HAMILTON — The first pitch of the game left the yard and put top-seeded Hamilton-Wenham behind the 8-ball.
The last pitch of the night didn’t even leave the backstop — and sent the Generals to the Division 4 state Final Four.
Hamilton-Wenham got by Sandwich, 2-1, in an eight inning barnburner under the lights at their turf facility Sunday night. A bases loaded, two out walk drawn by Matt Coughlin — on a full count, adding to the drama — brought home the winning run to send the Generals (22-1) to the state semifinals for a second straight season.
Senior righty Cormac Heney threw all eight innings for Hamilton-Wenham, rebounding after Sandwich’s pitcher Joe Coughlan hit a leadoff homer in the top of the first. If you’ll pardon the pun considering there was a delay in the top of the seventh when the lights went out, Heney was absolutely lights out on the hill.
Striking out a season-high 14 batters, he allowed only two hits in going the distance on just over 100 pitches. He did walk two and hit two others, but retired 12 straight in the middle innings and fanned five straight during one electric stretch.
“That was probably the hardest game I’ve ever played in my life,” said Heney. “Coughlan put a great swing on a good pitch and I had to put my head down and grind through it. To look at the scoreboard and see the 1 followed by seven zeroes … it’s a great feeling knowing I can do hard things and push through it.”
As big as Coughlan’s early homer was, his pitching in trouble spots was better. H-W had at least one hit in all eight innings but was held off the board for the first five frames. Sandwich (12-12) turned two double plays on hard-hit balls and it was starting to feel like the Generals might never break through.
With one out in the sixth, all that changed. Leadoff man and senior Caden Schrock doubled and Chase Cann (3-for-4) traded placed with him via double to square the game, 1-1. H-W had two out with one out and chance to take the lead but Coughlan escaped.
“Coughlan is a stud. We know we can hit fastballs and we had chanced, but didn’t get the timely hit in the early innings,” said H-W head coach Reggie Maidment. “When it came down to it, we found a way. These kids know they can win any baseball game they’re in.”
Heney put away the last seven men he faced, getting a strikeout with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth and refusing to allow a Sandwich baserunner in the seventh or the eighth. Right fielder John Cavilla made a sensational sliding catch to end the top of the eighth and send the Generals in to win it.
“My heart stop beating for a second when that was hit,” said Heney, “and Cavilla picked up the slack.”
Sandwich opted to change pitchers to start extra innings. Schrock lead off the eighth with a walk and Cann and Heney followed with shallow singled to load the bases. Griffin Hawkins and Owen Waddell both put the first pitch they saw in play and Sandwich made pressure packed throws home for force outs.
That brought up Coughlan (2-for-3) and he worked a six-pitch walk to force home the winning run.
“These kids are dogs,” said Maidment. “They love to win, love each other and I’m lucky to have them.”
Waddell (double) made two outstanding defensive plays to help keep Sandwich’s lead 1-0. The first was a rangy grab over to the second base bag for a putout and the second saw him alertly throw to third for a fielder’s choice that kept what would’ve been a huge potential run off the board.
“Owen is so good defensively that it’s sickening,” Maidment marveled.
Hamilton-Wenham is in the state semifinals for the third time since 2018 and seeks its first state title since 1988. The Generals refused to touch the Final Four trophy (wanting the big one instead) and will face No. 5 Saint John Paul II (17-5) later this week.
As for Sunday’s classic under the lights (which was delayed 50 minutes by heavy rains), Ben Holland had a bunt single, Heney went 3-for-4 and H-W outhit Sandwich by an 11-2 margin.