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 News 2006 |
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Tuesday, June 13
Monday, June 13
Franklin 4, Dover_Sherborn 0: Brian Collatos was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI and Brian Young was 2-for-3 to lead the Franklin Senior Babe Ruth team to a 4-0 victory over host Dover-Sherborn.
Holliston 5, Ashland 0: Pitching for the first time in four years, Holliston pitcher Matt Rider allowed just one hit over seven innings to earn the win for the hosts. His Ashland counterpart, Joe Lill, broke up the no-hitter in the seventh.
Natick 1, Sudbury 0: Dan Turner twirled a one-hit shutout, throwing just 66 pitches in seven innings, to lead Natick to a 1-0 victory over Sudbury in the Senior Babe Ruth season opener for both teams. Turner struck out two and didn't walk a batter, although two Sudbury batters were hit by pitches.
Friday, June 16
Thursday, June 15th
Westborough 1, Ashland 0 (11 innings)
Westborough opened its season with a bang as Kevin Kinnard scored on an Andy Basque single in the 11th inning to break a scoreless tie with Ashland. Kinnard led off the 11th with a walk and went to second after a pick-off throw to first got by the first basemen. He then came around to score when Basque singled up the middle. Mike Skirvin started for Westborough, allowing two hits and two walks over six innings, while striking out three. Andy Bower and Anand Shah (1-0) threw five shutout innings of relief, surrendering only one hit to their Ashland counterparts. Westborough (1-0) is at Dover-Sherborn today (6 p.m.).
Saturday, June 17
Friday, June 16th
Ashland 5, Framingham 3
Joe Lill came in to start the fourth inning of a 4-3 game and shut the door on Framingham, going the four remaining frames and allowing just two hits and no runs to guide Ashland to a Central Mass. Senior Babe Ruth win. Lill had five strikeouts and walked on, and also went 1-for-3, reached twice on errors and scored three times. Chris Copithorn added two RBI in win for Ashland (1-2).Steve Lowry added a double and two RBI for Framingham (0-1).Ashland visits Milford tomorrow (noon).
Natick 6, Medfield 1
Right-hander James Clover went six innings, struck out six and endured six walks to pick up a Senior Babe Ruth win as Natick scored in all but one inning to cruise past Central Mass. Senior Babe Ruth foe Medfield. Second baseman Will Soderholm went 1-for-2 with a walk, two runs scored and five stolen bases as Natick moved to 2-0. Brett Hayes had a single and a walk in the Medfield (0-2) loss.Natick visits Dover-Sherborn on Monday (6 p.m.).
Bellingham 8, Milford 3
Tyler Metcalf belted a three-run triple in the sixth inning and starter Matt Nord pitched a strong game as Bellingham rolled past Milford in Senior Babe Ruth action. Nord went 5 1/3 innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs and fanned eight for the win. Steve Robery went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and reliever Eric DiMarco pitched out a late-inning jam for the Bellingham. Mike Olivera smacked a double and Brendan Casey had an RBI hit for Milford.
Franklin 2, Holliston 0
Southpaw Leo McNeil pitched all seven innings, striking out nine, walking one and scattering just two hits as Franklin blanked Central Mass. South division foe Holliston. Franklin (2-0) broke a scoreless tie in the sixth when right fielder Brian Collatos smashed a triple to drive in a run. Shortstop Luke Girolamo's RBI single in the seventh tacked on the insurance run.
Right-hander A.J. Welch was strong in defeat for Holliston (3-1), allowing just three hits over seven innings while striking out seven and walking four. Franklin travels to Hopkinton on Monday (5:45 p.m.).
Medway 13, Hopkinton 6
Rick Guyette went 2-for-4 with three runs scored as Medway rebounded from a season-opening loss to breeze past Hopkinton in Senior Babe Ruth action.Guyette led an offense that scored in six of seven innings and blew open a 7-6 game with a five-run sixth. First baseman Pat Cuff and shortstop Ryan Tkowski both went 2-for-4 for Medway (1-1).Mark Sanborn was 2-for-2 for Hopkinton (1-1). Medway travels to Holliston Monday (7 p.m.), while Hopkinton hosts Franklin, also on Monday (7 p.m.).
Monday, June 19
Sunday, June 18th
Ashland 7 Milford 6
Joe Lill reached on a two-base error and scored on two passed balls to give Ashland a 7-6 win over Milford in an anticlimactic end to an offense-heavy Senior Ruth game. After Milford jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, a fifth-inning two-run single by Ashland's Chris Copithorne put Ashland up 3-2. After trading runs, Milford's Derek Johnson scored from first in the sixth inning to tie the game at 6-6 when a routine groundout to short was dropped at first base. Joe Falone and Derek Santasky each had two hits for Ashland, while Kyle Lavigne was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. Milford leadoff batter Tom Kane led all players in hitting with a 4-for-4 performance at the plate, in addition to three runs. Johnson finished 2-for-3, while Mike Oliveri also had a strong performance on the mound. The game put both teams at 2-2, and each will look to go over .500 on Wednesday when Bellingham plays at Ashland and Milford hosts Holliston.
Bellingham 6, Westborough 0
Tyler Metcalf and Norm Landry combined on a two-hit shutout as host Bellingham defeated Westborough in Senior Babe Ruth action. Bellingham (2-0) also saw Edwin Rivera go 2-for-3 with an RBI and a spectacular catch at shortstop. Metcalf went five innings on the mound, allowing two hits. Landry pitched two innings of shutout relief. Mike LaMothe had a solo home run to left field in the third inning while Brendan Park and Eric DiMarco had doubles for the winners. Bellingham will host Sudbury today, starting at 8 p.m.
Tuesday, June 20
Monday, June 19th
Franklin 9, Hopkinton 4
Andrew Leenhouts fanned 10 batters in five innings, leading Franklin to a 9-4 victory over Hopkinton. Offensively, Leenhouts went 1-3 with a base hit, driving in a run and scoring once. Third baseman Pat Lawler contributed with a base hit and a double, getting two rbis and a run. Catcher Mike Batista also hit a double, drove in two runs and scored once.Franklin (3-0) visits Medway tomorrow at 6 pm
Bellingham 5, Sudbury 4
Norm Landry came through with a walk-off one-out bases-loaded single in the bottom of the seventh to break a 4-4 tie and lead Bellingham past CMass Senior Ruth rival Sudbury, 5-4.In the top of the inning, Bellingham right fielder Matt Nord threw out a runner at the plate, tagging to score the go-ahead run. Bellingham travels to Ashland tomorrow (7 p.m.)
Natick 11, Dover-Sherborn 2
Junior pitcher Oscar Otero pitched a complete game, leading Natick to a dominating 11-2 victory over Dover-Sherborn. Sophomore right fielder Jayme Bellofatto went 2-3 with a double and a triple for Natick (3-0), driving in four runs. Otero went 2-4, knocking in two runs. Pitcher Keith Sheppis lasted four innings, going 2-3 at the plate for Dover-Sherborn (1-3). Natick visits Hopkinton tomorrow at 6 pm.
Holliston 11, Medway 2
Designated hitter Matt Rider went 2-for-3 with four RBI -- including a bases-loaded double that plated three runs -- as Holliston cruised past Medway in CMass Senior Babe Ruth action. Holliston (4-1) scored four times in the bottom of the first and answered two Medway runs in the fourth with seven in the home half of the frame. Center fielder Zack Culver added a pair of RBI in the win. First baseman Dean Mauriqos went 2-for-3 with two RBI for Medway, which was plagued by eight errors. Holliston visits Milford tomorrow (5:45 p.m.)
