RallyNorth.net

Central Catholic's baseball team hardly worked up a sweat yesterday in a 12-2 Division 1 North first-round rout of Brook Farm of West Roxbury. Tim Wheeler was 2 for 5 with a home run and Brendan Walsh was 3 for 5 with an RBI and three runs scored as the Raiders banged out 15 hits. Meanwhile pitcher Matt Novak and Brian Wolfendale combined on a one-hitter, striking out 11 between them.

"This game will not go down in Cooperstown history," said Central Catholic coach Marc Pelletier in reference to the Raiders' 12-11 win over Haverhill yesterday and it's easy to see why. "It was pretty ugly."

 Central Catholic baseball coach Marc Pelletier didn't know what to expect out of his team.

The pain from the Wednesday death of their friend, Central softball player Rebecca Solomon, is still overwhelming.

Austin Prep scraped together three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Central Catholic was ultimately able to outlast the Cougars in yesterday's 6-4 win. Tim Wheeler went to for three with an RBI and a run scored, and Patrick Noone plated two to help Matt Novak pick up his third win.

St. John's Prep came out hitting from the start and held on to quell Central Catholic, 9-3. Playing at the Eagles' brand-new, Field Turf facility, shortstop and leadoff hitter Robbie Taylor provided the brunt of the scoring for the Raiders (12-5) with a two-run single as part of a three-run third frame.

LOWELL - Minutes before the biggest game in high school pitching life, Zak Adamopoulos' teammates took a few playful shots at his pitching resume.

"(Brendan Walsh) was all over me before the game, like, 'dude, you finally get to pitch against a good team.' That's just how the rotation has worked out," explained Adamopoulos, who entered last night's Merrimack Valley Conference championship showdown against Lowell with an impressive 9-1 career mark.

Brendan Walsh got a fastball from Robin Lowe on a 2-1 count and didn't miss, cracking a homer in the eighth inning that sent Central Catholic to a 2-1 win over rival Andover. Lowe had been locked in a pitcher's duel with Zack Lattrell, but it was Lattrell picking up the win as he allowed just four hits while fanning four.

LAWRENCE - Brendan Walsh was drowning and about 400 fans had a front row seat.

The Central Catholic senior pitcher never stopped fighting, though. When his teammates through him a rope - with five runs in the fifth - the gritty right-hander did the rest, slamming the door on rival Lawrence and keeping alive Central's drive to defend its MVC large championship.

NORTH ANDOVER - Central Catholic's baseball mission became a lot clearer right about at dinner time yesterday.
The Raiders, upended in 10 innings by Chelmsford, 4-1, now know losing is not an option if they desire to defend their Merrimack Valley Conference title.
"We saw their ace, and we're going to see everybody's ace this week," said coach Marc Pelletier, whose Raiders are no 7-3 in the league, a game behind Lowell with three to play. "We have to win. You try to win every game, but in this league one is not any more important than the others."
Talk about a monster task, though. The Raiders have to go through 12-2 Lawrence tomorrow night, arch-rival Andover Thursday and the 8-6 Red Raiders of Lowell Friday night at Alumni.
Yesterday's squander of a Matt Novak side-arming masterpiece was huge.
Central stranded 10 on the bases and ran into the third out to end the third with two on.With Novak watching, the Lions dropped in three more hits to grab the decisive 4-1 lead.
"We just didn't clutch up at the plate," said Pelletier. "I think 1-through-9, everybody had a chance today, but we just didn't get it done."
Novak, now 2-1, pitching into the 10th, surrendering a one-out single that ended his 130-pitch day.
"That's as fine a pitching performance as you're going to get," said Pelletier of his Northeastern-bound submariner, who allowed four hits and three walks, while striking out six. "And the kid on the on other side (Chelmsford's Mike Martell) matched him pitch for pitch."
Martell had the Raiders off balance all day, toughest of all with runners on. He also pitched into the 10th.
Pat Noone had two hits and knocked in the Central run with a single in the third.
Recuperating Andrew Guyer, seeing his third game action, added a pair of hits, while sizzling slugger Tim Wheeler (.533) extended his season-long hit streak to 13 games.

Lowell pushed across two runs in the top of the eighth and held on for a 4-2 victory over Central Catholic. Patrick Noone and Zak Adamopoulos scored for Central, which was limited to three hits.