
Sudbury 4, Framingham 2
It was a wild up-and-down evening of North Division playoff action for the Framingham Senior Babe Ruth team last night.
It began in Westborough at 6 p.m., where Framingham completed Wednesday's darkness-postponed contest by posting a 12-6 victory. Framingham scored two runs on successive sacrifice bunts and then Ryan Gagney hit a 350-foot grand slam home run as the visitors ended Westborough's season.
Framingham then went to Sudbury, where its season ended at 6-13 with a 4-2 loss.
Sudbury, now 11-8, comes out of the loser's bracket, and travels to Mahan Field to face Natick tonight. Sudbury must beat Natick twice to win the North and advance to the CMass World Series. Natick needs just one win to advance.
Last night in Sudbury, Alex Burpee busted a scoreless game with a three-run double in the fifth inning. Terry Crowell answered a Framingham run in the top of the sixth by hitting a sacrifice fly, scoring Mike Albano.
Jeff Goodman got the win for Sudbury, tossing 51/3 innings of 7-hit ball, allowing no earned runs, striking out five and walking none. Albano earned the save.
For Framingham, Matt Hurley, Andrew Delprete and Brandon Steacy all had two hits, with Steacy scoring a run and knocking in another.
In the win over Westborough, Matt Hurley also drove in two runs for Framingham. Jared Kamrowski, who hadn't pitched in two years due to injuries, took a 6-2 lead into the seventh inning before tiring and being relieved by Steacy.
Friday, July 26
Milford Knocked Out of Playoffs
Bellingham 6, Milford 0
Chris O'Grady scattered five hits and Bellingham broke the game open with four runs in the top of the seventh inning, knocking South regular-season champion Milford out of the playoffs at Towne Park.
Bellingham (10-9) plays at Franklin tonight (6) in the South Division final. Bellingham must beat Franklin twice to advance to the World Series against the North Division champ.
Tony Dionis went 3 for 4 with four RBI for Bellingham, cracking two singles and a triple. Andrew Parker went 2 for 4 with two RBI for Bellingham.
O'Grady, who recorded 41 strikeouts in the last three games, struck out seven and walked just one.
"We didn't do much during the regular season, but everyone has come to play during the playoffs," said Bellingham coach Lee Rolls.
Steve Divitto socked a triple for Milford (16-3).
"We went 15-1 (during the regular season), we had great year," said Milford coach Justin Richards. "We lost more games in the last 24 hours than we did all season."
Thursday, July 25
Natick Holds On
Natick holds on: Blows 6-1 lead, but then rallies to post Senior Ruth win
By Josh Thomson / Correspondent
Natick 8, Sudbury 6
The wild sixth inning of the playoff game between North Division champ Natick and runner-up Sudbury featured seven runs, six hits and two errors.
Yet, it was not a statistical category but two unlikely shifts of momentum - the second more alarming than the first - that tell the story of Natick's improbable 8-6 victory.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, two men on base and the game tied at 6, Sudbury second baseman Perry Crowell fumbled a towering Dave Guen pop-up allowing Dave Cole to motor home from second for the go-ahead run.
With the win, Natick improves to 16-2 on the season, including 12-0 against North division opponents, and advances to the North final to be played on Friday.
Prior to the error, Sudbury had gained the momentum after getting to Natick's bullpen in the top of the sixth. Natick starter Matt O'Reilly allowed a single to Jeff Goodman to lead off the inning and then exited the game up 6-1, giving way to Greg Latouf. O'Reilly tossed five innings of four-hit, two-run ball but would not earn the win because of a Sudbury offensive explosion that erupted in his wake.
Perry Crowell, Steve Wilson, Ben Tatkow and Alex Burpee all greeted Latouf with hits - the latter two blasted deep doubles - to put Sudbury down by only one run, 6-5. Tatkow and Burpee's doubles each drove in two runners. For Tatkow, it was his second extra base hit in consecutive innings after a fifth-inning triple allowed him to score on a passed ball.
Then, after two outs, Greg Mullin lined a single to left to score Burpee and knot the game at 6. But Natick was not deterred.
"Brad Connelly came in the dugout in the bottom of the sixth inning and said 'For once we're gonna have to come from behind to win a game. We'll see what we're made of,' " Natick manager Joe Landry said. "And we found out we're made of something pretty good."
Natick answered Connelly's order with the wacky bottom of the sixth.
