RallyNorth.net

Central doubles up on Andover

NORTH ANDOVER — On a day which Central Catholic pounded 14 hits and scored 14 runs, it was Jack Silk’s hot glove at third base — in the second inning! — that weighed most on the outcome yesterday. The Raiders, down 4-0 early, went on to crunch Andover, 14-7, and complete a perfect 8-0 run through the Merrimack Valley Conference large division. The victory most likely keeps Central alive in the Super 8 discussion at 16-3 with a noon date here against North Attleboro today.
“That one play changed the game and potentially our whole season,” said senior Connor Simpson. “It changed the whole momentum of the game. We were a little sluggish. That play totally changed the attitude in this dugout.”
Andover’s Gabe Hernandez scalded a two-hopper down the third-base line with men on first and second and one out. Silk went horizontal to the line and somehow gloved the missile, got up, stepped on the bag and fired to first for the inning-ending double play.
“Honestly, he couldn’t have hit it harder, I just laid out, found it in my glove and made a play,” said Silk, admitting that good fortune was on his and the Raiders’ side. “It’s a rough infield over there. There’s a lot of dust. But it was big.”
Instead of Andover padding its 4-3 advantage, Central leaped to life and unleashed a five-run flurry of its own. At 8-4, the game felt different, and it was.
“They’re a very good team, and at different times all year, they just seem to have a different kid step up,” said Andover coach Dan Grams. “Today, it was the third baseman making that play. It changed the game. Plus, they had a lot of guys hit the ball today.”
With both scheduled starters — Andover’s Dan Amidon and Central’s Mike Mercuri — used up in Wednesday’s washout, you knew runs would be scored.
Each team trotted out a freshman on the hill, and the hitters had their way.
Andover, which finishes the regular season at 11-9, showed its mettle with a 3-run rally in the fourth keyed by Amidon’s two-run single. But again the Raider defense turned two with Simpson, the Raider reliever, inducing a grounder to Cam Devanney.
“That was big,” said Simpson, who earned an enormous three-inning save, retiring seven of the final eight hitters he faced. “We were able to keep the lead and pile it back up in our half of the inning. We battled. We battle all the time.”
Indeed, Central plated three in the sixth and three more in the seventh to ice it.
“Obviously, the Super 8 is our goal,” said Silk. “It’s on our minds, but all we can do about it is win (today).”
For Andover, Amidon, Quinn McCarthy and EJ Perry IV all had two hits apiece in the loss.
 
SIX-PACK PRODUCTION
Each of the top six hitters in the Central lineup had at least two hits in yesterday’s 14-7 win over Andover.
Connor Simpson: 2 for 4, 1 run, 1 RBI
Mike Mercuri: 2 for 4, 2 runs, 1 RBI
Cam Devanney: 2 for 3, 1 BB, 3 runs, 2 RBIs
Jon Panaro: 2 for 4, 2 runs, 1 RBI
Mike Goglia: 2 for 4, 3 runs, 1 RBI
Kyle Coolidge: 2 for 4, 1 run

Central Catholic 14, Andover 7
Andover (7): Chris Nicholas cf 4-1-2, Quinn McCarthy 2b 4-1-2, Gabe Hernandez ss 4-1-1, Tim Kalantzakos rf 4-1-1, Nick McNulty lf 3-2-0, EJ Perry IV c 3-1-2, Dan Amidon dh 4-0-2, Dan Gemmell 1b 4-0-0, Daniel Walsh 3b 2-0-1, Cedric Gillette p 0-0-0, Max Krinsky p 0-0-0, Totals 32-7-11
Central (14): Connor Simpson cf/p 4-1-2, Mike Mercuri lf 4-2-2, Cam Devanney ss 3-3-2, Jon Panaro 2b 4-2-2, Mike Goglia rf 4-3-2, Kyle Coolidge dh 4-0-2, Jack Silk 3b 4-1-1, Steven Hajjar 1b/p 3-1-1, Jared Ferris c 2-0-0, Sam Lara 1b 0-0-0, Johandy Gonzalez cf 0-0-0, Totals 32-14-14
RBI: A — Hernandez, McNulty, Perry IV, Amidon 2; CC — Simpson, Mercuri, Devanney 2, Panaro, Goglia, Silk, Ferris
WP: Hajjar; LP: Gillette; S: Simpson
Andover (11-9):     4 0 0 0 3 0 0 —  7
Central Catholic (16-3):     3 5 0 0 3 3 0 — 14