Medfield 4, Westborough 1
Medfield had already put the game out of reach by the time a Westborough batter reached base, scoring three runs over the first two innings while starter Zachary Mykulak retired the first five batters on his way to a three-hit win. Brian Glascheen ripped a double in the second to bring in Brian Ludwig and Brendan Ricci, sending Medfield (1-2) up, 3-0. In the first, Pat McClay had opened the scoring with his first of three hits, driving in Frankie Shepps. Kyle Vellali added another pair of hits for Medfield. Mykulak, meanwhile, subdued the bats for Westborough (1-3). He only struck out two, but allowed only five men to reach base through his six innings of work. He gave way to Brett Hayes in the seventh, who then struck out the side.
Framingham 14, Marlborough 0
Eric Throop, Tim Nazzaro and Sean Monahan combined for 12 strikeouts while walking four and allowing just one hit -- an infield single -- as Framingham routed Marlborough in CMass Senior Babe Ruth action. Shortstop Steve Lowry paced the Framingham (1-1) offense, going 3-for-5 with a double and a run. Paul O'Neil went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double, while Mike Swiderski was 1-for-1, added a suicide squeeze and drove in three runs.Framingham travels to Sudbury tomorrow (7 p.m.), while Marlborough will host Westborough tomorrow (6 p.m.)
Wednesday, June 21
Tuesday, June 20th
Sudbury 8, Medfield 0
Mark Robson struck out eight in a two-hit shutout as Sudbury Senior Babe Ruth got back to .500 on the season. On offense, Jordan McCarthy had a key two-run double for Sudbury, while Nick Felici, Matt Quirk and Jason Roth all contributed RBI. Medfield fell to 0-4 on the season, while Sudbury improved to 3-3. Sudbury next hosts Framingham today.
Thursday, June 22
Wednesday, June 21st
Medway 5, Franklin 4
With the tying run on third and two outs in the top of the seventh, Alex Nash made a spectacular diving catch to save the game for Medway in a 5-4 win over Franklin in Central Mass Senior Babe Ruth action. Nash had a good all-around game, getting one hit and scoring two runs to accompany his game-ending catch. Medway pitcher Mike McHugo earned his first win of the season, pitching a complete game. He struck out seven and walked only two for Medway (2-2). Franklins Matt Brune went 2-for-3 with one run in the effort.
Milford 5, Holliston 3
Milford took this game with some old fashioned station-to-station baseball, utilizing five hits and taking advantage of walks to earn a Central Mass South win at Town Park against visiting Holliston. Milfords Aaron Piscia went 1-for-3 with two RBI and the pitcher Chris Care helped his own cause by going 1-for-3 with an RBI double. Tommy Kane practiced small ball as he walked twice, stole two bases and scored twice.Care pitched a complete game and struck out six and walked none to earn the victory in his first appearance this year. Hollistons Zack Culver had a two-RBI single to keep his team in the game.
Medfield 12, Dover-Sherborn 5
Bob Ellard had a pair of hits, including a three-run double, as Medfield downed visiting Dover-Sherborn in a CMass matchup. Pat McClay also had two hits and Jeff Altimar (1-0) went the distance for the win as Medfield improved to 2-3. Craig Parsons drove in a pair of runs with a double for D-S.
Marlborough 8, Westborough 7
Marlborough escaped with a win despite surrendering five runs in the top of the seventh in a CMass showdown with Westborough. Starter Brian Vital had a good all-around game, giving up only two hits and striking out seven over five innings to get the win. At the plate, he was 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs and an RBI. Ryan MacQuarrie was 2-for-3 with three RBI for Marlborough (2-3).
Bellingham 5, Ashland 4 (8 inn.)
It took eight innings, but Bellingham (4-0) scored the game-winning run scoring on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth to beat Ashland (2-3) in CMass action. Mike Lamothe went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBI for Bellingham.
Framingham 5, Sudbury 3 (8 inn.)
In an extra-inning affair, it was a steal of home by A.J. Saari that proved to be the winning run for Framingham (2-1) over Sudbury (3-4) at Feeley Field in Sudbury.
Saturday, July 8
Saturday, July 8th
Framingham 7, Westborough 2
Framingham 5, Dover-Sherborn 1
Vinny Gravallese had a stellar relief outing, and he and two others provided the offense, as Framingham defeated host Westborough in Senior Babe Ruth action. Gravallese came in with the bases loaded and nobody out in the fourth, induced three straight outs and surrendered a single run in 2 2/3 innings of relief for the win. For Framingham (9-2), Sean Monahan went 3-for-3 with three RBI at the plate, while Mike Swiderski (2-for-3, 2 runs) and Gravallese (1-for-3, 2 RBI) also contributed. Corey Schneider and Andy Basque each stroked doubles for Westborough (4-9). Later in the day, Derek Zetlin scored two runs and stole four bases, and Nick Caruso had two hits and two RBI to lead Framingham to a victory over Dover-Sherborn. Rafael Rivera earned his second win, pitching into the sixth inning. Matt Stubblefield drove in the lone run for Dover-Sherborn (2-10).
Sunday, July 9
Sunday, July 9th
Franklin 5, Ashland 2
Ryan Ridenour struck out 10 over six innings, easily letting a four-run first inning stand up as Franklin took over sole possession of second place in the South Division of the CMass Senior Babe Ruth league with a 5-2 win over host Ashland.Ridenour allowed two earned runs on four hits to move to 3-0, then Kyle Ryan struck out two in the seventh for his second save. Ryan also led Franklin (6-5) offensively, going 2-for-3 with a double. In the first, Rob Doherty had a RBI single, and Matt Brune a RBI triple. Cam Towne added a RBI single in the sixth.For Ashland (5-7), Tyler Knapp had a RBI single, while Joe Lill played well defensively at shortstop.Franklin hosts Holliston tonight at Remington Middle School (6), while Ashland heads to Medfield.
Bellingham 4, Medway 1
Tyler Metcalf had a two-run triple in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie and keep Bellingham undefeated on the season in Senior Ruth action. Also doing well for Bellingham (13-0) were Kyle Martinis and Ryan Fitzgerald, who each went 2-for-3, and Matt McKenna who pitched three hitless innings of relief for the save.Bellingham will face a tough test tonight when it goes up against Milford
Monday, July 24
Marlboro Sweeps into Play-offs
Marlborough 7, Westborough 5
Marlborough 5, Dover-Sherborn 0
Marlborough needed to win both of its final regular season games yesterday to advance to the CMass Senior Babe Ruth playoffs today, and it did just that. Marlborough squeaked past Westborough, 7-5, then toppled Dover-Sherborn 5-0 to earn itself a bout with top-seeded Framingham tonight at Carey Diamond.
As Westborough held a 3-0 lead early in the game, Marlborough took over with a seven-run streak over the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Westborough teased with two runs in the bottom of the seventh but couldn't overcome the visitors.
Jeff Mula and Viktor Ryan shone for Marlborough, excelling at shortstop and second base respectively and combining to get on base five out of six times at bat. Pitcher Matt Magazine pitched phenomenally for seven full innings, striking out 11 in the win. The early victory moved Marlborough's record to 6-11-1, tying Dover-Sherborn's record and meaning the winner of their head-to-head contest would advance to the playoffs.
