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Cohasset ends Georgetown run

Wednesday, June, 15 By Jeff Hamrick

LYNN — Georgetown’s improbable playoff run fell a few innings short of an Eastern Massachusetts Division 4 title.

South champion Cohasset took advantage of several Georgetown miscues and scored four runs in the sixth to knock off the Royals 6-1 last night at Fraser Field.

“We lost to a good team,” said Mark Rowe, who coached his final game in his 13-year stint as Georgetown’s head coach. “And there’s never any shame in losing to a good team. They were clearly a much better hitting team than we were. And obviously they played a little bit better than us.”

The Royals, who finished the regular season 6-14 but earned a playoff berth on the Sullivan Rule because they played up in the Cape Ann League, grabbed the early lead with an unearned run in the second. Will Ingraham led off the frame with a double before eventually scoring on Cohasset’s only error of the game.

That’s how things remained until a momentum-changing fifth. Chris Petro and Mark Berkland sandwiched a hit by Ryan Browner with walks to load the bases and no outs. But Petro and Browner were forced out at the plate on ground balls and Cohasset (19-6) ended the threat with a third ground-ball out.

“It’s a credit to (the Skippers),” said Rowe, who’s career record with the Royals was 145-135. “All year long we’re hitting fly balls all over the place, and I’m yelling at the kids to stop hitting fly balls because they’re easy outs. But that was the time we could have used a fly ball.”

The Skippers, who stranded two runners in both the third and fourth, finally got to Browner in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs without benefit of a hit. Browner’s only two walks of the game and two of Georgetown’s five errors resulted in a pair of runs.

“That was huge,” said Cohasset coach Peter Afanasiw, who’s squad outscored five playoff opponents by a combined 51-5.

Cohasett secured the victory with four runs — only two of which were earned — in a sixth inning highlighted by two doubles off Browner, who allowed eight hits and struck out two.

Georgetown (10-15) saw its four-game winning streak snapped with the loss. It was second time in three years the Royals lost in an Eastern Massachusetts final.

“I knew this was our last game no matter what,” Rowe said. “That’s why I told the kids to sit back and relax and enjoy this game. All through the tournament you’re playing to get to the next game ... And I told the kids there is no more next game. There is no more next practice ... Win or lose go out and enjoy the atmosphere and feel like you left everything on the field. And I think we did that.”

Additional stories:

• Cohasset ends Georgetown run