Cole reached base after he was hit in the left arm and then scored on the error to give the Redmen a 7-6 advantage. They increased that lead on the next pitch when Sudbury pitcher Brad Chase, who was clearly rattled after the error, uncorked a wild pitch on the first pitch to Brett Allard, allowing Connelly to score from third to make it 8-6.
Chase, who took the loss despite not surrendering a hit, then calmed down and stuck out Allard looking to end the inning.
Sudbury, who fell to 10-8 with the loss, plays the winner of the Westborough/Framingham loser bracket game, which was not completed due to darkness.
"We had the momentum going in our favor (in the sixth) and Chase came out and was throwing well," said Sudbury manager Rick Burpee. "We thought we were going to come out of that inning tied. It was disappointing."
Natick's confidence will be important if they can win the North Division and move on to the World Series. Their only two losses of the season came against South Division teams.
"They have an awful lot of confidence and deservedly so," said Landry. "They've earned the right to be confident now."
Sunday, July 14
Week 5 In Review
With one week to go the race to the playoffs is starting to unfold. Sure bets in the South, Milford (13-1) and Franklin (12-2), kept on rolling through their opponents this week. Holliston/Medway (8-6) has also secured a playoff spot. Bellingham (5-8), Hopkinton (5-9), and Ashland (2-11) are still battling for the fourth spot.
In the North, Natick (11-2) is still holding tight onto first place while Sudbury (8-6) and Westboro (7-6) are trying to secure the second spot. Framingham (4-8), Marlboro (3-10) and Hudson (2-11) are fighting for the last spot.
| | 2002 |
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2002 All-stars
The All-star game was played Sunday July 7, 7 PM at Mahan Field in Natick.
The North squad won a tight contest 5-4 at Mahan Field in Natick. Jason Gilpatrick came away as the winning pitcher and also had the first hit of the game and scored the first North run when Natick's David Cole smashed a first inning 2 run home run. Joey "Wheels" Sanicandro in center field, and Jared "Scoop" Kamrowski at first base, played solid defense for the North team.
Congratulations to all the players selected to this year's teams.
North Division
1 Mike Bergeron SS, OF Marlboro
1 Jason Gilpatrick P, OF Framingham
2 Joe Black OF Westboro
3 Adam Kurtzer OF, P Sudbury
4 Jarrod ODonnell 3B Westboro
7 Adam Feeney P, IF Marlboro
10 Brad Connolly C Natick
13 Andrew Wilson SS Sudbury
15 Tony Healy P, 1B Westboro
16 Jared Kamroski * P, IF Framingham
19 Nick Billings P Natick
20 David Cole OF Natick
20 Chris Fucci IF Marlboro
24 Brad Chase OF, 1B Sudbury
26 Ryan Botelho C Hudson
32 Jeff Bates OF Hudson
47 Dickie Constantine OF Hudson
50 Joe Sannicandro OF Framingham
30 Matt Saari * (injured) OF, SS Framingham
South Division
3 Jay Turner P, IF Holliston
4 Mike Rinaldo OF Ashland
5 Zak Weisberg 3B Hopkinton
5 Anthony Pasquarosa IF, P Franklin
7 Brian Colella OF Hopkinton
8 Kyle Dow OF Franklin
8 Pat Olson P Ashland
9 Ross Weisman OF Ashland
9 Keith McDonald OF, P Hopkinton
14 Ray Barlow C, IF Milford
23 Drew Pfeiffer IF, P Franklin
23 Mike Coppinger P, SS Holliston
24 Steve Divitto IF, P Milford
24 Steven Pfeil P, OF Holliston
54 Jeff Innis 1B Milford
57 Tony Dionis OF Bellingham
60 Matt Pineau OF, P Bellingham
63 Dave Nawrocki C, P Bellingham
Sunday, July 7
Week 4 In Review
Some things change and some things don't. The league leaders from the beginning, Natick (8-2) for the North and Milford (10-1) for the South, still maintain their positions atop of their respective divisions.
However, the other three spots for the playoffs are getting closer as Sudbury (6-5) loss two and Westboro (5-4) losing one (after winning their last four) while having another game suspended in which they had a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the third. Framingham (3-6) is holding the final playoff spot. And, don't count out Hudson (2-7) and Marlboro (1-8).
