RallyNorth.net

Wed, Apr 01, 2009 03:30 PM @ Brooks

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Final
Pingree	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	3
Brooks	2	0	2	0	1	0	0	5

Johnson blows Pingree away in season debut

Wednesday, April, 01 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

NORTH ANDOVER - As expected, when the Opening Day lineups were unveiled here yesterday, there was no wild rush to the Pingree School bat rack.

The prospect of facing nasty Dartmouth-bound lefty Michael Johnson on this sub-40 degree afternoon enticed about as much as a cup of hot chocolate on your basic July scorcher.

The Brooks School southpaw, who struck out 76 in just 442/3 innings on the mound a year ago, picked up right where he left off. Johnson blew away the first eight hitters he saw, finishing with 10 strikeouts, no walks and two hits allowed in four innings, lifting Brooks over Pingree, 5-3.

"I was ready, with the winter and the trip South, I was ready," said Johnson, who gave up hockey over the winter to stay focused on his mound work. "I threw a lot of long toss this winter and worked on my mechanics. I missed (hockey) a little, but I think it was worth it.

"Overall, I felt good. I threw all my pitches, and was able to use the offspeed stuff. I hope it continues through the season."

With the rest of the gathering in shiver mode, Georgetown's Johnson threw free and easy with an untouchable 12-to-6 breaking ball that on this afternoon was simply unfair.

"He struggled in Florida, too," said Brooks coach of the team's preseason trip. "But that was nice to see."

Brooks wasted no time, busting out of the gate in the first to score the region's first runs of 2009.
With two down in the opening frame, Johnson singled, stole and scored on a double by Methuen's Jason Buco.

Buco then rolled around when an Alex Clapp grounder was misplayed.

A pair of well-placed bunt hits, one by Johnson and the other by Matt Geremia, plus a Mark Charlebois infield dribbler, pushed the margin to 4-0 after three.

Touched for a couple unearned runs in the fourth, Johnson yielded to righty Woody Cissel.

Cissel loped through five outs on a hit and a walk, but the hit a bullet back up the middle sent him tumbling to the ground after the ball ricocheted into left.

Conscious and alert, the right-hander would leave the game and later be taken via ambulance to the hospital.

Forced into duty, Alex Trapp closed things out, facing just five batters for the final four outs.

For Pingree, Richmond-bound shortstop Jolmi Minaya-Suriel walked and scored a run, showing off his glove with a couple of nice plays including one diving dazzler deep in the hole.