Marlborough got the job done, scoring four runs in the third and never looking back. Jason Avery got on by an error and Dan Marian was hit by a pitch to start things off. Brian Vital singled to load the bases, and was followed by singles by Julio Zayas and Chris Stecyk to bring around the first two runs. Mark Gately walked to bring home the third, and the fourth scored on a wild pitch.
Marlborough capped the scoring in the fifth, as Jay Laufer's single brought home Tim Sciore in a close play at the plate. Vital pitched six innings and struck out seven, sealing Marlborough's victory.
Sunday, July 23
Play-offs - The Second Season Begins
With most summer baseball leagues' playoffs already in full swing, the Central Mass. Senior Babe Ruth (CMSBR) league will finally join the fun when its playoffs begin tomorrow.
And though the records of the entrants vary from teams with one loss to sub-.500 teams, everyone knows that, come tomorrow, records are irrelevant.
"The second season starts on Monday," said Ashland manager Justin McKay, whose team finished at 9-10. "We're getting ready to get in, get out, and play some of our best baseball. We've had 19 games to get ready. I think this is where we wanted to be."
McKay also knows what it will take to go deep in the double-elimination tournament. "The key is pitching and defense; how well you're going to pitch, how well can play defense," he said.
"I was satisfied (with our pitching and defense this year). We've had three guys who've pitched very well for us all year. Joe Lill was our No. 1A, Tyler Knapp was our 1B. They've exceeded my expectations, and Ross Fino, he's done well for us."
Framingham manager Steve Dressler is in complete agreement with McKay. "It will have to come down once again to pitching and defense," he said. "I have a pretty deep pitching staff this year. It's a deeper staff than I've ever had before.
"I wouldn't say I have any real stars. I had (current Framingham Legion starters) Jeff Tardiff and Pat Connolly in previous years. The ones I have this year, they're going to have to come through and throw strikes."
Framingham, which won the North Division with a 14-4-1 record, will be a favorite to at least make it to the World Series, but is nevertheless cautious. "We obviously have very high expectations," he said. "We took first place. We'll be disappointed with anything less than the World Series.
"We'll have to get through some tough teams; it's a double-elimination tournament. The last couple of years, we won our first two games. Even then, it's not a guarantee you're going to get there. You have to get those wins. You can't lose twice."
Sudbury, who finished its season at 12-7, is also ready to wipe the slate clean. "We think we have the potential to (go far)," said manager Nick Felici. "Every one of our losses has been by one run; we're better than our record shows.
"I hope the boys can come out and play that way. We've got four very strong starting pitchers -- you need four or five strong pitchers with games every day -- and most of them have gone the distance in their games."
Sudbury is also well aware though that a one-run loss is still a loss, and to go far in the double-elimination playoffs, it can't afford too many. "We're going to do a little review of fundamentals (before the playoffs)," said Felici. "I think a lot of these playoff games are low-scoring games. They come down to playing small ball. We're going to work on some fundamental small-ball baseball."
Milford manager Justin Richards also emphasized the importance of sticking to fundamentals. "Whether or not we succeed in the playoffs comes down to whether you can execute, play defense; If the pitchers can throw strikes, not walk guys," he said.
"Offensively, we can't give teams easy outs. We have to force them to make plays. We can't strike out or pop out, which is what we've been emphasizing all year."
Milford is one of the hottest teams in the league, having coming on strong to finish the season and qualify for the playoffs, including giving 18-1 Bellingham its only loss of the season. Regardless, it's not guaranteed that the success will necessarily carry over into the playoffs, with several intangibles at hand.
"The biggest thing is being loose and not being nervous," Richards said. "We usually start two, three or four freshmen, and whether or not they can stay nice and loose and not get nervous is the question. You don't play as well when you're nervous, and that's my job (to keep them from doing that). I have to get them to play like the last couple of weeks."
The playoffs will start tomorrow with Bellingham hosting Ashland, Milford hosting Franklin, Natick hosting Sudbury. Framingham is still waiting to see who it will face.
Sunday, July 23
Franklin punches ticket
Franklin 4, Medfield 0
Three hits was all Franklin needed behind the stalwart pitching of Kyle Ryan as the squad scratched out four runs and secured a playoff spot with a 4-0 shutout win over visiting Central Mass. foe Medfield. Ryan earned his first win after three saves this season by spinning a one-hit gem, with five strikeouts and one walk for Franklin (10-9). Andy Best sparked the offense with a single, two walks and three runs. Franklin begins play in the Central Mass. Senior Babe Ruth playoffs tomorrow against Milford at Fino Field (7 p.m.).
Friday, July 21
Thursday, July 20
Franklin 4, Medway 1
Host Franklin defeated Senior Babe Ruth foe Medway to improve to .500 on the season. The Panthers (9-9) got two RBI apiece from Rob Doherty and DJ Todesco for the win, with Doherty driving in one with a double. Working well with catcher Mike Batista, pitcher Drew McNeice tossed eight K's and improved to 2-2 on the season, while Drew Leenhouts came in for the save with 2 1/3 innings left to play. Despite the loss, Medway pitcher Nick Dejoie managed to rack up 10 strikeouts.
Framingham 8, Westborough 1
In Framingham's regular season finale, catcher Robby Bonnevie notched two doubles and got an RBI in the win over visiting Westborough in CMass Senior Babe Ruth action at Long Field. Cam Owens also had a strong finish to the season for Framingham, with a pinch hit double that scored two runs. Framingham (14-4-1), which won its division, now enters the playoffs as the No. 1 seed and awaits who it will face on Monday, with the location and time also to be announced. Westborough's (6-12) lone run came on a RBI single by Andy Bower.
Medfield 12, Marlborough 8
Pitcher Jake Rahn led Medfield through 5 1/3 strong innings, helping his team to victory over host Marlborough in a Senior Babe Ruth matchup. Hitting stars of the night for Medfield (5-12) included Bobby Ellard and Pat McClay, each of whom tallied a pair of doubles, as well as AJ Burrell, who had a double and a single.
Milford 10, Holliston 1
In a game in which Holliston surrendered 10 walks, Milford's Tom Cane took advantage, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored at Adams Middle School in Holliston. Mike Oliveri and Derek Johnson combined for five walks and six runs scored for Milford (9-7-2). Milford pitcher Chris Care pitched five innings, surrendering only two hits, one run and striking out five for the win, improving to (4-1) on the season and keeping his ERA below one.
Thursday, July 20
Wednesday, July 19
Bellingham 4, Holliston 3
Kyle Martinis' three-run double sparked a four-run sixth inning as visiting Bellingham rallied to beat Holliston, 4-3, in Senior Babe Ruth action. Bellingham (17-1) trailed 3-0 heading into the sixth inning. Kevin Everett started the rally with a one-out single to right field followed by a single to left field by pinch hitter Ryan Fitzgerald. Tyler Metcalf walked to load the bases ahead of a Steve Robery fielder's choice for a run. Mark LaCasse was hit by a pitch to reload the bases. Martinis then cleared the bases with his double into the left field gap. Matt Rider led Holliston by going 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI. Bellingham will host Ashland tonight (8 p.m.), with Holliston hosting Milford tonight (7 p.m.).
Hopkinton 5, Ashland 4
Mike Bernard started the seventh inning with a double, and later scored the winning run on an RBI single by Mike Preite as visiting Hopkinton earned a big victory over Ashland in CMass Senior Babe Ruth action. Ashland (9-9) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening inning, but Hopkinton (8-10) clawed back before breaking the 4-4 tie in the top of the seventh. Preite (3-for-4, RBI) and Joe Czick (2-for-3, RBI) both had strong efforts at the plate for the visitors. Bryant Guilmette fanned six and earned the win with a complete-game effort. Tyler Knapp pitched well in the loss and also had a two-run single in the first to help Ashland jump out on top. Hopkinton visits Dover-Sherborn tonight (6 p.m.).