In the South, Franklin (9-2) is still on the heels of Milford while Holliston/Medway (6-5) and Hopkinton (4-5) are battling for third, with Belligham (3-6) starting to make a charge. Ashland (2-8) is still in the hunt as well to get in the playoff run.
It's back to league play after the All-star game, so, anything can happen.....
Saturday, June 29
Week 3 In Review
We are now half way through the season and things are still pretty exciting. Through the week of inter-league play we have had a few upsets. Milford dropped their first game of the year to Natick and then Holliston/Meday stunned Natick with a 3-2 win.
In the North Westboro won all three games this week while in the South Franklin has been keeping pace with Milford and Bellingham has started winning.
We have one more week left of inter-league play then the Allstar Game on July 7th. And after that it's back to divisional play.
Thursday, August 1
Franklin is finest: Gordon hurls team to Senior Ruth title
By Damian Vega
Thursday, August 1, 2002
Franklin 3, Natick 0
FRAMINGHAM - Larry Bartolomei and Scott Kittredge exchanged handshakes and flashed broad smiles. Then, the Franklin co-coaches got out of the way.
Behind them, the Franklin Senior Babe Ruth team stormed out of the Bowditch Field dugout like a herd of bulls. Chris Gordon had just put the finishing touches on a 3-0 win over Natick to sweep the best-of-three Senior Babe Ruth World Series and an infield celebration was in order.
Eventually, though, Bartolomei could no longer blend into the background.
Catcher Todd Bartolomei peeled back the coach's cap, rubbed his head and uttered words that brought boisterous reactions from fans and players alike.
"It's coming off," Franklin's Brian Riscia said, "it's all coming off."
For Bartolomei, sacrificing the 'do was well worth the championship.
"I told them that if we went all the way, they could shave my head in the middle of Franklin," Bartolomei said. "They did it and it was a team effort, just as it is has been all season long."
In the other dugout, Natick players tried to understand how they lost as many games in the last 72 hours as they did all season.
"When we started the season, we expected to win the whole thing," Natick catcher Brad Connolly said. "We didn't make the plays we needed to make ... we just didn't get it done."
Offensively, Gordon was the main reason Natick (17-4) couldn't get it going.
Although he often fell behind hitters, the hard-throwing righty struck out eight and carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning.
"I didn't really care how I got them out, as long as I got them out," Gordon said. "We field the ball well and I just wanted to use my defense and let them make the plays."
Franklin (17-4) faced similar struggles at the plate, as Natick's Matt O'Reilly mixed up his pitches well to fan seven and keep Franklin off balance.
"That was the best I've seen Matt pitch," Natick head coach Joe Landry said. "He really had it working tonight."
Franklin, however, was able to scratch a run across in the second. Drew Pfeiffer (2-3) led off with a single and advanced to second on a Todd Bartolomei single. Pfeiffer came around to score on a single up the middle off the bat of Chris Livingston to make it 1-0. That was enough for Gordon.
He cruised through the first four innings, facing three over the minimum. In the fifth, however, Natick finally posed a threat.
Jared Douchette singled on a 1-2 fastball to start the inning. Nick Billings pinch ran for Douchette. With a 1-1 count, Billings took off for second, but was tossed out by Todd Bartolomei - his second of the game - to slow the rally. Chris Curtis followed with a walk and stole second, but Gordon closed the door, by striking out Richard Paquette and Brett Allard.
"We just couldn't get anything going offensively," Landry said. "We had a bunt play on when Nick stole, but clearly it didn't work the way we wanted it to."
With the momentum on its side, Franklin padded its lead in the sixth. Singles from Steve Florest and Brian Risica and a walk to Ray Adams gave Franklin the bases loaded with no outs. O'Reilly then fanned Kyle Dow and got Pfeiffer to ground into a 4-2 fielder's choice. But Todd Bartolomei dashed O'Reilly's hopes of getting out of the jam when he ripped the first pitch past third baseman Tim Nelson to score two and make it 3-0.
Pfeiffer was tossed out trying to reach third, but the damage was done.
"During the season, we were making those plays," Connolly said of Bartolomei's hit. "We didn't make the plays we needed to make when we needed to make them."
Natick staged one last rally in the sixth, as O'Reilly singled to right field. Greg LaTouf hit into a fielder's choice, but Nelson followed with a single and David Cole walked to load the bases with one out.
