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Captain cleanup lifts Central

Tuesday, April, 20 By Hector Longo

HAVERHILL – Matt Pelletier sat in the eye of a Central Catholic baseball graduation hurricane last May.

The two-time defending conference champions saw the entire lineup, 1-to-9, washed away, except for Pelletier – a league all-star who hit a solid .313 in the 6-7-8 holes as a junior.

This spring, he inherited the cleanup spot out of necessity and took little for granted. Yesterday, Haverhill High found out that things aren’t working out too shabby for the Raiders as the senior Pelletier drove home the game-winner with a deep RBI triple to the gap in the sixth, helping to slay his hometown team, 3-1.

“They are looking for me to hit some gaps and drive in some runs,” said Pelletier, whose dad Marc has coached the Raiders the past 24 years. “It puts some pressure on you, but it’s good pressure. We’re the guys, at 3-and-4, we’re going to be the guys to bunch up hits and drive in runs. It’s a good pressure.”

Pelletier, who’ll play next year at Mass. Maritime, is a self-made player, whose work ethic is notorious around the halls at Central. The captain, who also plays golf, has had this season, his last with his dad and the Raiders, circled for a long, long time.

“I always work on my game, but the key to my success has been the weight room,” said Pelletier, who lifted religiously through the offseason three days a week. “Taking all the swings I do, my dad is always there to throw me b.p. I’ve definitely been looking forward to this.”

All the work is paying dividends. Matching last year with a .313 start, Pelletier has been the one constant in the 2-3 start.

“We’re a team right now that is learning how to win. Once we learn how to win, we have the talent, especially in that junior class. Good things are going to come,” said Pelletier. “I’m the type of captain that leads by example, blocking balls, working behind the plate, doing all the little things. Being the lone returning starter, I’ve also had to mentor the juniors.”

In a wide-open MVC, Pelletier and the Raiders could definitely factor, especially as things unwind in May.  

Raiders rebound  

Junior Zach Bardwell broke a span of 16 scoreless innings for Central, drilling a missile to deep left-center and easily legging out the homer for a 1-0 Raider leader.

Haverhill scratched back a run to tie it at 1-1 without a hit in the home fifth. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases, and Matt Pickles massaged a free pass off reliever Paul Trabucco on a 3-2 pitch.

Trabucco, picking up the win, slammed the door on the Hillies the rest of the way with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Starter Adam Johnson, who worked the first 4 2/3 innings and allowed only three hits, helped his own cause with a pair of hits, including a sixth-inning single to plate Cal Beneze, who ran for Pelletier after the triple.

Alex Ieronimo had two of the five Hillies’ hits.