Medway VFW 5, Westborough 3
Pat Cuff pitched a complete-game nine-hitter with nine strikeouts and just one earned run as host Medway VFW rallied for four runs in the sixth inning to defeat Westborough in Central Mass Senior Babe Ruth League action. Medway (5-12-1) started its uprising when John Claffey singled, followed by a triple by Ryan Pkowski (2-for-3) and singles by Paul Rojee and Ryan Porter. Vince Servello went 2-for-3 for Westborough (6-11). Both teams will be in action today. Medway will be at Franklin (6 p.m.) while Westborough will be at Framingham (6 p.m.).
Sudbury 12, Medfield 2
Jason Roth pitched six strong innings and contributed at the plat with a pair of hits and RBI to help lead visiting Sudbury past Medfield in a CMass Senior Babe Ruth contest. Sam Finn and Kirk Rogers also had a pair of hits and RBI for Sudbury (12-6) in the victory. Sudbury hosts Natick tonight (7 p.m.).
Tuesday, July 18
Monday, July 17
Holliston 13, Hopkinton 9
Matt Moretti, Dan Freidman and Michael Jacquet each had two hits and two RBI, and Zach Culver added two hits and one RBI, as Holliston banged out 10 hits in its 13-9 Senior Babe Ruth victory over Hopkinton. Holliston scored in every inning, including a four-run first to improve to 6-11. Michael Preite had a two-run homer in the fourth, and Ryan Gilmette had two hits and two RBI for Hopkinton (7-9). Holliston hosts Natick tonight.
Framingham 3, Milford 3 (6 innings)
Framingham's Vinny Gravallese and Milford's Mike Oliveri mirrored each other through six innings, both striking out five and allowing three runs. They'd have to stay that way, as darkness froze the game after six. Oliveri made it harder on himself, allowing five hits to Gravallese's two, but stranded seven runners in scoring position. Of the three that got through, two came on squeeze bunts by Framingham. Offensively, Derek Johnson's two-run single led Milford and Nick Caruso's triple sparked Framingham.
Sudbury 4, Marlborough 0 (9 innings)
Jordan McCarthy threw nine scoreless innings for Sudbury, while Matt Magazine fell only one short for Marlborough, staying pitch-for-pitch with McCarthy until the ninth, when Sudbury put four across. Nick Felici's two-run single with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth finally broke the tie. Clark Bravo was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and advanced on a Kevin Hannigan base hit. Magazine intentionally walked Kurt Rogers to load the bases, and Felici shot one through to put Sudbury ahead. Magazine had only allowed one hit before the ninth, finishing with five strikeouts and a walk. But McCarthy, who threw 102 pitches, struck out nine and walked only one to pace the win.
Ashland 3, Medway 2
Ashland starter Joe Lill hadn't faced too many problems before the seventh, striking out 10 and giving up only four hits -- two of which had come in the fourth. So he just decided to give himself some trouble. Lill allowed a single to Medway's Pat Coff with two outs in the seventh. Then, when the next batter bunted, Lill's throw to first sailed, putting runners on first and third. He then balked, bringing Coff home, and a steal brought the runner to third. But, as he had all game, Lill got out of it, inducing a groundout back to him to end the game. Joe Falone led offensively for Ashland, going 1-for-2 and scoring two runs. His first came in the third, when he singled and came in on a bases-loaded walk by Lill. His second came in the fourth, when Ross Fino knocked him in. The eventual winning run came in the sixth, when Tyler Knapp scored on a passed ball.
Natick 8, Medfield 3
James Clover pitched like he didn't have a six-run lead. The Natick starter, throwing five innings, allowed only two hits while striking out two. After scoring one in the first, Natick (11-5) plated five runners in the third. Dan Turner (2 hits, 4 RBI) keyed inning with a two-run and Doug Dellorfon followed suit later, knocking in two more with a double of his own. Mike Bergin came in to close, allowing three in the sixth, but silencing Medfield (4-10) in the seventh.
Tuesday, July 25
Risks Pay Off
By Ken Castro/ Daily News Correspondent
Tuesday, July 25, 2006 - Updated: 01:33 AM EST
MILFORD -- Franklin head coach Scott Towne didnt exactly heed his players pre-game request to "play it safe".
The end result of Townes aggressiveness on the basepaths however, jolted his ball club in the right direction as the Panthers fired the first salvo in the CMass Senior Babe Ruth South Division playoffs with a 2-0 victory over Milford at Fino field last night.
The third-seeded Panthers, on the outside of the postseason action, looking in, as recently as last week, have a leg up in the double elimination tournament. The No. 2-seed Micros will face off against Ashland tonight at Fino in a must-win contest.
Franklin garnered all of the runs that it would need in the first inning off Milford starter Mike Oliveri. Franklins Andy Best led off the game with a base on balls and promptly worked his way into scoring position by swiping two bases. Luke Girolamos sacrifice fly to shallow right field proved to be the difference as Oliveri and Franklin starter Ryan Ridenour, clamped down on their respective opponents offenses the remainder of the way.
"That was my goal, we had to jump out right away," said Towne. "I didnt care what it took; we were going to manufacture some runs. Our guys asked me before the game if we could play a little bit on the safe side. Sure, I told them, and you saw what happened in the first inning."
Milford saw the first of three potential game tying runs wither away in the fourth inning, when a strikeout followed by a stolen base attempt went awry, resulting in a double play. In the fifth, Franklin first baseman Kyle Ryan, playing the position for the first time this season turned an inning ending 3-6 double play that began when he adeptly snagged a sharply hit ground ball by Ryan Desliets.
"Weve battled all year, and two and a half weeks ago, we werent really sure if we were going to end up in the cellar division, let alone, in the playoffs as the two seed," said Micros head coach Justin Richards of the loss that forces his club into a must-win scenario. "These kids fight, theyre all tough kids and they come out here tomorrow and take it as a must win game."
Franklins Andy McCarthys RBI infield single was responsible for the second Panthers run in the top half of the seventh. Ridenour, allowed four hits in his 98-pitch, complete game stint.
"Thats the toughest pitcher weve faced all year," Richards said. "He pitched what I expected out of him, he had an awesome game," Towne said of Ridenour, who finished with eight strikeouts.
"I had a live fastball tonight," said Ridenour, who was 3-1, with a 1.47 ERA during the regular season. "I had to reach back and fire in the late innings, I just wanted to get ahead of the batters."
Oliveri, who gave way to Chris Care in the seventh allowed just one hit in his six innings of work. He walked five, while fanning four Franklin batters.
"In the first inning, he ran against some difficult situations and he battled through them, which was great. He got tough as the game went on. Hes the hardest working kid, I think Ive ever coached," Richards said.
The Micros forced Ridenour to dig deep in the sixth, putting a pair of runners in scoring position with one out. But the hard throwing righty, exhibiting much of the velocity that he possessed in the early going fanned Oliveri and induced Derek Johnson to bounce harmlessly to third, ending the threat.
"This is absolutely not a .500 team," Towne said, referring to the regular season record of his club. "I told them the slate is clean and now is the time for them to play up to their potential."
