Baseball team still in hunt after 2-2 week
By Mike Berger
Catcher Pat Vartanian throws out a Mansfield runner in a rundown at third base. (Mike Barucci photo)
Update: The CHS baseball team got back to .500 with back-to-back victories over Sharon and Foxboro earlier this week. The Bulldogs need two more wins to clinch a spot in the south sectional tournament.
The Canton High baseball team is still in contention for a playoff bid after taking two of four last week to improve its record to 6-8 overall. The team now needs to win four of its final six games, with most of those contests taking place away from CHS over the next two weeks.
Last week, the Bulldogs picked up two exciting wins, pushing back Mansfield 9-8 and Oliver Ames 6-4 while falling to Taunton 6-0 and Milford 13-7.
Facing the division-leading Tigers on Friday, the Bulldogs got the outcome they needed thanks to a five-run second inning and an outstanding pitching performance by senior Wyatt Golledge, who gave up a single earned run on five hits and pitched around an inning in which three Bulldog errors led to three unearned runs.
Golledge also had the game-tying RBI hit in Canton’s breakout second inning, and sophomore shortstop Kevin Powers followed with the go-ahead hit, driving in the two runs that would end up deciding the game. Powers went 2 for 2 on the day with three RBIs after his first-inning sacrifice fly got Canton on the board.
Senior centerfielder Sam Larson also had a big day at the plate with two hits, two runs and an RBI, and he finished the week with five hits and five runs scored.
On defense, the Bulldogs struggled early but settled down over the last five innings, highlighted by some outstanding infield defense from sophomore third baseman Joe Peccia and senior second baseman Kevin O’Brien.
In Monday’s win over Mansfield, Golledge had a three-run homerun, Griffin Jerrier went 3 for 4 with the game-winning RBI, and O’Brien and Larson each had two hits and an RBI. Jerrier also pitched an inning and a third in relief to get the win.
In the loss to Taunton, Larson pitched six strong innings, allowing only one earned run while limiting Taunton to six hits and striking out five. The offense struggled in that game, however, as Canton was limited to just two hits.
In Wednesday’s loss to Milford, Liam Murphy pitched the final inning and two thirds, allowing an unearned run and striking out three. Peccia and Golledge each had two hits and the team drew nine walks, three of which came around to score.
For the season, Larson leads the pitching staff with a 1.70 ERA and 24 strikeouts over four starts. Jerrier is second with a 3.77 ERA and 18 strikeouts to go along with his team-high three wins and three complete games.
Offensively, senior Pat Vartanian leads the team with 14 hits and a .378 batting average. Powers is hitting .333 with a team-best 11 RBIs, and Peccia is hitting .350 since returning from an offseason concussion and has reached base safely in five straight games.
This week, the Bulldogs were due to host Sharon on Monday before starting a stretch of four straight away games: Foxboro May 14, Dedham May 15, Stoughton May 19, and Sharon May 20. The team will then wrap up the regular season at home against Cardinal Spellman on Wednesday, May 21.
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Posted by Mike Berger
on May 15 2014. Filed under High School, Sports.
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