RallyNorth.net

Mon, Jun 18, 2018 07:00 PM @ Central Catholic

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Final
Franklin	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3
Central Catholic	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2

Franklin scores Super 8 championship-winning run on suicide squeeze in ninth to beat Central

Wednesday, June, 20 By Kyle Gaudette

BROCKTON - After Central Catholic's Super 8 run last year ended after three games, coach Marc Pelletier made one point abundantly clear: This was the new precedent.

The program, which was making its first appearance a year ago, should strive to get back to the elite dance every year.

So, even though the bid for the program's first Super 8 championship ended with a 3-2 loss to Franklin in the pouring rain on Monday night at Brockton's Campanelli Stadium, the Raiders still met the new precedent. The loss, which came when the Panthers executed a suicide squeeze in the top of the ninth to score their game-winning run, will sting.

But Central has a lot to be proud of this spring.

"Hats off to Frankin. They were one run better than us today," said Pelletier. "To lose two is real hard when you have competitors such as ours. Emotions are raw right now. I've had some of these kids for over 75 games. That's a lot of time invested, and there's an awful lot of peaks and valleys but there's also a lot of love.

"They're hurting right now because of a good baseball game that the other team was one run better."

And for Franklin, well, lets just say it made the most of its first Super 8 appearance. The Panthers (21-5) were the last team selected in by the tournament committee, but swept their way to their first championship - with two wins over Central in the process.

Steven Luttazi lead off with a single for Franklin in the ninth, then advanced to third on a two-base error when Central tried to pick him off. The Raiders got the next batter to ground out, but No. 9 hitter Evan Wendell laid down a bunt that brought home Luttazi and put the Panthers ahead.

Central (18-7) had a chance in the bottom of the ninth. Star catcher Dom Keegan (2 for 3, 2 BB) laced a ball down the right field line that would have been a game-tying homer, but was just foul. Still, Keegan drew a walk and was singled to second by Mike Pierro (3 for 3) two batters and two outs later.

But, with first and second and two outs, Franklin ace Jake Noviello got the strikeout to end it.

Along with the suicide squeeze, bringing in Noviello was another gutsy call. The senior came in to a second and third, no out spot in the eighth after starter Bryan Woelfel went the first seven-plus innings. It looked all but certain that Central was going to score, which made bringing in Noviello a bold decision. If Central had gone on to win the game, Noviello may not have been available to start the do-or-die, winner-take-all Game 2 that would have been needed.

But, Noviello struck out three of the next four batters in the eighth (hitting the fourth) to get Franklin out of the jam, then closed it in the ninth.

"I'm really at a loss right now," said Franklin coach Zack Brown. "Jake's a tremendous competitor. Bryan did a fantastic job. Jake came in to a really tough situation, and he really emptied the tank there."

Both bold maneuvers turned out to be perfectly executed.

"We knew squeeze was possibly coming," said Pelletier. "That's baseball. We didn't have an awful lot of moves today, other then making sure we had good pitching."

With ace Steve Hajjar banged up and the rest of its starters resting after games last Thursday and Saturday, Central turned to reliever Noah Lucier to make the start. The senior did admirably, pitching 3.1 innings with three strikeouts - his only blemish coming in the first when he allowed a two-run home run to Jacob Macchi.

From there, Aidan Abernathy, the stalwart reliever for the Raiders this Super 8 run, pitched the rest of the way. He breezed through five innings until the ninth, but ends up with the tough-luck loss yet again on an unearned run.

"It was his game to win or lose," said Pelletier. "I wish we had more innings to keep watching him. The one thing that he gives us is competitive spirit."

Central scored its runs in the fourth when Sean Thompson roped a double down the left field line that scored Pierro. Two batters later, Thompson scored on a fielder's choice hit off the bat of Joe Sanchez.

The Raiders will be hit hard by graduation, losing 12 seniors that are leaving behind quite the legacy.

"They're talented players," said Pelletier. "If you told me four years ago that you could only have eight of them I would have fought you right there. I mean, every one of them deserves to be here.

"They are, as a whole, as talented a senior class as we'll ever graduate."

 

Franklin 3, Central Catholic 2

Super 8 Final

Franklin (3): Colby Fitzgibbons 2b 5-1-2, Scott Elliot lf 4-0-0, Alexander Haba ss 4-0-1, Jacob Macchi c 4-1-1, Cooper Ross dh 1-0-0, Jack Nally cf 4-0-0, Steven Luttazi 1b 4-1-2, Jack Noviello 3b/p 3-0-0, Jonathan Floris ph 1-0-0, Evan Wendell rf 3-0-1. Totals 33-3-7

Central (2): Joe Sanchez cf 4-0-0, Dante Pistone ss/2b 5-0-0, Dom Keegan c 3-0-2, Steve Hajjar dh 3-0-1, Mike Borrelli 1b 4-0-0, Patrick Casserly ph 1-0-0, Mike Pierro rf 3-1-3, Noah Lucier p/ss 5-0-1, Sean Thompson lf 4-1-1, Mike LeFebre 3b 4-0-0, Jake Delaney 2b 0-0-0. Totals 36-2-8

RBI: F - Macchi 2, Wendell; CC - Thompson, Sanchez

WP: Noviello; LP: Abernathy

Franklin (21-5):     2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 3

Central Catholic (18-7):     0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 - 2