Tuesday, July 25
Play-off Day 1 - Wrap-up
Natick 1, Sudbury 0
Dan Turner pitched his third 1-0 victory on the season with a three-hit complete game as Natick edged out Sudbury in the Central Mass. Senior Babe Ruth North division playoffs.
Second-seeded Natick advances to the winner's bracket in the second round of the playoffs where it will play No. 1 seeded Framingham tonight at 6 p.m. at Long Field.
Turner struck out four and walked only one, improving to 4-1 on the season. To accompany his phenomenal pitching performance, Turner went 3-for-3 at the plate.
Natick's only run came in the fourth inning. Dan Blackadar lead off with a single, followed by a single from Turner and a walk drawn by Jamie Bellofatto. This set the table for a sacrifice fly by Mike Russo that proved to be the winning run.
Natick improves its record to 14-6 after the opening win in the double-elimination playoffs. No. 3 seed Sudbury falls to 13-8 overall and will face fourth-seeded Marlborough in the loser's bracket tonight (7 p.m.) at Feely field.
Framingham 5, Marlborough 3
Framingham, the No. 1, advances to the second round of the Senior Babe Ruth North division playoffs winner's bracket where it will host No. 2 Natick tonight (6 p.m.) at Long Field.
It took small ball to beat Marlborough, Framingham laid down five bunts, with the go-ahead run and the insurance run coming on a pair of suicide squeezes by Paul O'Neill and Robby Bonnevie. The fifth inning was the most crucial for Framingham, with Vinny Gravallese hitting the game-tying single and O'Neill following with the suicide squeeze, which he beat out, to put them ahead.
Rafael Rivera pitched a complete game for Framingham to earn the win, he struck out six and walked two.
Framingham improves to 15-4-1 on the season. Fourth-seeded Marlborough falls to 7-12-1 on the season and travels to No. 3 Sudbury tonight (7 p.m.) at Feely field.
Bellingham 10, Ashland 1
Bellingham beat down on Ashland, scoring immediately with a pair of run scoring back-to-back doubles by Kyle Martinis and Mark Lacasse in the bottom of the first inning. Teammate Edwin Rivera also shined at the plate, going 2-for-2 with one run scored and four steals.
No. 1 seeded Bellingham advances to the second round of the Senior Babe Ruth playoffs winner's bracket where it will host No. 3 Franklin tonight at 8 p.m. at Richardson Field.
The game's defining moment came in the top of the sixth inning when Ashland was looking to rally, down 5-1 with the bases loaded and two outs. Ashland's Peter Nardini popped out to the catcher to end the rally and Bellingham went on to hammer out five more runs for good measure.
Bellingham improves its record to 19-1. No. 4 Ashland falls to 9-11 and travels to play No. 2 Milford tonight at 7 p.m. at Fino Field.
Wednesday, July 26
Long Way Home
By Ken Castro/ Daily News Correspondents
Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - Updated: 02:46 AM EST
BELLINGHAM -- Its understandable that Bellingham Senior Babe Ruth head coach Paul Jacques might very well have a new understanding of the word perseverance, courtesy of Kyle Martinis.
Martinis slugged an opposite field solo blast in the bottom of the 13th frame off reliever Ryan Ridenour, capping a 2-1 win in the winners bracket of the South Division tournament.
Martinis enhanced his homer by hurling 10 strong innings on the mound, in what was a long night of baseball at Richardson Field.
"I felt pretty good. I havent thrown in about three weeks, since (American) Legion ended," said Martinis, who was 2-0 in the regular season. "I felt strong throughout the entire 10 innings. I knew I could do it but, yes, it was tough."
Martinis hit .455 during the season, with a home run -- that blast coming off Franklin, as well.
Franklin (1-1 playoffs) evened the game in the top half of the sixth on Andy McCarthys bases loaded RBI sacrifice fly to shallow left field.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring when starter Leo McNeil plunked Dogs catcher Steve Robery with the bases loaded in the bottom half of the fifth, forcing in the go-ahead run.
In a game that was glaringly dominated by top pitching on both sides, each club managed five hits. Tyler Metcalf earned the win in relief.
"Kyle going 10 innings was great," said Jacques. "His pitch count was really up there, but he stayed focused and kept asking me to put him back out there with every inning. Thats all we could ask for of him."
McNeil worked nine strong innings for the Panthers, tossing 135 pitches.
"Everyone made good plays throughout," said Franklin manager Scott Towne. "The bats just werent going tonight. I think this team will pick their heads up and look to face Bellingham again.
"We needed the hits for him, we just didnt get them. He pitched a great game."
Scoring chances in the latter innings dissipated as quickly as they appeared due to a number of stellar defensive plays on both sides. The Bulldogs had the potential game-winner snuffed out at the plate in the bottom of the seventh.
Likewise, the Panthers ran into a pair of inning-ending outs in extra innings as well.
"Every time in the last three years, its always been Franklin-Bellingham, back and forth," said Jacques, "They get a blow, we get a blow. Its always back and forth. Last season in the playoffs it was the same way. Their record might have been .500 during the season, but thats certainly not a .500 team over there."
Wednesday, July 26
Play-offs - Day 2 Wrap-up
Framingham 4, Natick 0
Top-seeded Framingham turned three double plays, en route to a shutout victory over second-seeded Natick, 4-0, in the Senior Babe Ruth North Division playoffs winner's bracket.
Natick (1-1 in playoffs) hosts Sudbury (1-1) today (5:45 p.m.) in an elimination game at Mahan Field. Framingham (2-0) will play the winner tomorrow (time/location TBA).
Framingham scored four runs, despite getting only two hits off Natick starter James Clover. Derek Zetlin and Rafael Rivera scored two runs each, while Tim Nazzaro broke the game open with a two-run single in the sixth inning.
Clover (2-2) was the hard-luck loser, going the distance and striking out five. His three hit batsmen proved costly, though.
Vinny Gravellese picked up the win for Framingham, pitching five innings of shutout ball, striking out two and walking three. Nazzaro pitched the final two innings to earn the save for Framingham (16-4-1).
Sudbury 2, Marlborough 1 (8 inn.)
With both squads' seasons hanging in the balance, Sudbury and Marlborough needed eight innings to decide things. Jason Roth pitched three strong innings of relief to get the victory, and also went 2-for-3 with a triple, walk and a run scored to help Sudbury live to see another day.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, Jordan McCarty drove in the winning run with an RBI single to plate Tim Walch, who walked to start the inning.
Marlborough (7-13-1) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the fifth. Julio Zayas singled, Jeff Levine doubled and Mark Gately drove in Zayas on a fielder's choice.
McCarthy also drove in Sudbury's first run. After Roth tripled in the sixth, McCarthy singled him in to tie the game at 1-1. Ben Meltzev (2-4) also had a good game for Sudbury. Jason Avery fanned five and pitched well in defeat for Marlborough.
Milford 7, Ashland 4
One night after pitching in a tough-luck, shutout loss, Mike Oliveri unleashed his bat and sparked Milford to a win over Ashland in a Senior Babe Ruth South Division elimination game.
Oliveri was 3-for-4 with five RBI, including a bases-clearing double in the fourth inning that broke open the game for starter Chris Care (7 IP, 3 hits, 5 Ks) as the Micros (11-8-2) cruised from there.
Aaron Piscia (2-4, run, RBI) and Jason Dennis (2-3, 2 runs) also chipped in for Milford, while Derek Santasky scored twice for now-finished Ashland (9-12).
Milford hosts Franklin tonight (Fino, 7 p.m.), with the winner advancing to Bellingham for the South Division crown tomorrow. Bellingham beat Franklin late last night, 2-1 in 13 innings.
