RallyNorth.net

Andover Golden Warriors Baseball '08

Tue, May 20, 2008 04:00 PM @ Methuen
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Final
Andover 1 0 3 3 0 0 1 8
Methuen 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

Andover takes care of business, now needs help

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Wednesday, May, 21 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

Earlier in the year, Andover coach Ken Maglio predicted 10 wins would take the Merrimack Valley Conference large title.

He is a Central Catholic loss to Tewksbury (Monday) away from being a prophet.

Four-time defending champion Andover did itself proud yesterday, sweeping the completion of an earlier tied game with Methuen and yesterday's scheduled tilt to finish its conference slate at 10-3.

Ryan Walsh pitched two shutout innings in the resumed game to give the Golden Warriors a 6-5 win in nine innings.

John Farrell then threw a five-hitter as Andover finished the job, 8-1.

Monday afternoon, Central of the MVC Large (10-2 MVC) will travel to Tewksbury. The winner takes its division outright.

"We've been striving for first place in the MVC," said Farrell. "We don't have the talent we had last year, but we've worked hard. I think we deserve it. We have to hope Tewksbury beats them. It's kind of hard leaving our fate in someone else's hands, but it happens."

A reliever, Walsh (3-1) started what was the top of the eighth and set the Rangers down in order twice.

"That was a lot of pressure," said Walsh. "It was between me and Shawn (Carlson) for the start, and coach went with me. I was trying not to let him down. It's a tough league, one of the best leagues in the state. We just took care of business."

Methuen's Jimmy Cote sailed through the eighth, but Mike Morander led the ninth with triple to right, and Sean McDermott finished things with a sharp single to center.

Cote returned to the mound to start Game 2, and the Warriors got to him again, breaking things open with three runs in the third and three more in the fourth.

Zach Burdeau and John Hennessy each had three hits and two RBIs for Andover, which racked up 15 hits in the game.

Farrell, meanwhile, cruised through six shutout frames before giving up a single run in the seventh. The junior fanned seven and walked two, improving to 4-1.

"I was just trying to get the first pitch over. I basically did it to every batter but maybe two or three of them," said Farrell, who threw 97 pitches yesterday and is on target should Andover reach the Lawrence Invitational Tournament finals on Sunday night. "When I get up in the count, and they have to hit my pitch, I'm pretty tough to hit. When I'm not getting the first pitch strike over, I'm up in the zone. That's when I get hit, like I did against Tewksbury."

Methuen now finds itself in deep trouble with four games left in the year. To earn a state tourney berth, the Rangers must beat Whittier today then find a way to win the upcoming Lawrence tourney over the weekend.

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