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Central beats Andover in 9-inning thriller

Wednesday, May, 06 By By Bill Burt
Sports editor

ANDOVER — If this were a boys basketball game, with the prerequisite 2,000 screaming fans and exuberant student sections, they'd be talking about this Central Catholic-Andover High game for a long time. 

But this was a baseball game and you'll just have to trust the 300 people there on beautiful spring day, including players and fans because they saw a classic.

Central outlasted Andover, 4-1, in nine innings.

The game had everything you could ask for, including clutch hits, two throws from deep in the outfield to eventually nail players at the plate, diving catches in the outfield, a Div. 1-caliber defensive play a shortstop and, well, extra innings.

The only problem was Central, which was outhit 9-6, was on the better end of those big plays.

"This is my 27th year. Coach (John) Sexton and I have been together for, it seems a hundred million years," said the emotional Central Catholic coach Marc Pelletier. "That was one of the greatest games I've ever been a part of. We get two piggy-back relays, with infielders way out in the outfield to get the cutoff, and get two guys at the plate. Unbelievable."

Andover had its share of memorable plays, with starting pitcher Daniel Amidon in a few of them. He not only allowed only 3 hits, but he struck out 10 Central batters in seven innings. 

Then, with nobody on in the seventh inning and two outs, Amidon ripped a double down the left field line. Leadoff hitter, Chris Nicholas, appeared to have the hit of the year in the Merrimack Valley ripping a long shot in gap deep in right, scoring Jonathan Bailey (who ran for Amidon), but in going for an inside-the-park home run he was barely tagged out at home plate.

In the ninth inning, Central's Cam Devanney, who snared a potential RBI single away from Andover's E.J. Perry with a nifty play with his glove three innings earlier, ripped a leadoff single and eventually scored freshman catcher Dom Keegan's single. Central got two more runs thanks to a single by freshman Steven Hajjar and two-run single by Jack Silk (two hits).

Andover, though, didn't go quietly as it loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Central reliever Mike Mercuri struck out the last batter looking to finish off the gut-wrenching win.

Pelletier didn't have enough new game balls to hand out.

"Sam Lara pitches his heart out, especially in the first inning, getting out of a bases loaded jam. The stats don't show that," said Pelletier. "Then our right fielder, Johandy Gonzalez, makes not only two great throws to the cutoff to nail guys at home plate, but he makes a great diving catch with no outs in the top of the seventh, which could've really messed things up for us.

"Then our shortstop (Devanney) shows everyone why he's going to Elon (University) on a baseball scholarship with that play on Perry's hard hit," said Pelletier. "We had two sacrifice bunts that helped in us scoring three runs ... What a great game this was. And then add in the fact that we did it against Andover, a great ballclub ... Wow!"

Devanney, who is 20 pounds heavier this season, said it's been so much fun coming to the field every day with this team, which has talent from every class.

"We have a great mentality, like when Andover had that hit that tied the game," said Devanney. "We didn't dwell on it. We finished the play and got the guy at the plate. I'm having a lot of fun. I really like this group."

For Central, Lara got the win going eight innings while scattering seven hits.

Andover's Chris Nicholas and Jake Lansberry each had two hits for the Warriors. Hernandez, who had a single, took the loss pitching two innings in relief.

Andover coach Dan Grams tipped his cap to Central when it was over. 

"They were flawless in the field," said Grams, who disputed the play at home plate which would've plated Andover's winning run. "Central was the better team today. They earned it."

Central plays Stoneham High in non-league action on Saturday while Andover faces off with Chelmsford on Friday.