Lowell Catholic Defeats Top-seeded BHS Nine, 2-1

By KEN HAMWEY, 

Staff Sports Writer

Bellingham High’s baseball team was seeded No. 1 in the Division 4 state tourney, but  after advancing to the second round by eliminating Monomoy, 7-2, the Blackhawks lost, 2-1, to 16th -seeded Lowell Catholic at Richardson Field. 

BHS ended its season at 14-8. 

The Crusaders, who play in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference, improved their record to 14-8. They defeated Leicester, 3-1, to earn their date with Bellingham, then moved on to face Northbridge, which edged Lowell Catholic, 2-1, in the quarterfinals.

The Crusaders’ sophomore pitcher, Seamus Scott, didn’t seem overpowering, striking out only three Blackhawks and walking three. But, he mixed his fastball and curve effectively and hurled a complete game.

“Seamus isn’t afraid to challenge hitters,’’ said Matt Stone, the Crusaders’ coach for the last 12 years. “His control was good, and it was his curve ball that was a plus in the late innings. Against a team like Bellingham, relying on a fastball isn’t enough. We just told him to throw your best stuff.’’

Bellingham coach Andy Nolan called Scott’s effort “fantastic,’’ and said: “He kept coming at us with a bulldog mentality. His curve was a factor, but he also hit his spots with his fastball. Their defense played a key role, too.’’

Alex Hughes started for Bellingham, pitching three innings before giving way to C.J. Fama.

The Crusaders scored their first run in the third inning, when Brady Prindle walked and Aidan Virella singled. With runners on first and second, Sean McNamara bunted, but Bellingham pitcher Alex Hughes, trying to get a force-out at third, threw wide, allowing Prindle to score.  Hughes retired the next two batters before loading the bases on a walk to Zack Gosselin. Joe Farina flied out to right field, ending the inning with the bases loaded. 

The Blackhawks tied the game in the fourth on back-to-back doubles. Ryan Maiorano doubled off the centerfield fence and scored on Troy Simpson’s off-the-fence double to centerfield. Bellingham failed to add another run after Simpson advanced to third on a balk and Tyler Ladouceur walked. Robbie Seyffert’s sharp grounder in the hole took a diving effort by McNamara at third base to get the second out at first base. With runners on second and third, Owen Miller’s fly ball to second ended the inning with two runners stranded. 

“Lowell Catholic relies on pitching and defense,’’ Nolan offered. “It’s no accident they had four shutouts in a row.’’

With the scored knotted at 1-1, Lowell Catholic opened the seventh inning with a single by Prindel. Virella’s sacrifice moved Prindle to second before McNamara was intentionally walked. With runners on first and second, Dan Parent hit a sharp grounder to third. Simpson fielded the ball but opted to get the second out at first base, allowing Prindle and McNamara to advance. An intentional walk to Scott loaded the bases, but Fama walked Gosselin, giving the Crusaders a 2-1 advantage.

“C.J. didn’t have a walk to that point, and I know I put him in a tough position,’’ Nolan said. “The intentional walks were instinctive moves made in the heat of battle.’’

The Blackhawks threatened before bowing out. Miller lined a single to center. Dylan Haggerty ran for him and advanced to second on Priscella’s bunt. Ely Sylvia walked before Ryan Nolan’s grounder resulted in a force-out of Sylvia at second. With two outs and runners on first and third, Josh Bouchard grounded to shortstop, ending the game when Virella forced Nolan at second.

“We got good pitching, but we didn’t get enough timely hitting,’’ Nolan emphasized. “We didn’t get that two-out hit. Our two best chances to tie or take the lead were in the fourth and seventh innings. Leaving two runners on base both times hurt.’’ 

Stone had the utmost praise for the Blackhawks, saying “they’ve got pitching, a strong lineup and they’re well-coached.’’

“To beat the No. 1 seed, you need to be good and get some luck,’’ he emphasized. “Whether you’re seeded No. 1 or 32, anything can happen on any given day. I credit our entire team for this victory. Winning a close game like this in the tourney gives us confidence and our kids showed they can compete against top-notch teams.’’

The Blackhawks’ triumph over Monomoy featured Maiorano pitching a complete game and striking out 11. Two freshmen supplied the offense —Miller, the designated-hitter, went 4-for-4 and scored two runs while Bouchard had two hits and two RBIs. 

BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL

 The Bellingham High boys volleyball team lost in the first round of the Division 2 state tourney to Ludlow, 3-0, but there’s plenty of blue sky ahead for this up-and-coming program.

The team finished its regular season at 16-4, giving them second place in the Tri Valley League behind Medfield. The squad’s record is the best in the program’s four-year history.

Seeded 18th for the tourney, they lost to 15th seeded Ludlow in three close games. The scores were: 25-22, 25-23, and 25-22. “Ludlow didn’t commit many mistakes,’’ Mantegani said. “We had very few miscues, too, but they played close to flawless 

volleyball.’’

The Blackhawks had five players recognized by the TVL.

Setter Grant Wojcik, who will play for Regis College next year, was selected as a co-MVP. 

Zach Mantegani, an opposite hitter, and Dan Rose, a middle hitter, were chosen to the all-star squad. Honorable-mention choices included libero Anthony Campbell and outside hitter Thomas Crandall. 

Mantegani is optimistic about the future.

“We’re aiming to improve our strength of schedule next year,’’ he said. ”We’re maturing as a team, and we’re ready to challenge ourselves. We’ve got seven returnees with experience and nine jayvees eager to compete. Next year, we hope to contend for the TVL title with an eye towards winning that crown.”