Thursday, July 27
Battle Tested
By Tim Whelan Jr./ Daily News Correspondent
Thursday, July 27, 2006 - Updated: 02:18 AM EST
NATICK -- Had his team lost last nights CMass Senior Babe Ruth North Division playoff elimination game, Naticks Will Soderholm could have had some excuses. Not only did the defense behind him make three errors, but the first four hitters in the Redmen lineup combined for one hit.
Fortunately for Natick, Soderholms performance outweighed those factors. Tallying 91 pitches and yielding just six hits, the senior-to-be went the distance to earn the hosts a 6-4 triumph over Sudbury.
"My arm has been hurting a little bit, but today I had so much adrenaline going," said Soderholm (3-2). "Im not an overpowering pitcher. I take pride in keeping the ball down and changing speeds, and I think that helped me tonight."
Natick, the No.2 seed, visits No.1 Framingham in the division final tonight (Carey, 6 p.m.), while Sudburys season is finished.
Despite accumulating just one strikeout, his ability to induce ground balls -- 11 of the 21 outs came via the grounder -- allowed him to stay away from the big inning. Sudburys four runs came in four separate innings, as Soderholm also picked off several Sudbury baserunners.
The visitors had a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the second. Then Naticks Doug Dellorfon ripped an offering from Sudbury starter Tim Mollen (5 IPs, 5 hits, 3 ERs) down the left field line for a double. He was moved to third on an Oscar Otero single, then came home on a Ned Seddon single up the middle.
Otero scored to tie the contest when Sudbury unsuccessfully tried to throw Seddon out stealing, then No.8 hitter Jeff Raider knocked in Seddon to put Natick on top 3-2.
"We got some great contributions from the guys down near the bottom of the lineup tonight," said Natick coach Ned Seddon, whose 15-7 squad (2-1 in the playoffs) got all its runs from the bottom five batters in the order.
Natick received a big boost in the top of the third when, with two outs, McCarthy cracked a line drive into right field. Naticks James Clover, playing shallow, scooped the ball up and promptly fired to first baseman Dan Turner, in time to rob McCarthy of a hit.
"That was a huge momentum shift, and it kind of turned the tides a bit," coach Seddon said. "Its like a safety in football. When it comes, it is so unexpected for both sides, and it definitely raised our spirits."
Natick had to wait to capitalize on that momentum. In the fifth, Sudburys Ben Meltzer scored from second when a ground ball got through the Natick shortstop to tie the game at 3-3. Then Sudbury took the lead in the top of the sixth when a Kurt Rogers sacrifice fly brought home Jordan McCarthy.
In the bottom of the inning, as coach Seddon put it, Natick "pitched a tent inside Sudburys head."
Jason Roth, who had come in to pitch for Sudbury the previous two nights, came in to shut the door. Five batters, two hits, two errors and three runs later, Roth exited the mound as his team now trailed 6-4. Raider and No.9 hitter Clover scored the tying and winning runs, respectively, on a Soderholm bouncer to short. Naticks Soderholm then sent the opposition down 1-2-3 to complete the win.
"I dont think there was a single point where we didnt think we would come back," coach Seddon said. "This game was quirky, a lot of ebbs and flows. It was anyones game, but our kids got it done."
Sudbury, meanwhile, finished the season at 14-9 (1-2 in the playoffs). Coach Nick Felici was left to ponder what could have been.
"We had them on the ropes a couple of times," he said. "There were chances to put some space between us, but we left some runs out there that could have helped for momentum. With fielding and base running mistakes, adrenaline kind of took over in the wrong way."
Thursday, July 27
Potent Panthers
By Ken Castro/ Daily News Correspondents
Thursday, July 27, 2006 - Updated: 02:22 AM EST
MILFORD -- The Franklin Panthers search for a more potent playoff offense came to fruition last night at Fino Field.
The Panthers, who recorded just two runs over the last 20 innings in the Senior Babe Ruth South Division postseason, exploded for seven runs in the second inning, and held on to defeat a game Milford squad in a 9-6 final.
The loss concluded the season for Milford, which dropped its second contest in the double-elimination tournament.
The Panthers improved to 2-1 and will face Bellingham tonight at Richards Field. The two clubs battled for 13 innings on Monday night, with the Bulldogs prevailing 2-1.
"I just told them it was a do-or-die situation," Panthers manager Scott Towne said of his insistence that his players collectively focus on the offensive portion of the game. "I told them that if they didnt make adjustments, they shouldnt plan on playing tomorrow (Thursday) night."
Franklin took full advantage of three walks and six singles in forging an 8-0 lead over the hosts.
"No doubt that the (four) successive hits built up their confidence," said Towne. "The kids that havent been hitting lately, began to hit tonight."
Andy McCarty, who Towne moved into the No.2 slot in the lineup, had a pair of hits and scored a run in the win. Six different Panthers collected base hits on the night. The Panthers led in the top half of the first, courtesy of an errant pickoff toss with runners on the corners.
Milford starter Matt Ward went 1 1/3 innings for Milford. Steve Shaddock went the remainder of the way for the Micros.
"They hit him, and we gave them a few errors, and he could have just gotten tight, knowing what the score was, but he didnt," said Micros coach Justin Richards of his freshman pitcher. "After we scored our five runs, he was basically lights out the rest of the way."
Milford made a run at the seemingly monumental deficit in the bottom of the third, plating five runs off Franklin starting hurler Drew McNiece. The Franklin lefty was in complete control through the first two innings, allowing a lone base hit to Milfords Tom Kane and registering three strikeouts.
In the third, McNiece issued free passes to the first five batters he faced. Towne went to reliever Mike Arthur in an attempt to clamp down on the Micros surge.
Shaddocks base hit off Arthur with the bases loaded closed the gap to 8-4. Catcher Brendan Caseys bouncer to third base, which plated the fifth Milford run, was the last score the Micros offense would produce until their last at-bat in the bottom of the seventh.
"I knew there was something different right from batting practice -- we were lackadaisical," said Richards of the decisive opening frames. "We walked a couple of guys, they string together a few hits, and we make a few errors and suddenly its all over. Eight runs are nearly impossible to come back from with the wooden bats.
"But in the same sense, once we woke up we didnt quit. We played outstanding defensively the last four innings, like weve been playing over the last two weeks. We gave ourselves a chance to get back in the game." Milford was limited to three hits in the defeat.
"It was just a good night for us," said Towne, who was looking ahead to his rematch with the Bulldogs (18-1 regular season; 2-0 playoffs) tonight. "Were going to do what we did tonight -- explode. Roll, right from the beginning. We can absolutely beat them two times in a row."
Friday, July 28
Flyers Straighten Out In Time
By Chris Klingenberg/ Daily News Correspondent
Friday, July 28, 2006 - Updated: 04:32 AM EST
FRAMINGHAM -- In the first two innings of last nights CMass Senior Babe Ruth North final, Naticks Dan Turner had Framingham hitters lunging after curveballs. The result was a 1-0 Natick lead going into the third inning.
When the Flyers gathered before hitting in the third, Framingham coach Steve Dressler told his squad to sit back on the curveball and drive the fastball.
The Flyers did just that, pounding out five straight hits, including A.J. Saaris only hit of the game -- a two-out, two-run triple -- as Framingham used a three-run third en route to a 3-1 victory over the Redmen at Bowditch Field, capturing its first North title since 1998.
