Bellingham Bulldogs Roll to Senior Babe Ruth Title

By KEN HAMWEY,
Bulletin Sports Writer

Bellingham’s Bulldogs were dominant in the playoffs, cruising to the Central Mass. Senior Babe Ruth World Series championship.

Coach Mark Rebello’s squad, which finished the regular season with a 7-5 record, shifted into high gear during the post-season, eliminating all three of its opponents in two games in a best-of-three format. The Bulldogs swept Northboro and Framingham, then rolled past a formidable Marlboro contingent. Bellingham finished with a 13-5 overall record and an eight-game winning streak.

The Bulldogs impressively swept the competition in its post season play.

CJ Fama took care of business in the opener, limiting Marlboro to a pair of hits in a complete-game 4-1 victory at Marlboro, and Troy Simpson fired a two-hit, 2-0 shutout in the clinching game at Richardson Field. 

The Bulldogs’ pitching and timely hitting were the difference in all three series. Fama yielded one earned run in the opener against Marlboro, striking out six and walking one. Simpson struck out eight and walked three in his two-hit effort.

“CJ and Troy were outstanding,’’ Rebello said. “CJ had excellent control, relying on his fastball

 and slider. He induced a lot of defensive outs and didn’t waste any pitches. Troy wanted the ball for the finale. An ultra competitor, heshowed he was the final Bulldog. He kept hitters off balance, getting good velocity on his fastball, and his off-speed curve was effective.’’

Fama finished the season with a 5-1 record and an earned-run average of 2.72. He struck out 34 batters in 43 innings. Simpson had a 3-0 record, a 1.27 E.R.A., and 28 strikeouts in 22 innings.

Bellingham scored its two runs in the sixth inning of the finale when Dylan Haggerty doubled, putting runners on second and third. Anthony Maturo’s single to right centerfield drove in both runners. 

Sean Brown, the Bulldog’s shortstop, turned in a clutch double play against Marlboro to end the game and clinch the title. With runners on first and second and one out, Brown caught a line drive up the middle, then flipped the ball to Fama for a double play.

Simpson employed a strategic approach in the finale and it paid dividends.

“Early on I relied on my curve ball,’’ said Simpson who finished his freshman year at Bryant University with a 3.7 GPA. “As the game moved along, I thought about what might confuse their hitters, who were very good. I threw high inside fastballs and mixed in low change-ups. Our teamwork was great in the playoffs. Everyone did their part, whether it was timely hitting or a key defensive play. Our pitching was so effective that coach Rebello didn’t have to use a reliever in the six playoff games.’’  

Fama did his part in the opener, enabling the Bulldogs to take the series lead and get control of home-field advantage.

“The keys for us were team chemistry, tremendous pitching, clutch hitting and solid defense,’’ said Fama who will attend Bridgewater State University. “We also were relaxed and calm. I was pleased to pitch the opener and take away their home-field advantage. My approach was to go heavy with off-speed pitches — sliders and curves — which very often lead to pop-ups and ground outs.’’

Rebello not only liked the way Brown played shortstop, but also admired his efforts on the mound. “Sean played well at shortstop, but he also was our third starter,’’ Rebello said. “He finished the season with a 4-0 record, one save, and an E.R.A. of 1.72. He also struck out 42 hitters in 31 innings.’’

The Bulldogs’ championship was a bit of payback. Last year, Marlboro defeated Bellingham in the final series to win the crown. The Bulldogs previously won Senior Babe Ruth titles in 2005, 2006 and 2014.

“It was a thrill to capture the crown,’’ said Rebello, who played golf and baseball at  BHS before graduating in 2010. “The kids did all the work. They were focused and they played with grit. We kept our pitch counts low and we controlled what we could control. For the playoffs, we scored 39 runs and gave up only five. We never called on a relief pitcher during the playoffs and all the players contributed throughout the season.’’

Other attributes the Bulldogs relied on were speed, quickness, and a good baseball IQ.

Rebello labeled catcher John Sullivan as the team’s “most consistent hitter.’’ Sullivan hit .512, knocked in 10 runs, scored 13 and had one home run. “John also was effective calling plays and did a good job settling down the pitchers,’’ Rebello said.

The title came in Rebello’s second year directing the team. The 32-year-old coach is a graduate of Curry College. An assistant coach with Bellingham’s varsity baseball team for 10 seasons, he works full-time as a correction officer at MCI-Norfolk. 

During his playing days at BHS, he captained both the golf and baseball teams. A pitcher/first baseman, he was a Tri Valley League all-star in baseball as a senior.

Rebello did an amazing job in his second year at the helm, getting his squad to peak at the right time. Rounding out the 12-man roster were Jake Maturo, Ryan Visconti, Sam Elliott, Colin Sherman, Robbie Seyffert and Eric Johnston.

The seven-team Central Mass. League includes Bellingham, Northboro, Marlboro, Framingham, Westboro, Medway, and Milford.