RallyNorth.net

On this night, Masco couldn't find a way to get offensive

Tuesday, June, 10 By Matt Jenkins
Staff writer

BRAINTREE | It was a combination of patience and aggression, business and pleasure, skill and luck.

Plymouth North had it going 100 percent all the time in last night's Division 2 state semifinal at Braintree High.

Meanwhile, it came and went for Masconomet.

The "it" was a focused approach at the plate that served as the difference between these teams and catapulted the unbeaten Blue Eagles to the state championship game with a 13-1 victory.

While both teams put runners on base, only Plymouth North consistently found a way to bring them home.

Walks, hit batsmen, and well-struck base hits were the norm, but delivering the timely hit was as foreign to Masco as a healthy lifestyle is to John Daly.

"We left a lot of guys on base. That's always going to bite you," Masconomet coach Joe Marchesi said. "We had a couple hits here and there and we still had baserunners, but the timely hits weren't there | and that's it. A couple hits and we're right back in the game."

The Chieftains had a baserunner in every inning and put the leadoff man on base in each of the first three innings (and 4 of the first 5 innings). They loaded the bases in the third and fifth innings, too.

But even when they came through with the bats, Lady Luck laughed in their faces.

In the fifth inning with two outs and the sacks juiced, James Riordan delivered a single to right field scoring Cam Greeley, but teammate Kyle Shepard was wiped out at the plate on a questionable call.

You have to wonder what happened to a Masco offense that had scored 194 runs through 24 games up until that point.

The Chieftains won the Division 2 North title with a narrow, extra-inning victory over Danvers by scoring just one run, and they managed only three hits in a 5-1 win over Madison Park in the sectional semifinal.

According to Marchesi, the lacking offense was nothing internal.

"We've faced the best pitching around," Marchesi said. "That kid (Evan Martinsen of Plymouth North), his numbers were ridiculous this year. Their whole pitching staff was like that. We faced (Danvers') Bobby Dean the last game, and I think he might be the best pitcher in the state. We still competed.

"Our pitchers and defense kept us in games. Today we just weren't able to come through with the timely hitting."

Martinsen was strangely effective for Plymouth North. He threw a heavy load of curveballs that seemed to baffle Masco hitters when they weren't bouncing off their backs and scraping the top of their spikes. He allowed seven hits and hit four batters, walking two and striking out seven.

When it mattered most, he was able to retire Masco hitters.

"His last outing (in the tournament), he pitched well, but he could have been better," Plymouth North senior centefielder Keegan Grabhorn said after driving in seven runs last night. "It was important for us to get out to a lead and get him comfortable, just so he could work with a lead and not have so much presure on him."

Putting runs on the board hadn't been this easy for the 25-0 Blue Eagles all season, but Joe Flynn's two-run homer to center field in the top of the first inning opened everything up. One solid swing of the bat put life into the Plymouth North lineup and gave Martinsen just enough breathing room.

"It's always nice to be ahead; that gave Evan some wiggle room. I don't think he started pitching well until the fourth inning," Plymouth North coach Dwayne Follette said.

"It was important to get ahead and stay ahead. Flynn hitting a two-run homer in the first was awesome. Then we relaxed at the plate. That's the best we've hit the ball in a long time."

Plymouth hitters were loose and focused in the box, a perfect reflection of Follette. The head coach could be heard telling his hitters from the dugout to "have fun". He even told No. 8 hitter Billy Mitchell to "hit a home run" after taking a wild hack at a high pitch.

Still, when the moment called for it, Follette showed a more serious side. He twice had discussions with umpires after questionable calls, once doing so from his seat atop the bucket of balls when the home plate umpire called a low strike on a 3-0 count with the bases loaded.

His approach clearly has rubbed off on his players | and a carefree yet serious attitude can often help swing luck into your favor.

Grabhorn hit the ball well on each of his three hits, but a line drive single to left field quickly turned into a near inside-the-park home run in the fourth inning. Upon landing in left field, Grabhorn's hit bounced hard left over outfielder Evan Bunker's head and rolled all the way to the fence. The hit scored a run, but Grabhorn was cut down at the plate on perfect relay.

Luck wasn't so kind to Masco.

With the game already out of reach, Chieftains shortstop Chris Splinter popped up on the grass in short right field. Plymouth North second baseman Jared Canney settled under the ball but misplayed it. But right fielder Steve McSharry was right there to secure the bobbled ball.

"There were a couple crazy hops, but it's baseball," Marchesi said. "You're playing outside on a grass field and anything can happen.

"It's just a game. I hate to say that because it's a lot more to everybody else, but at the same time there's only a certain amount of things you can control."

Additional stories:

• Masconomet's state title dreams dashed by unbeaten Plymouth North