WORCESTER — Similar to it did all through its magical run to Polar Park, the Chelmsford Excessive baseball workforce discovered a method.
The Lions delivered a number of successful recipes en path to the Division 1 state championship sport on Friday. Be it a 12-run offensive explosion over the extremely regarded Bishop Feehan or a two-run defensive duel over perennial energy Saint John’s, No. 14 Chelmsford clinched victories in a myriad of the way to tug upset after upset.
Friday night time was no completely different. Backboned by ace pitcher Matt Stuart, who racked up 4 clutch strikeouts in extras, the Lions edged No. 8 Braintree, 8-2, in a nine-inning thriller at Polar Park to say their first state title within the MIAA period. Chelmsford’s solely different state baseball championship got here in 1966.
Aidan Brackett delivered the game-winning hit within the ninth, a one-run single with the bases loaded, earlier than a sacrifice fly by Matthew Corridor opened the floodgates for a six-run ninth. John Latham plated two Chelmsford runners on a Braintree error because the inning continued with a wild pitch and an RBI from Will Colucci to seal the win.
Stuart retired the Braintree facet within the residence half to place the ending touches on his complete-game marathon.
Chelmsford’s inconceivable run yielded wins over No. 19 Shrewsbury (1-0), No. 3 Bishop Feehan (12-3), No. 11 Wellesley (1-0) and No. 2 Saint John’s (5-3). The Lions end a powerful season with a 19-8 file.
Braintree (16-9) knocked a trio of consecutive hits en path to taking a 1-0 lead because of a base hit off the bat of Owen Donnelly. Peter Brooks then slapped a blooper to heart subject that discovered grass, transferring Donnelly to 3rd with two outs within the inning. Connor Grieve’s chopper to proper subject then plated Donnelly as Braintree broke the ice. A sliding seize by heart fielder Latham ended the inning with runners on the corners.
The Lions practically evened the rating after lacing three hits within the fourth from Stuart, Brackett and Corridor. However with the bases loaded and one out, Braintree’s Michael Ryan turned an unassisted double play to flee the inning unscathed.
Nevertheless, Stuart retired the facet within the residence half to forestall any Braintree momentum.
And when Chelmsford juiced the bases for the second consecutive body within the fifth, the Lions broke by way of to take a 2-1 lead after a Braintree error on a fly ball alongside the primary final analysis scored two runners.
Keegan Briere, Will Colucci and Evan Kobrenski reached base with one out within the body when Joyce struck out Stuart to place the Wamps one out away from escaping but once more. However after a pop-up by Jack Keyo was misplayed by Braintree, Chelmsford took benefit by working on contact and scoring a pair of runs.
The Chelmsford protection helped its trigger within the inning to nurse its 2-1 lead into the sixth. After Latham chased down a deep shot to left and relayed the ball to the infield to double up a Braintree runner on first, Colucci made a diving catch to finish the inning.
The Lions made extra noise within the sixth however couldn’t tack on an insurance coverage run as Finn Ramseyer was thrown out on the plate on a floor ball dribbled to 3rd after a double from Latham.
The Wamps answered within the backside half on an RBI single from Matt Rogers to knot the sport at 2-2 forward of the seventh, the place the Lions had the successful run at their fingertips. After a double by Stuart and a single by Keyo positioned two runners in scoring place, Rogers relieved Joyce of his duties on the mound and recorded two pivotal outs.
Chelmsford was on the point of elimination within the seventh with the successful run on second, however Stuart dug deep to file a strikeout to ship the sport to extras. Nonetheless within the sport, the Lions’ hurler posted one other key punchout within the eighth with a Braintree runner in scoring place for his sixth strikeout of the night time — 4 of which got here within the seventh and eighth.
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