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Adamopoulos, Central lock down MVC title

Friday, May, 15 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

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.

"I was supposed to pitch against Andover last week and it got rained out, so I pitched against O'Bryant. I also knew I'd be coming back this week in a game that was going to matter."

With the title defense on the line, the 6-foot-2 righty rose to the occasion, dazzling Lowell in a five-hit, 3-2, win. Adamopoulos struck out six and walked one, getting touched only for a pair of runs in the fifth off a pair of Lowell loopers.

Victory clinched Central's second straight conference crown at 10-3, 12-4 overall.

"I have never seen Zak Adamopoulos have command of three pitches like he had tonight," said Raider coach Marc Pelletier. "He knew the MVC title was on the line. He knew it was in his hands, and he just took care of matters."

Adamopoulos' gem was the fourth straight from a Central staffer this week, following Matt Novak's 91/3 inning marathon in defeat Monday, Brendan Walsh's complete-game Wednesday vs. Lawrence and Zack Lattrell's Thursday shackling of Andover.

"Novak set the tone, and they really came through for us," said Pelletier.

Central's offense hasn't been spectacular, but efficiency was enough to win for the third straight time.
Karl Mann got things simmering in the third with a single, and Darren Infante's bunt hung tight to the first base line for a hit to put two on.

Mann caught Lowell gazing at Infante's bunt as it trickled to a stop and raced to a wide open third base, forcing an errant throw deep into left.

The error plated Mann and gave Infante second ... not for long, though.

Pat Noone's single scored Infante, and after a steal, came racing home on Tim Wheeler's slicer to left.
That run proved to be the game-winner.

Other than the slight stumble in the fifth, Adamopoulos remained a mystery, retiring six of the last seven to end it while Raider relievers readied just in case.

"I was having none of that," said Adamopoulos. "No way I was coming out of this one."