SHREWSBURY — Twice the St. John’s of Shrewsbury baseball team allowed the program that broke its heart in last year’s Div. 1 state final build sizable leads – which would debilitate many.
Not the Pioneers.
With four runs to erase an early four-run deficit, and an astonishing 11 more to blow past a three-run deficit in the sixth, second-seeded St. John’s rallied to a 15-8 win over defending champion No. 15 BC High on Wednesday in the Div. 1 second round.
Fourteen batters came to the plate in that sixth inning, ensuring the Eagles (12-10) wouldn’t upset the Pioneers just a couple days after they held off an upset in extras to No. 31 Lincoln-Sudbury in the first round.
“We talked this week about toughness, there’s all talented teams left at this point of the playoffs,” said head coach Casey Cummins. “Can’t say enough about the toughness this team showed. … It was nice to see the toughness this team showed and the resilience the team showed today.”
“I love those guys, so I’m going to fight and die for them,” added junior shortstop Conor Secrist. “I probably had a sick feeling in my stomach for 11 months (after losing the state final). I mean, it’s still not gone. It’s just great to beat (BC High).”
After RBI singles from Aiden LeBel (2-for-4, two RBI, two runs) and Gabe Terlato (3-for-4, two runs) in the second inning helped wipe away a 4-0 early deficit to draw even at 4-4, BC High got a strong boost from freshman reliever Anthony Dufour while the offense chipped away to regain the advantage.
Despite allowing a runner in the third and fourth innings, and three in the fifth, Dufour showed his maturity by keeping the Pioneers off the board in each.
In the meantime, Sam Bushley’s (2-for-3, two doubles, RBI) leadoff double in the fourth set up pinch-runner Devin Farren to score from third on an erred throw to the pitcher between pitches, regaining a 5-4 lead. Gustavo Bosques stole second and third base before Jackson Richard (3-for-4, two RBI) doubled him in for a 6-4 lead in the fifth inning, and Max Bohane’s two-out double in the sixth made it 7-4.
The momentum was all in the Eagles’ favor. At least until Owen Miller, Jackson Fournier (1-for-3, two runs) and Terlato led off the sixth inning by loading the bases.
“When you’re down like that, everyone wants to be the hero,” Cummins said. “I thought our offense did a really good job just trying to, ‘Hey, don’t do try to do too much.’ Get it to the next guy. The big hit might come.”
Andrew Schmit (two RBI) was hit by a pitch to plate one. A wild pitch scored another, Jack Forgues’ sacrifice fly tied up the score at 7-7, and Secrist won a nine-pitch at-bat with a single for the game-winning RBI.
The wheels fell off from there, with Brayden Mercier (2-for-3, two runs) doubling in another run, LeBel hitting an RBI single, five other batters drawing walks, and Secrist sealing the deal with a two-run single.
“It’s crazy,” Secrist said. “Probably the (craziest) inning of baseball that I’ve ever been a part of. Just kind of everybody caught fire. … It was just snowball effect. I think our whole lineup saw one-out at-bats. Great stuff.”
