RallyNorth.net

SALEM — Traditionally, quarterfinal tourney games in New Hampshire are about the big bats — slugfests often fuel by second-tier pitching.

Obviously, Salem High's Evan Breen missed that memo.

The junior righty, pencilled in as a reliever/spot starter when this season began, dazzled Dover, allowing just one hit — Steve Carlburg's clean single to left with two outs in the fourth — as Salem surfed past the Green Wave, 1-0, yesterday.

"I felt good when I woke up this morning and just had a good day," said Breen.

Walking three, striking out six and allowing no Dover runner to even reach second base, Breen had to be that good.

All the offense Salem could muster off Dover's Ian Seawards came in the first.

Mike Downing, who had walked and moved up to second, raced home on Josh Treff's base hit.

The moment and its magnitude simply didn't faze Breen, who entered the game at 2-2 with a modest 4.00 ERA in 21 innings of regular-season work.

"I don't feel any pressure anyway, never have," said Breen. "I'm not really the nervous type. Maybe they were a little intimidated after the first few innings. I could feel the curve ball going off and could spot the fastball anywhere I wanted it.

"It was just pretty much, working the corners and pounding the zone."

In, out, up down, fastball or breaking ball, Breen lived on the edge — or just off it — for seven innings, and Dover never mounted a threat.

"If he throws his curve ball like that, he's tough to beat," said Salem coach Dan Keleher. "He's shown that in the younger ranks as a freshmen and JV pitcher. And anyone pitching to Josh Treff is going to be competing all day. The quarterfinals are usually all about hitting, but hats off to Evan, this was all about him."

Treff, the Blue Devils' catcher, had a first-hand look at Breen's instant classic. from the best seat in the house.

"He was hitting all of his spots," said the Northeastern-bound backstop, who has called pitches for Salem each of the past three seasons. "He had good control of his curve ball. Even though the game was so close, it felt like we were in control just because of how he was throwing.

"I mixed it up back there, and every time I called something, he hit the spot perfectly. They were off-balance all day and had no idea what was coming. He made me look good."

Salem now enjoys/endures a four-day break before Thursday's (4 p.m.) semifinal vs. Concord at Holman Stadium in Nashua.