CHS baseball team readies for sectional playoffs
By Mike BergerCHS junior pitcher Andrew Middleton returned to top form last week with an 11-strikeout, one-hit performance to lead the Bulldogs to a 4-1 win over Foxboro at home. Canton finished regular season play with an 8-6 record and awaits the Division 2 south playoff pairings, which were due to be announced on June 16.
Senior captain Steve Burbank (Mike Tureski photo)
Head coach Ben Shuffain said Middleton will probably start the postseason opener and he is hoping that the first game will be at home. Either way, the game is likely to be scheduled for tomorrow, June 18. Middleton, one of the league’s top pitchers, finished the regular season with a 4-2 record, 72 strikeouts, and a 1.72 earned run average.
In last Thursday’s win over the Warriors, Canton scored two runs each in the fourth and fifth innings with four different players driving in a run. Nate Hewit led the offense with three hits and Middleton helped his cause with two hits. Steve Burbank, Nico Bonanno and Sawyer Julier-Albert each had an RBI and Burbank pitched an inning of relief and was credited with the save.
The news was not as positive the following day as Canton fell 7-6 and also lost promising pitcher Zach Peters for the rest of the season due to an injury sustained while running to first base. The Bulldogs battled back twice to tie the game and even went ahead briefly before the Warriors scored three runs in the seventh inning to take the lead for good.
Hewit hit a home run and a double to lead the Canton offense. Matt Chafin had two hits and an RBI while Burbank, Andrew Butler (triple) and Peters each drove in a run.
The Bulldogs enter the playoffs with five players batting over .300, led by Chafin with a .441 average. Other top hitters include Julier-Albert (.436), Burbank (.395), Hewitt (.375), and Cam Sanchez (.316).
Besides the injury to Peters, Sanchez is recovering from a concussion and was medical status is uncertain as of earlier this week.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=75174
Posted by Mike Berger
on Jun 17 2021. Filed under High School, Sports.
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