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Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger
Eric Lowell can’t get the tag on Pembroke’s Matt Sheehan in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
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By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
The effects of playing 11 baseball games in 14 days may be affecting the varsity baseball team, but they aren’t letting it show. The playoff-bound Whalers won two more games this week, beating Bishop Connolly 4-1 and Chatham 12-11 sandwiched around a double-header loss to Pembroke 9-2 and 3-1 at home Saturday.
The Whalers (12-5) were scheduled to wrap up the regular season at home against Bishop Connolly yesterday, too late for this edition of Sports. The squad will get at least a week to rest arms and heal bruises before the first round of the playoffs opens late next week. Tournament pairings will be announced Tuesday.
Last Tuesday’s win against Chatham was a key victory for the team.
“That was a big win. We set our goals after 10 (wins) to get 12 and we got the 12,” head coach Nick Duarte said. “The will for those guys to fight back was amazing.”
The Whalers had a 9-2 lead in the third inning before the Blue Devils fought back with four in the fourth and five in the fifth to edge ahead. Nantucket escaped the jam trailing by only one at 11-10 as first baseman Taylor Hughes snagged a line drive down the line with runners on base to end the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, after Andrew Benson walked, Eddie Moreau got the Whaler rally started with a double that moved Benson to third. Hunter Slade, who had a stand-out day at the plate (3-for-4, three RBI) blooped a single into left to plate Benson with the tying run. Moreau eventually scored on a bases-loaded walk for the lead.
Nick Lombardi, who came on in relief of Eric Lowell in the fifth inning, retired the Blue Devils in order in the top of the seventh.
The Whalers tried to rest some of their starters Saturday in the doubleheader against Pembroke. The varsity core got the start behind Chris Welch on the mound in game one, but the junior varsity team filled out the field by the end.
The Titans plated three runs in the top of the first inning on two hits and two walks and added another in the second.
Welch singled and scored on a hit by Zach Moran in the bottom of the first to cut into the deficit, but Nantucket still trailed 4-1 after two. The Whalers kept things close through the fifth inning, when Garry Caruso came on in relief of Welch and allowed four runs on two hits and two errors to allow the Titans to break things open.
The Whalers put Michael Molta on the mound in game two, but coming in on short rest, the sophomore starter was on a pitch count which rapidly mounted with a tight strike zone.
Lowell knocked in Welch in the first inning to stake Nantucket to the 1-0 lead. The Whalers had their chance to break things open in the third inning with the bases load and two outs, but the Titans were able to escape the jam with a strikeout.
Pembroke responded to tie the game in the fourth on two walks and two fielder’s choice plays. The Whalers got out of the inning without any further damage with a bases-loaded double play on a line drive to short.
But in the fifth, Molta gave way to Benson, who allowed three walks and two runs before getting a bases-loaded fly-out to left to end the inning.
Against Bishop Connolly Friday, both teams scored in the first inning, but after that, neither could get anything going.
“It was a tight ball game. Everyone was on the edge of their seats. We were struggling a little bit at the plate until the big boys came up,” Duarte said.
Hughes started things off in the seventh with a single, moved to second on a hit by Welch and after a walk to Molta, Lowell singled in Hughes for the go-ahead run. Lombardi gave the Whalers some breathing room with a two-run double.
Lowell pitched all seven innings, allowing only one run on four hits and four walks while striking out 10.
“That was one of the teams I knew we had to get one from. I was very pleased. It was a very good effort and the team pulled together,” Duarte said.
Lombardi was the offensive stand-out in the win, going 3-for-3 with three RBI. Welch and Hughes had two hits each.
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