CHELMSFORD – After losing its season opening game, the Central Catholic baseball team went on an eight-game winning streak, combining to outscore its opponents 64-24.
On a cold Wednesday afternoon, the Raiders were on their way to adding to that lopsided total thanks to scoring single runs in the first and second innings in their showdown with Merrimack Valley Conference rival Chelmsford, who like the Raiders, entered the game with eight victories.
After that second inning and up by two runs, the bats went silent for Central with one hit and no runs the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, in the other dugout was a hungry Chelmsford team. The Lions erased that quick 2-0 deficit with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, before ending the game in the bottom of the seventh with a walk-off infield single off the bat of Matt Hall — who had struck out in his previous three at-bats – to give the Lions a 3-2 victory.
“I struck out three times to start the game so I was just looking to get the bat on the ball. We had the bases loaded with one out, and I hit a ball like ten feet and did the job,” cracked Hall. “My swing was kind of long (in the earlier at-bats) and I was trying to crush it. I just tried to shorten up and make contact. I hit one that probably went ten miles per hour and ten feet (in front of home plate), but I got the job done.”
With one out and the bases empty, Nate Michaud started the Lions (9-2) rally with a single to center field. On a 2-2 pitch to the next batter Tyler Connors, Michaud took advantage of a pitch in the dirt and stole second. Connors then walked on the ensuing pitch. Grant Engelhardt followed with a sharp single to center field to load the bases for Hall. He beat out a high chopper in front of the plate, allowing Michaud to easily score from third base.
“It doesn’t have to be pretty but it worked. I just told Matt to get the bat on the ball and try to get the ball to the outfield,” said Chelmsford head coach Lou DiStasi. “This is a huge win for us against a very, very good team. We faced two good pitchers so it was just a battle and we got the ‘W’ and that’s huge.”
Central (8-2) scored its first run in the top of the first on a double steal with Nathan Kearney scoring the run, after he walked and went to third on a base hit by Brady Rickenbach. In the second, Tyler Normandie singled to right, went to second on an infield single off the bat of Jake Bartlett and both of them moved up a base on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Kyle Bishop. No. 9 hitter Jeremy Delacruz followed with a single to left to score Normandie and that was all Central could muster for the rest of the game.
Central’s starting pitcher Frankie Melendez started off by tossing three hitless innings, but did issue two walks. In the fourth, he faced five batters, giving up three singles while a fly ball was dropped. Jack Keyo singled in the second run to tie the game up at 2-2. Central coach John Sexton then called on left-hander Lukas Rondeau, who got out of the jam with two impressive strikeouts.
“Frank was sharp and he threw the ball well. He’s giving us a good effort every time he’s taken the ball this season. and Lukas the same. I thought he was good and sometimes it doesn’t go your way and today it didn’t,” said Sexton. “I just felt like (Melendez) wasn’t quite as sharp as he was at the start of the game and I liked going to Lukas there, but (the final outcome) didn’t go out way today.”
Central finished the game with just five hits, all singles. In the top of the seventh, pinch-hitter Charlie Antonopoulos greeted relief pitcher Cole Pelkey with the team’s fifth and final single going to the right-center gap. Cameron Jankowski came on as a pinch-runner and he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Delacruz. But Pelkey then got out of the jam, and setting up the home half dramatics for the Lions.
“It was a good baseball game. We got a couple of early runs and then kind of stagnant a little bit after that offensively,” said Sexton. “(Caleb) Stuart for them pitched well and the kid Pelkey made a couple of big pitches in the top of the seventh. Our guys pitched well and it was a good baseball game. Sometimes you lose by a run.”
Chelmsford 3, Central Catholic 2
Central Catholic (8-2): 110 000 0 -2 5 2
Chelmsford (9-2): 000 200 1 -3 6 2
Central: Florence lf 4-0-0, Norris rf 4-0-0, Kearney 1b 2-1-0, Rickenbach c 3-0-1, Savio dh 3-0-0, Normandie 2b 3-1-1, Bartlett 3b 3-0-1, Bishop cf 1-0-0, Antonopoulos ph 1-0-1, Jankowski pr 0-0-0, Delacruz ss 2-0-1, Melendez p 0-0-0, Rondeau p 0-0-0. Totals: 26-2-5
Chelmsford: Engelhardt cf 4-0-1, Hall ss 4-0-1, M. Stuart 3-1-1, Blaine c 3-1-0, Ramseyer 1b 3-0-1, Clark dh 1-0-0, Keyo lf 3-0-1, Michaud rf 2-1-1, Connors 2b 2-0-0, C. Stuart p 0-0-0, Pelkey p 0-0-0. Totals: 25-3-6.
RBI: CC, Delacruz; CH, Hall, Clark and Keyo.
WP: Pelkey; LP: Rondeau