RallyNorth.net

Central Catholic Raiders Baseball '17

Thu, Jun 08, 2017 07:00 PM @ Central Catholic
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Final
Braintree 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5
Central Catholic 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2

Braintree eliminates Central from Super 8

  • Currently 0.0 with 0 votes.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

BROCKTON — You just don’t want to mess with the champs this time of year. Braintree, the two-time defending Super 8 title winners, know better than anyone in the state on how to win big baseball games in June.

With all the Super 8 success the Wamps have experienced, the program may have surprisingly hit a peak in Wednesday’s elimination game against Division 2 upstart Belmont when they hit a three-run home run to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth and then walked off in extras.

It wasn’t Central’s fault it had to face the never-say-die freight train in Thursday’s losers bracket game.

Making its first Super 8 appearance in the four-year history of the tournament, Central had already accomplished a feat the program had not yet done. But the Raiders got added to the ever-growing list of teams destiny-driven Braintree has dispatched in June, falling to the Wamps, 5-2, at Campanelli Stadium to put an end to their terrific season.

“(Braintree) is a team that’s been here a million times,” said Central Catholic coach Marc Pelletier. “There’s some growing pains on our side, no question about it. But I told the kids that this is a bugger of a tournament.”

Central (16-6) was not going to bow out without a fight. Down 5-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Noah Lucier laced a single to left, Dom Keegan followed with a walk and Mike Pierro singled to add a run. The Raiders had the tying run in power-hitting Steve Hajjar at the plate with no outs, but a pop out and a double play ended the game. 

Braintree (16-7) wasted no time getting on the board, scoring two runs in the first before adding two more in the second. Central picked up a run in the bottom of the first when Pierro (2 for 4, 2 RBI) singled in Keegan (2 for 3), but the Raider bats were kept quiet after that inning.

Wamps starter John Tellier commanded a great game, highlighted by a stretch where he retired 12 Raiders in a row. He went the distance, scattering six hits, striking out five and holding Central’s 5-9 batters without a hit.

“He got us to elevate the baseball and we didn’t drive it,” said Pelletier. “We didn’t square up on it a couple times but that’s baseball, it happens.”

Central starter Sam Lara pitched admirably in his final game. The St. John’s University commit didn’t have his best stuff, but he battled until the last out. He ended up pitching all nine innings, allowing five runs on 13 hits with four walks, two hit batters and five strikeouts.

Lara’s only 1-2-3 inning incredibly came in the ninth, and he exited to a much-deserved ovation from the Central fans and hugs from his teammates.

“They roughed Sammy up a little bit, but it was his game,” said Pelletier. “He’s had a great career. He’s a four year program kid with 100 starts under his belt. He’s always going to compete, no question.”

If there was any small consolation for Central, all of its starters Thursday except for Lara were underclassmen. So the Raiders will be a popular pick to get back to the Super 8 stage next year.

But this season was a memorable one for the Raiders, who got a taste for the big time and will surely return wanting more.

“We had a great season. I have nothing but great things to say,” said Pelletier. “I thought we were a respectable opponent in the Super 8. We were humbled, and absolutely privileged to be a part of it.”

Braintree 5, Central Catholic 2

Super 8 Loser’s Bracket

Braintree (5): Jackson Duffy cf 3-2-1, Justin Files rf 4-1-2, Alex Kennedy c 5-0-2, John Carey dh 5-0-0, Brennan Quigly 3b 4-1-2, Kevin O’Brien lf 3-0-1, Joe Vanelli 1b 4-0-2, Jack Andrews ss 4-1-1, Brian Carney 2b 4-0-2, John Tellier p 0-0-0. Totals 36-5-13

Central Catholic (2): Joe Sanchez cf 4-0-1, Noah Lucier ss 4-1-1, Dom Keegan c 3-1-2, Mike Pierro rf 4-2-2, Steve Hajjar 1b 4-0-0, Sean Thompson 2-0-0, Mike Jaskelevicus ph 1-0-0, Mike Borrelli dh 3-0-0, Mike LeFebre 3b 2-0-0, Aidan Abernathy ph 1-0-0, Jake Delaney 2b 3-0-0, Sam Lara p 0-0-0. Totals 31-2-6

RBI: CC — Pierro 2; B — Duffy, Files, Kennedy, O’Brien

WP: Tellier; LP: Lara

Braintree (16-7): 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 — 5

Central Catholic (16-6): 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 2

Game Statistics:

Super 8 Loser's Bracket
Braintree (5):
Jackson Duffy cf 3-2-1, Justin Files rf 4-1-2, Alex Kennedy c 5-0-2, John Carey dh 5-0-0, Brennan Quigly 3b 4-1-2, Kevin O'Brien lf 3-0-1, Joe Vanelli 1b 4-0-2, Jack Andrews ss 4-1-1, Brian Carney 2b 4-0-2, John Tellier p 0-0-0. Totals 36-5-13

Central Catholic (2): Joe Sanchez cf 4-0-1, Noah Lucier ss 4-1-1, Dom Keegan c 3-1-2, Mike Pierro rf 4-2-2, Steve Hajjar 1b 4-0-0, Sean Thompson 2-0-0, Mike Jaskelevicus ph 1-0-0, Mike Borrelli dh 3-0-0, Mike LeFebre 3b 2-0-0, Aidan Abernathy ph 1-0-0, Jake Delaney 2b 3-0-0, Sam Lara p 0-0-0. Totals 31-2-6

RBI: CC — Pierro 2; B — Duffy, Files, Kennedy, O'Brien

WP: Tellier; LP: Lara

0 Story Comments