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Andover Golden Warriors Baseball '08

Mon, May 26, 2008 12:00 PM @ Masconomet
Team Final
Andover 3
Masconomet 2
Andover 3, Masconomet Regional 2. » Matthew Viglianti, Staff PhotographerMore photos

Even after loss, Masconomet poised for the postseason

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Monday, May, 26 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

TOPSFIELD | A Cape Ann League Large division title in its back pocket, the pitching rotation in perfect shape, and a rock-solid 15-5 record headed to the postseason.

Masconomet Regional has positioned itself perfectly for another deep Division 2 North baseball tourney run.

That doesn't mean second-year coach Joe Marchesi wouldn't have liked to pull out yesterday's regular season finale, a 3-2 loss to perennial Division 1 power Andover.

Instead, the Chieftains, who stranded the tying and winning runs on the bases in the seventh yesterday, will have to settle for one final pre-tourney learning experience.

"I'm disappointed that we lost," said Marchesi, whose club lost its second game to the Warriors in five days. "It's just good to play better teams.

"We have to get up a little more. We played the last few games in the Cape Ann League and it took a lot out of our guys. We were battling for the league. We've had a little lull against (Andvoer) but we have to bounce back."

The Chieftains, who came up big down the stretch to latch on to the four-team tie atop the CAL Large, rolled out four different pitchers yesterday and nearly knocked off the Merrimack Valley Conference runner-up Warriors.

Andover pounced on the Chieftains with two in the first on Mike Taylor's two-run homer, his second of the year.

Masco answered immediately with Cam Greeley walking and Pat Matvichuk reaching on an error. With one down, senior Kyle Shepard knotted things with a two-run double off Andover starter Shawn Carlson.

Unfortunately, that was all the offense Masco would muster off the hard-throwing Carlson, who buckled down to strike out two and end the jam in the first. Carlson allowed only a Matvichuk single until the sixth.

After Andover took a 3-2 lead in the top half of the sixth, the Masco all-league second baseman roped his second hit of the day, and sophomore Chris Splinter walked, but Carlson proved up to the task, inducing a pop up, strikeout and ground out to end that threat.

Junior Andy Roach led the Masco seventh with a double and moved up on a sacrifice, but would be left there as the game ended.Carlson buckled down with his 10th strikeout and a grounder to first, ending things.

"We had four guys throw today, so the rotation will be fine. But defensively and hitting we have to get at it at practice a little bit more the next two days," said Marchesi.

"Division 2 North is going to be stacked with good teams at the top. Hopefully we can get through the first couple rounds and then just battle hard like we did last year."

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