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Carroll, Rangers energized in win

Thursday, April, 15 By Hector Longo

METHUEN - A pair of baseball teams limped down Ranger Road yesterday, Methuen High bruised off of Wednesday's no-hit loss to Lowell and Central nicked up in a 3-2 loss to tiny Austin Prep.

Each needed an injection of life and confidence. The Rangers found it, riding a sparkling Cal Carroll four-hitter and one resourceful inning at the plate to their first win of the year, 3-0, over the Raiders.

"We know we're a good team," said Carroll. "Still, we needed to have this one."

Carroll, the junior righty, wriggling out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam unscathed in the fifth and stranding six Raiders over the final three innings.

He struck out five and walked three, battling every step of the way.

Each pitcher flew out of the box with Central junior Alex Valenti fanning the first four Rangers he saw and retiring 11 of the first 12.

Valenti found trouble in the fourth, though, after two were out.

Ranger sophomore Jared McAdam, a JV call-up, smacked a sharp single that was followed by walks to Kevin Higgins and Eric Lacroix.

Senior Chuck Prescott stepped in for an at-bat-turned-epic. After nine pitches, and three two-strike fouls, Prescott wrangled a walk to plate McAdam for a 1-0 lead.

Senior Alex Shepherd wasn't quite as picky, lacing a two-run single to right - breaking an 0-for-5 start to the season for the 3-0 lead.

"Jared really sparked us, and Chuck Prescott had a great at-bat. He fought off some tough pitches," said Carroll. "Shep's a real leader. He plays like a captain, acts like a captain. It's just great to see him come up with the big hit like that."

Carroll wobbled a little in the Raider fifth, loading the bases on an error, a walk and a Zach Bardwell infield hit.

"I didn't want to give them the momentum there, and I just had to regroup," said Carroll. "The first out had to be mine, and they played some defense behind me after that."

Staring at the heart of the Raider lineup, he induced a strikeout and a pair of infield bounders to escape like a bulldog.

"It was in Cal's hands, for sure," said Ranger coach Dave Fabrizio. "We weren't looking anywhere else, and Cal buckled down for us."

Central coach Marc Pelletier, while disappointing in the conference-opening loss, had to be enthused with the mound work of by Valenti.

"He knows how to compete, this will just be a learning experience," said Pelletier of Valenti, who was relieved in the fifth by Joel Sullivan. "He's a smart kid, he understands the mistakes and he'll get the next one."

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• Carroll, Rangers energized in win