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Weisman gem throws North Andover into semis

Monday, June, 07 By Jeff Hamrick

NORTH ANDOVER — Once the baseball postseason rolls around, it’s always nice to have an ace who reacts to the pressure like an ace is expected to. North Andover has an ace.

Mike Weisman put the clamps on seventh-seeded Belmont with a no-hitter yesterday as the second-seeded Scarlet Knights beat up on the visiting Marauders 10-0 in the Division 2 North quarterfinals. The victory advances North Andover into Thursday’s semifinals against third-seeded Reading at a time and site to be determined.

Weisman (6-2) dominated the Belmont lineup. The junior left-hander walked the first batter he faced then promptly picked the runner off first. The Marauders had two more base runners who reached on errors in the second and third innings, but only one of those made it as far as second base. Weisman went to a three-ball count to three batters and needed only 82 pitches — 57 of them for strikes — and retired the final 14 he faced.

“I struggled last game (in an 8-0 loss to Masconomet) because I was trying to overthrow,” said Weisman, who struck out nine. “I just wasn’t hitting my spots. But the way we hit the ball gives you a comfort zone. You know you can make a mistake. But I think this was probably my best game of the year. ”

It didn’t take long for North Andover (18-3) to give Weisman the support he needed. Leadoff hitter David Foote opened the bottom of the first with a double down the right-field line and scored two batters later on a single by Weisman who was driven home on a single by Paul Pollano for a 2-0 lead.

Pollano, one of three Scarlet Knights with at least three hits, also drove in Weisman with a third-inning single.
“I had a good look at (Belmont starter Collin McNamara) when they played Beverly, and you could see that we were going to sit fastball,” North Andover coach Todd Dulin said. “He was consistent at times with his curve ball but we were going to make him throw his fastball and make us beat us with that.”

The Scarlet Knights chased McNamara in a four-run fifth that was highlighted by doubles from Pollano and Foote. Other big hits were provided by Tyler Leavitt, who was 3 for 4, and Cam Couillard, who also singled during North Andover’s three-run sixth.

“We were being patient up there and looking for fastballs,” said Foote, who went 4 for 5 with four RBIs. “We’d heard that (McNamara) had a junk curve ball, so we were looking to get into good counts, hit that fastball and drive it wherever it was pitched.”

The returning Eastern Massachusetts Division 2 runner-up Scarlet Knights definitely impressed their Belmont (14-8) counterparts.

“Their pitcher dominated,” coach James Brown said. “They were just a better team. They’re a very well-rounded team. It’s the best we’ve seen all year.”