The Everett High baseball team pulled out a pair of nail-biting victories this past week to finish the season with a 10-10 record and qualify for the MIAA post-season state tournament.
The first of the tight wins was a 1-0 triumph over Bishop Fenwick on Friday. Senior captain Michael Rossi, who has pitched superbly throughout the season, spun a brilliant three-hitter while fanning 10 Fenwick batters. Rossi gave himself all the run support he would need when his ground-out in the third inning scored Tom Woodward, who had singled and made it around to third on the combination of a base hit by Justin Johnston and a wild pitch.
Two days later the Crimson Tide took on Andover in the first game of the Memorial Day tournament at Peabody. Lawrence Falter took the mound for the Crimson Tide and once again came through with a sterling performance, allowing just three hits (all singles) and walking one, while yielding an unearned run in the third. The victory improved Lawrence’s record to 7-1.
However, Falter’s gem appeared as though it might be for naught, as the 1-0 Andover edge held up into the seventh and final inning. But the Crimson Tide burst out of their hitting doldrums in a big way with a six run rally in the top of the seventh.
A base hit by Rossi, a walk to Arthur Burge, and a bunt single by Steven Faia loaded the bases. A slow roller down the third base line by freshman Bryan Bessler left all runners safe and scored Rossi to knot the game at 1-1. Fellow freshman J.P. Fialli then bounced a grounder that brought in Burge for the go-ahead tally and moved Faia and Bessler to second and third.
A big base hit by Ken DeLorey rescued Faia and Bessler and, after DeLorey moved up a base on a groundout by Woodward, Johnson came through with a hit to plate DeLorey. Justin eventually scored on a combination of heads-up base-running and Andover throwing miscues for the sixth and final Everett run.
The Tide suffered a pair of losses during the past week, dropping a 5-2 decision to Peabody, one of the top-ranked teams in Eastern Mass., in the tourney final on Monday, and a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Medford last Wednesday that denied the Crimson Tide a share of the Greater Boston League title.
Falter was on the hill for the Crimson Tide and tossed a three-hitter in which he allowed no earned runs. However, a lack of run support and costly fielding miscues by his teammates allowed Medford to come away with the victory and a GBL crown.
EHS head coach Joe Lento and his squad were awaiting word yesterday (Tuesday) of their seeding and first-round opponent in the Division 1 North Sectional of the MIAA state tournament.