GEORGETOWN — If it was finally going to happen for the Georgetown baseball team, you knew it wasn’t going to come easy.
It just couldn’t.
After 15 long years with so many chances along the way, this spring provided arguably the best moment of any for the Royals to finally end their drought in the hometown Bert Spofford Tournament. Started in 2008 in memory of the local sports legend who led the program for so many years, the host Royals unfortunately hadn’t been able to hoist the title hardware since the second iteration of the tournament all those years ago.
It may have taken everything on Sunday, but the trophy is finally coming home.
In a truly wild final, Georgetown was able to outlast defending champion Newburyport, 10-8, to win its first Spofford championship since 2009. Sophomore shortstop Brendan Loewen (2-for-4, 4 RBI) was named tourney MVP, and after the game, an elated Royals squad was overjoyed to hoist the trophy after it was handed to them by their biggest supporter and Spofford’s son, Richard.
“This was really important for the program,” said senior captain Jake Gilstein. “It’s been 15 years since our last one, and it’s been a goal of ours every single offseason for the four years I’ve been here. So to finally get it done, it means a lot.”
If you’re a believer in karma, or the “Baseball Gods,” Sunday was a game for you.
For the second day in a row, Newburyport (14-7) put together a pretty miraculous comeback to nearly snatch victory out of nowhere. The Clippers trailed rival Triton, 6-0, after the first inning of their opening round game on Saturday before fighting back to earn the 10-7 win, and similarly trailed both 6-1 and 8-3 at points on Sunday.
So the team’s resolve — on the brink of the state tournament, no less — bodes well.
But Newburyport, through absolutely no fault of its own, did get some help.
Trailing 6-1 in the bottom of the third inning, Jackson DeVivo (2-for-4) led off with a deep fly ball to left field that one-hopped over the fence. Left fielder Jason Gioia put his hands up to indicate the ball was out of play for a ground-rule double, but after much confusion, the umpires deemed the ball landed over the fence for a home run. A Jack Mercier RBI-fielder’s choice later, and it was a 6-3 game.
That was “Strike 1.”
But incredibly, after Georgetown (19-1) scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning to push the lead back up to 8-3 … it happened again!
With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, Jack Sullivan (2-for-3) stepped up big time for the Clippers and crushed a bases-clearing double to right field to make it 8-6. Then into the batter’s box walked Parker Cowles, who — just like DeVivo a few innings prior — lifted a deep fly ball to left field that similarly — and clearly — one-hopped over the fence.
But the call on the field again: Home run.
And now a tie ballgame, 8-8.
“A couple of years ago against Amesbury in the Spofford final, it wasn’t THIS type of game, but I certainly think we weren’t prepared for that,” said Gilstein. “But now, this team is prepared for anything.”
Now here’s where the “Baseball Gods” come in.
Even with those tough breaks going against it, Georgetown still responded with Gilstein and Oliver Thibeault getting to 2nd and 3rd with two outs in the top of the seventh. Loewen lifted a lazy fly to center that looked to get Newburyport out of the jam, but the ball clanked off a glove and dropped to the field, allowing both runs to score and the Royals to retake the lead.
Was it divine intervention?
Or did the seven seniors on Georgetown’s roster simply refuse to let this already magical season not include a Spofford Tournament Championship?
“That’s the thing when you play in games like this,” said Georgetown coach Phil Desilets. “There are a lot of ups and downs and emotions, and having experience really shows in games like this. They were able to collect themselves and refocus to where they needed to be, whereas a younger team may have folded under the pressure. But this group has been there and done that.
“So it was definitely a proud moment.”
Sophomore Zach Floyd allowed a one-out single in the bottom half, but induced a routine 6-4-3 double play to end the game. The Royals swarmed the field in celebration, and will no doubt enjoy breaking the Spofford curse for a while.
But all told, it’s just another check mark.
The Royals have been the clear-cut No. 1 team in Division 5 for the entire season, and will now turn their full attention towards grabbing the ultimate crown.
“Today was awesome,” said Gilstein. “But we still hopefully have five wins ahead of us.”
Georgetown 10, Newburyport 8
Bert Spofford Tournament Final
Georgetown(10): Ruth rf 4-0-0, Gilbo cf 5-1-1, Gilmore p/2b 2-1-1, Lee 1b 4-0-0, Gioia lf 3-0-0, Gilstein c 2-3-1, Southall 2b/p 1-2-0, Floyd p 1-0-0, Thibeault 3b 0-3-0, Loewen ss 3-0-2. Totals 25-10-5
Newburyport (8): Stick 2b 4-2-2, DeVivo cf/p 4-1-2, Sullivan lf/cf 3-2-2, Cowles 3b/p 2-1-1, Mercier dh/p 3-0-0, Cook c 3-0-0, Freundlich ss 3-0-0, Arcand 1b 2-1-0, Klapes rf 2-1-0, C. Yim 1-0-1. Totals 27-8-8
RBI: G — Loewen 4, Lee; N — Cowles 3, Mercier, DeVivo
WP: Floyd; LP: DeVivo
Georgetown (19-1) 2 2 2 0 2 0 2 — 10
Newburyport (14-7): 1 0 2 0 0 5 0 — 8