Connolly stepped up and swung at Gordon's first offering. He was jammed on the pitch and hit a dribbler down the third base line. Anthony Pasquarosa scooped it up and cut down LaTouf at home.
"To swing at the first pitch was stupid," Connolly said. "It was a fastball a little on the inside and I guess I just got a little anxious."
David Guen flied out to shortstop two pitches later and the victory was in hand.
"Just to make it here was great," Gordon said. "To win it is even better."
And the celebration that began last night will conclude Saturday in Franklin Center with clippers in hand.
Saturday, July 27
Natick on to Ruth Series
By Mike Lopez
Saturday, July 27, 2002
Natick 4, Sudbury 2
NATICK - Natick's Mike Reynolds had one goal in mind when facing Sudbury in yesterday's Senior Babe Ruth playoff contest.
"I just wanted to throw strikes," said Reynolds, "and get ahead of batters."
Mission accomplished.
By executing the game-plan to perfection - Reynolds did not walk a single Sudbury batter - host Natick jumped to a 4-0 lead and held on for a 4-2 victory.
The win gives Natick a berth in the World Series, where it will face Franklin. The series will open on Monday.
For Natick assistant coaches Frank Billings and Jim Tomasetti, the effort of Reynolds was anything but surprising.
"It was a real clutch performance out there," said Billings. "He has been doing that all year."
Added Tomasetti: "I am not surprised at all. We had some guys go down with injuries but we knew he would step right in."
Sudbury coach Rick Burpee was gracious to Reynolds in defeat.
"He pitched well out there today, but Natick has beat us four times so far this year. They have good hitting, pitching, and fielding," said the coach. "They deserve to be moving on."
With Reynolds cruising and Natick up 4-0 late in the game, the hosts seemed destined for a World Series berth. But with two outs in the final inning, the visitors finally got on the board in a desperate rally to stay in the game.
Jeff Goodman got it started by reaching on an error. Teammate Andrew Wilson followed with a single to right center and Goodman moved to second. Perry Crowell (2-3, RBI) then slapped a single to right, scoring Goodman. When the ball got past Natick's Pat Forshner in right field, Wilson scored to make it a 4-2 game. But with the game-tying run at the plate, Reynolds got Sudbury's Steve Wilson to ground to second, ending the game.
Alas, Natick was going to the World Series.
"I am really happy for these kids," said Billings. "They have stepped it up."
From the start of the contest, the stars were both pitchers, as the combination of Sudbury's Brad Chase and Steve Wilson and Natick's Reynolds allowed a total of just seven hits in the game. Chase, in fact, had a no-hitter until Jeff Hansen hit a two-out single in the fourth.
While Reynolds was able to escape a pair of jams in the first and the third innings, Natick was able to plate a pair of unearned runs against Chase to start the second.
After Rusty Fortini and Hansen had walked to start the inning, each runner advanced one base when Chris Curtis grounded out. When a Reynolds grounder was misplayed in the Sudbury infield, Fortini and Hansen came home for a 2-0 Natick lead.
The game stayed that way until the fifth inning, when Natick seemed to put the game away with a two-run rally.
Reynolds led off the inning with a walk, and Tim Nelson followed with a single to right. When the ball got by Sudbury's Mike Albano in right, Reynolds took third and Nelson second.
Pat Forshner followed with a grounder to first, sending Nelson to third and scoring Reynolds to make it a 3-0 lead. Dave Cole followed with a perfectly executed squeeze play to bring home Nelson, making it a four-run cushion, enough for the win.
Despite the loss, Burpee was pleased with his team's effort.
"Brad pitched very well," said Burpee. "He hasn't been depended on as much this year, but he stepped up today. It was a good team effort today."
In the other dugout, Reynolds and teammates were ecstatic with the opportunity to move on.
"We have improved so much as a team, last year we weren't even in the playoffs," said the pitcher, who with the win moved to 4-1 on the year. "But now we are in the World Series."
Saturday, July 27
Franklin King of South
By Liam Hurley
Saturday, July 27, 2002
Franklin 8, Bellingham 5
FRANKLIN - To call yesterday's Franklin-Bellingham Senior Babe Ruth game a sloppy, back-and-forth affair might be an understatement.
"We gave it to them, and then they gave it to us, and we gave it to them, and then they gave it back to us," said Franklin co-coach Larry Bartolomei of the contest in which 16 errors were committed and Bellingham coach Lee Rolls was ejected for arguing a stolen base.