"We knew we had to wait on the curveball," said Dressler, whose team improved to 17-4-1. "I told them to wait on it, and look what happens, five hits in a row. If you put the ball in play, good things are going to happen."
Natick finishes the season at 15-8, while Framingham will host Bellingham in the CMass Senior Babe Ruth World Series on Monday (time TBA).
After a strikeout to start the inning, Vinny Gravellese and Paul ONeill (2-for-3) hit back-to-back singles. Following a groundout that moved the runners to second and third, Saari stepped up to the plate.
Frustrated about grounding out in his first at-bat, Saari took a 1-0 fastball and blasted a triple to deep right field, scoring both Gravellese and ONeill to give Framingham the 2-1 advantage.
"I struggled my first time up," said Saari. "I reached for his curveball and hit a slow grounder to second. My second time up, I let that same pitch go and waited to drive the fastball. It was about belt high, I swung and look what happened.
"I thought it was a single at first, but then the ball kept on rolling and I just kept on running. That was a huge hit for me. We had a couple of outs, and we needed that hit. It felt great to come through. I couldnt have been any happier."
On a hot humid evening, Saari got no time to rest, as Nathan Tardiff roped an RBI single, scoring Saari for the final run of the game.
From there, Eric Throop made sure the slim lead held up. Throop scattered just four hits in six innings of work, and pitched out of a first-and-second jam with nobody out in the sixth to preserve the lead.
"The sixth inning is my inning," said Throop. "I was starting to lose my focus, but I knew I could get out of the jam. My curveball was breaking well, and my changeup was working. It makes things a lot easier when your fastball isnt that great. I knew if I kept the ball low and made them hit the ball on the ground, I would be fine."
"Eric is very unorthodox," said Dressler. "But I will tell you one thing, he is a battler. He will give you everything hes got. He is the kind of kid that will be the first one to chase foul balls, and always the first one to practice."
Throop hit a batter to lead off the seventh, and Tim Nazzaro came into record the final three outs. Matching Throop pitch for pitch was Naticks Dan Turner. Turner went into the game with a slim 0.67 ERA, and for the third time this year was provided with minimal run support.
"Thats three times this year that we only got him one run," said Natick coach Ned Seddon. "We had our opportunities. I give a lot of credit to their pitcher, he was a battler. It would have been nice to watch him work if he wasnt throwing against us."
Natick struck first with a run in the second. Jamie Bellofatto started the inning with a deep double into the right-center gap. With No.6 hitter Mike Russo at the dish, Seddon decided to put on the suicide squeeze. The bunt was laid down perfectly, and Throops throw to the catcher sailed to the backstop, giving Natick the 1-0 lead.
Will Soderholm went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate for Natick, including a double.
"Trust me, every single guy on this team would have loved to get him (Turner) seven or eight runs," said Seddon. "He is the oldest kid on the club, and we all love him to death. He takes the younger kids under his wings. I love him and the rest of the team to death."
Friday, July 28
Bulldogs Bust Out
By Ken Castro/ Daily News Correspondent
Friday, July 28, 2006 - Updated: 01:56 AM EST
BELLINGHAM -- Bellingham catcher Steve Robery readily acknowledged that a collective, late season offensive slump by his mates was an issue to be dealt with as the team entered the Senior Babe Ruth playoffs.
Last night, the Bulldogs put that issue to rest with a 13-0 drubbing of Franklin in the Southern Division final at Richardson Park. The Bulldogs (21-1 overall) will play at Northern Division champion Framingham in the best-of-three CMass Senior Babe Ruth World Series on Monday (Carey, time TBA).
Franklin finished 12-11 overall and 2-2 in the postseason.
Bellingham amassed 16 hits in the win, and Bulldogs starter Erik DiMarco handled the pitching aspect of the victory, limiting the Panthers to one hit in six innings of work. Robery reached base five times in the win, garnering three hits and a pair of walks to lead the offensive explosion.
Bellingham got out of the chute quickly, plating two runs in the bottom of the first. Chris Haddads two-out, two-RBI single to left field off Franklin starter Brian Collatos gave the Bulldogs a lead which they did not relinquish.
Bellingham rapped three hits in the third in doubling their advantage. In the inning, Matt Nord doubled home the fourth score for Bellingham. The RBI would be the first of three on the night for Nord, who also singled with the bases loaded in the explosive fourth inning.
The Bulldogs upped the score to 11-0 in the bottom half of the fourth. Kyle Martinis and DiMarco stroked back to back doubles to the deepest recesses of center field to cap the scoring in the explosive frame.
DiMarco was 3-0 in the regular season for the Bulldogs, who posted a team ERA of 1.56.
Monday, July 31
Bellingham Sr. Babe Ruth Squad Enters World Series a Heavy Favorite
Bellingham Sr. Babe Ruth squad enters World Series a heavy favorite
By Mark Ayoub/ Daily News staff
Sunday, July 30, 2006 - Updated: 12:37 AM EST
Last year, Bellingham barely made it into the playoffs, but once it got there, cruised through to capture the Central Mass. Senior Babe Ruth World Series title.
This year, Bellingham cruised through the regular season at 17-1 and is in an unfamiliar position entering the World Series tomorrow against Framingham. Bellingham is the heavy favorite.
"Ive been hearing good things about them (Framingham)," said Bellingham coach Paul Jacques. "Hopefully, well end up on top."
Bellingham has had an interesting playoff series so far. After easily defeating Ashland, 10-1, in the first round, it eked out a 2-1, 13-inning victory over Franklin in the first game of the semis, before defeating the same team the following night, 13-0, to punch its ticket to the Series.
"The playoffs have so far gone pretty well," said Jacques. "Weve had great defense and outstanding pitching. We havent given up an earned run. Weve given up two runs out of these games.
"Its just been outstanding defense all around. My catcher, Steve Robery, has caught an amazing game."
Jacques also cited Edwin Rivera at shortstop, as well as Tyler Metcalf in center field and Matt Nord in right. "Theyve been going after every single ball."
As for the third major component of the game, "The offense was struggling until (Thursday) night when we finally broke through against Franklin," said Jacques. "But the pitching with Erik DiMarco, Kyle Martinis and Matt Nord, has just been unbelievable, throwing strikes on first pitches."
The two teams met once in the regular season, when Bellingham defeated Framingham 7-3, albeit in nine innings. "They played extremely well. They played good defense against us," said Jacques.
As for this series, "Its just the same thing as weve been doing all year long," he said. "They know that they have to play defense from the start, first pitch to last pitch."
Framingham, while the underdog, is well prepared for the Series.
"Were not worried about being intimidated," said Framingham head coach Steve Dressler. "A lot of these kids have played for the high school team and in the state playoffs. Framingham has a pretty good summer program."
Framingham, while not winning in the playoffs by such lopsided scores as Bellingham, has nevertheless been solid, defeating Marlborough, 5-3, in the first round and then sweeping past, Natick, 4-0 and 3-1.
"Were thrilled," Dressler said of Framinghams playoff performances thus far. "We won all three that we faced, and they were against good teams. The kids played really well. They were all close games with great pitching."
However, Dressler is well aware that Bellingham will present a tougher challenge than Natick or Marlborough, or any other team Framingham faced during the regular season.
"We gotta practice," he said. "Mentally we just have to be ready to play them. All you have to do is look at their record. We know theyre going to be tough.
"But we believe in ourselves. Weve worked hard all season long. We have a very talented team and its going to be close."
