CHS baseball battling for postseason berth
By Mike Berger
Junior Matt Chafin had a pair of multi-hit games last week. (Mike Tureski photo)
Winners of three of their last four games, the CHS varsity baseball team remains firmly in the playoff conversation as it enters the season’s final stretch.
With four games to go entering play this week, the Bulldogs stood at 7-9 overall while slotting in at No. 19 in the latest MIAA power rankings. Under the new statewide tournament format, the top 32 teams earn an automatic postseason bid; otherwise they can qualify by finishing with a .500 record or better.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 2-1 week in which they sandwiched a pair of road wins around a close loss to Stoughton.
On Saturday, the Canton bats came alive in a 12-5 victory over nonleague Cardinal Spellman. Tied 5-5 in the fifth inning, the Bulldogs exploded for seven runs and finished the game with a season-high 17 hits. Matt Lesser led the way with four hits and an RBI, while Hayden Rose had a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Other top performers included Jack Digirolamo (3 hits), Nick Gillis (2 hits, 2 RBI), and Matt Chafin (2 hits, RBI).
Reliever Matt Quan was credited with the win as he limited Spellman to one run on three hits. Also pitching well was Andy Butler, who struck out four in two scoreless innings of relief.
The offensive explosion came a few days after the Bulldog offense was contained in a 3-1 loss to Stoughton.
“We struggled with men on base,” said head coach Ben Shuffain. “We had a bases-loaded situation in the sixth but didn’t get anything.”
The loss spoiled a good pitching performance by Rose, who threw a complete game and gave up only five hits.
Gillis drove in the Bulldogs’ lone run with a single while Sean Sullivan and Chafin each had two hits.
Earlier in the week, the Bulldogs scored a 9-4 win over Oliver Ames as Zach Peters won his second game of the year, limiting the Tigers to five hits over five innings of work. Quan also pitched well in relief.
Canton led 8-0 at one point as Digirolamo and Rose each had two hits with Digirolamo knocking in two runs. Also recording an RBI hit in the win were Jay Kelleher, Gillis, Quan, Butler and Sullivan.
After hosting North Attleboro on Monday and Sharon on Wednesday, the Bulldogs will close out the season with two more home contests, starting tomorrow with Bishop Feehan followed by Monday’s finale versus Foxboro.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=86629
Posted by Mike Berger
on May 19 2022. Filed under High School, Sports.
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