In the end, Franklin secured an 8-5 victory. More importantly, the South Division champs earned a berth in the Senior Babe Ruth World Series against North Division champion Natick.
Franklin made its decisive charge last night in the fifth inning with the game tied at 5. That's when Kyle Bartolomei led off with a single and moved to third on Chris Gordon's single. Chris Livingstone then followed with a booming triple, scoring both runners.
"After Chris Livingstone hit that triple in the fifth it seemed to break their backs," Bartolomei said.
Bellingham's Bruce Karlson then relieved Steve Fenoff and was victimized by a suicide squeeze off of the bat of Anthony Pasquarosa. That made it 8-5 Franklin.
Karlson then fanned Matt Wenger before Steve Florest reached first on an error and stole second. The call was debated by Bellingham coach Lee Rolls, who was promptly tossed.
"It was a last-ditch effort to get them fired up, and I guess it didn't work," said Rolls with a grin. "Hey, we played them four times this year and they won each time. They are a better team."
After the wild fifth, the last two innings unfolded without incident.
Early on, the teams matched each other. Bellingham's Dan Rolls began a busy day of scoring in the top of the first with a three-run home run. The homer plated second baseman Chris O'Grady, who singled in his at-bat, and designated hitter Andy Parker, who had reached on an error.
Franklin cut the deficit to 3-2 in the second when Bellingham committed a two-run error.
Franklin made another charge in the fourth, with second baseman Ray Adams (double) and Brian Risica (single) providing key hits to go up 5-3.
Bellingham fought back in the top of the fifth. Right fielder Dan Tracy singled, went to second on a passed ball, stole third and then came home via a single from O'Grady. Matt Pineau then lashed a long single that scored O'Grady and tied the score.
As for Franklin's chances against Natick, Rolls said, "Natick doesn't have a Legion team this year, so it's going to be tough. (Franklin's Chris) Gordon can really pitch, so they'll win one game, but it's gonna be tough."
Tuesday, July 30
Franklin Ruth jumps on Natick early
|  | | Florest turns 2 as O'Reilly slides |
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By Damian Vega
Tuesday, July 30, 2002
Franklin 6, Natick 5
FRAMINGHAM - Drew Pfeiffer picked up the ball and took his warmup tosses just as he had done the previous six innings. In the seventh, though, the Franklin right-hander had a little more fire in his eyes and a lot more on his fastball.
With his squad ahead by one, Pfeiffer mowed down three Natick batters on 12 pitches to give Franklin the 6-5 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three CMass Senior Babe Ruth World Series.
"The adrenaline was just going," Pfeiffer said. "I knew if I worked ahead and threw strikes, I could get them out."
Franklin's Chris Gordon will try to match his teammate's effort tomorrow in Game 2 at Bowditch Field (7 p.m.). Meanwhile, Matt O'Reilly will attempt to keep Natick's season going for another day.
"Winning the first game of the series is really huge," Pfeiffer said. "It sets the entire tone."
Natick head coach Joe Landry also realized the importance of the opener.
"Of course we would've like to have the first one and, right now, the guys are a little dejected," he said of his team, which fell to 17-3. "Without being cocky, the team felt a little invincible and tonight they got their bell rung a bit."
The ringing started right from the beginning.
Franklin (16-4) sent everyone to the plate in the first inning en route to a stunning two-out rally, scoring four runs on four singles, one double and one Natick error.
"That's the way it goes sometimes," Franklin head coach Larry Bartolomei said. "The first two guys went down, but the guys just didn't die. They could've rolled over, but they didn't. That was really big for us."
Kyle Dow (2-3, 2 runs) started the onslaught with a single to right field off Natick starter Nick Billings. Pfeiffer followed with a double to the gap in right that plated Dow. He came around to make it 2-0 on a single from Todd Bartolomei. Bartolomei then scored when Chris Gordon lifted a ball to right that was misjudged by the Natick right fielder.
"Our defense failed us a little bit," Landry said. "Some of the plays I thought we should have made. They were plays we made during the season, but just didn't come up with tonight."
Anthony Pasquarosa made it 4-0 by driving in Gordon with a single to right.
"Nick is a slow starter, but that was a little slower than usual," Landry said. "He settled down and then pitched well after the first. Giving up those runs in the first makes it tough though."
And Pfeiffer didn't need much help.