Dressler also obviously has a much different take than Jacques on the one Framingham-Bellingham meeting during the regular season. "We threw it away," said Dressler. "We had the bases loaded and we didnt score. They (Bellingham) took advantage of it like a good team would."
In some ways, the series could easily come down to which team has better offense, with both solid in the defense and pitching departments. "Were still concerned about our hitting," Dressler said. "Were satisfied with our pitching and defense, but we need to be consistent with hitting.
"We have to work really, really hard to manufacture runs. It doesnt come easy to us."
Game 1 will be tomorrow night (all times TBA) at Carey Diamond at Bowditch Field in Framingham, with Game 2 being played at Richardson Field in Bellingham, and Game 3, if necessary, returning back to Carey Diamond.
Tuesday, August 1
Bellingham Strikes Early, Often
 |  | | Matt Nord delivers to the plate | |
By Ken Castro/ Daily News Correspondent
Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - Updated: 02:33 AM EST
FRAMINGHAM -- Bellingham head coach Paul Jacques didnt deviate from his usual pre-game philosophy as his Bulldogs geared up to face Framingham in the opening game of the Central Massachusetts Senior Babe Ruth World Series last night at Bowditch Field.
The Bulldogs entered the series with a gaudy 21-1 record, the majority of which was built on Jacques insistance of garnering an early lead, then turning over the game to his pitching staff and drum-tight defense.
The Bulldogs followed the hoped-for-scenario to perfection, scoring nine times in the first three frames on the way to a convincing 11-0 win over the Flyers.
Game 2 in the best-of-three series is scheduled for tonight at Bellinghams Richardson Field. (8 p.m.).
The Flyers, the Northern Division champions, managed just five hits against Bulldogs starting pitcher Matt Nord. Nord went the distance, fanning five Framingham batters.
Bellingham loaded the bases in each of the first four innings. The Bulldogs offense added fuel to a 4-0 advantage with a five-run outburst in the top of the third. The Bulldogs sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning, punctuated by a pair of flyballs that were lost in the lights by Framingham outfielders, resulting in three Bellingham runs.
On an evening that saw the Bulldogs collect 12 hits against four Flyer hurlers, the top half of the Bellingham batting order was particularly effective. Leadoff hitter Tyler Metcalf reached safely five times, and Bellingham catcher Steve Robery finished the onslaught by getting on base in all six of his plate appearances. In his last two playoff contests, the Bulldogs catcher has reached base 11 times.
"Thats been our goal for the whole year, to get ahead early in the game, and thats what weve been successful with," said Nord following the win.
When the Flyers did manage to put runners on, the Bellingham defense went to work. In the first, with Bellingham leading 3-0, the Flyers put runners on the corners, but Bulldogs shortstop Eddie Rivera ended the threat with an unassisted double play, making the scoop on a hard-hit ball by Framinghams Paul ONeill to end the inning.
"That was a big-time play, right there," Jacques said of Riveras grab. "You never know how it would have changed the game had the ball got through the infield."
Kyle Martinis, Bellinghams cleanup hitter, finished with five RBI. His two-run double to deep left opened the scoring for the Bulldogs.
"We didnt play very well out there tonight," said Framingham head coach Steve Dressler. "They took it right from the start. We didnt bring our best game tonight. They did the job and we didnt. Hopefully, well come back and battle. This team has fought all year long, and whenever weve lost weve come back and responded."
The two clubs met once during the regular season with Bellingham prevailing 7-3.
"We thought it was going to be a little closer, but they made a few mistakes in the beginning of the game and we capitalized," Martinis said.
"Those first three runs that we scored were a huge momentum swing," said Jacques, "because we knew Framingham is a very good team and you have to be aware of what they are capable of."
Erik DiMarco and Chris Haddad finished with multiple hits in the game for Bellingham, while Vinny Gravellese added two hits for Framingham.
BELLINGHAM 11
FRAMINGHAM 0
Central Mass. Senior Babe Ruth World Series
Game 1
BELLINGHAM: 351 200 0 -- 11 12 3
FRAMINGHAM: 000 000 0 -- 0 5 2
B, Matt Nord and Steve Robery; F, Vinny Gravellese, Paul ONeill (1), CJ Mulhern (3), Sean Monahan (4) and Robbie Bonnevie. WP -- Nord; LP -- Gravellese; 2B-B, Kyle Martinis.
Next: Framingham travels to Bellingham tonight (Richardson Field, 8 p.m.)
Wednesday, August 2
Ruling Ruth
By Ken Castro/ Daily News Correspondent
Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - Updated: 02:57 AM EST
BELLINGHAM -- Bellinghams Erik DiMarco took a seat on the outfield grass in lieu of joining his teammates in a post-game celebration last night at Richardson Field.
The fact that DiMarco needed a breather is certainly understandable given that the crafty left-hander, working on a night that featured oppressive humidity, fashioned a complete game, three-hit, 2-0 whitewash of visiting Framingham in the deciding game of the Central Massachusetts Senior Babe Ruth World Series.
The win gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 series sweep and improved their final record to 23-1 overall.
Framingham starter Tim Nazzaro opposed DiMarco in the pitchers duel, which was punctuated by the Bulldogs snapping a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning as a result of a Nazzaro wild pitch with the bases loaded. DiMarco added an RBI single off Nazzaro in the bottom half of the sixth inning.
Nazzaro, the Framingham High School hurler, allowed three hits as well in going the distance.
Sunday, August 6
Bellingham Building Senior Babe Ruth Dynasty
By Mark Ayoub/ Daily News staff
Sunday, August 6, 2006 - Updated: 01:02 AM EST
In a league with a tremendous turnover from year-to-year, its pretty hard to use the famous D word -- dynasty -- to describe a teams standing.
But after Bellingham captured the Central Mass. Senior Babe Ruth (CMSBR) World Series title for the second consecutive year (and making the finals for the third straight year), the term might see usage around town.
"I think we have a team that can be very very competitive year after year," said head coach Paul Jacques. "Maybe not win it all every year -- every years a new year -- but maybe to get in the finals year after year."
Since taking over a last-place Bellingham squad three years ago, Jacques has worked wonders with the program, guiding it to the finals in his first year, and championships in his next two (including only one loss this year). But Jacques deflects the credit to his players.
"It feels unbelievable right now," he said, a few days after winning it on Tuesday. "It took a couple of days to sink in. Looking back at the accomplishments that these kids have made in the last three years, its just unbelievable.
"Its just been a great feeling knowing the kids went out, played their hearts out, and had fun doing it."
Of course, next year will present one of the toughest challenges yet, as it will be losing star 18-year-old players Erik DiMarco, Steve Robery, and Matt Nord.
"The hardest part will be the loss of my 18-year-olds," said Jacques.
"Ive been coaching them for multiple summers. Year after year, you always lose a bunch of kids, but this group has been with me for many many summers. Im really going to realize it next year when I cant call them up."
Regardless, the spirit of the program will continue into next year, the same spirit that has led to so much success.
"Weve always got a lot of kids who wanted to play, showed up, wanted to be there, and just enjoyed it from that," Jacques said.
"They love playing with each other. Its a great bunch of kids that have always played together since they were younger and want to continue all the way through at the Senior Babe level as a team."
Jacques also cited the high school and youth programs for helping produce the talent that has got the team to where it is.
And regardless of how the team does next year, Jacques knows one thing is clear after winning it twice in a row.
"It shows that the future is here right now," he said. "We have a great future for the town organization. Theres a very good team atmosphere; everybody has helped out with this win again this summer. Hopefully next year, well be competitive again."
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