The Franklin High rising senior was cruising along until he hit a snag in the third. Billings singled with one out before Tim Nelson walked to put runners at first and second with two outs. David Cole stepped up next and drove a 3-2 fastball over 400 feet and touched them all to make it 4-3.
"It was a little inside fastball," Cole said. "On that count, I was looking for a fastball. I turned my hips and was able to turn it around."
Franklin, however, quickly turned around the momentum again, as Steve Florest reached on an error with two outs. Next up was Ray Adams, who chopped a ball to third. The throw to first went awry, though, and Florest scored to make it 5-3.
"We were down after that," Natick catcher Brad Connolly said. "To make a run at them and then they score one with two errors was really tough to bounce back from."
It got even harder when Franklin tacked on a run in the fifth. Pfeiffer led off with a single and came around to score on a single to right that got by the outfielder.
Natick, however, staged another comeback. Chris Curtis led off the sixth by reaching on an error. A walk to Cole made it first and second with one out. Pat Forshner drove in both runners with a single up the middle to make it 6-5. Pfeiffer then got David Guen (1-3) to ground into a 6-3 unassisted double play to end Natick's comeback bid.
"Drew is very calm," Bartolomei said. "He doesn't let things rattle him. He knows what he has to do and he just pitches accordingly."
As a result, Franklin is just one win away from a World Series title.
Natick, Franklin square off in Series
By Eric Avidon / Correspondent
Monday, July 29, 2002
When Franklin and Natick square off tonight in the first game of this year's Senior Babe Ruth World Series, it will be a classic matchup of good pitching vs. good hitting.
Franklin, at 15-4, boasts starters Drew Pfeiffer and Chris Gordon, both of whom are 5-1, while the heart of the Natick lineup is one of the best in the Central Massachusetts. The two teams butt heads beginning tonight (8) at Framingham's Long Field.
"They are one of the better hitting teams around," said Franklin coach Scott Kittredge. "It will be a matchup of our pitching against their hitting."
Similarly, Natick assistant coach Jim Tomasetti said that "the middle of our lineup has been terrific all year. The middle of the lineup is scary when they are on. The bulk of our production this week has come from the bottom of our lineup, but I think the middle of our lineup has to come through for us to win."
Leadoff hitter Tim Nelson is the table-setter for Natick, which enters the series at 17-2. He is followed by Pat Forshner. David Guen, Dave Cole and Brad Connelly, each of whom is hitting over .300, with Cole at a team-best .517.
Despite its outstanding pitching, Franklin will need to get production from the offense to support the pitching of Pfeiffer and Gordon to win the best-of-three series.
"Our team's strength all year has been pitching and defense, but we will be looking for Kyle Dow, Brian Risica and Pfeiffer to lead the offense," said Kittredge. "They are the (number) two, three and four hitters in our lineup and have come through for us all year."
Meanwhile, Natick will need more than just its offense if it is to beat Franklin.
Nick Billings (6-0) is slated to start the series opener against Pfeiffer. He will be followed by Matt O'Reilly (4-0), who will be opposed by Gordon, in Game 2 on Wednesday night at Bowditch Field in Framingham.
If there is a third game, it will be Friday at Bowditch, and Natick will start either Justin Waters, who was recently in a car accident and may not be available, or Mike Reynolds (4-1), who pitched Natick into the World Series with a win in the North Division championship.
Kittredge said that he will not make a decision on a Game 3 starter until he has to.
Natick advanced to the World Series by beating Sudbury 4-2 in the North Division championship behind Reynolds' pitching and a pesky offense that managed to score four runs on a series of walks, errors, timely hits and a perfectly executed squeeze bunt.
Franklin advanced with an 8-5 win over Bellingham in the South Division final, highlighted by a triple off the bat of Chris Livingstone that plated two runs and key hits by Ray Adams and Risica.
Natick last played for the championship in the early-to-mid 1990s, while Franklin, which played for the District 6 title in 1999, is in its first World Series since moving.
The two teams squared off earlier in the season, a game Franklin won 5-4.
"Their two, three and four hitters did a lot of damage in that game," said Franklin's Kittredge. "The middle of the lineup did the damage against us the first time we played them."
Tomasetti said that, "they showed that they were the best team in the South. They are a good-hitting ballclub and if we are to win we can't give them runs. Of we make any errors I guarantee it will come back to hurt us."
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