Sixth sense: St. John's (Shrewsbury) baseball erupts for 11-run sixth inning, avenging title-game loss to BC High
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At separate points in the 49-minute bottom of the sixth, the Pioneers (17-5) had five, then seven runners reach base in a row. Owen Miller, Jackson Lucarelli, Gabe Terlato, and Secrist all reached twice in the frame.
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'You don't draw it up like that, for sure,' St. John's coach Casey Cummins said. 'I would've liked the 11-spot in the first inning maybe, nerves-wise. I can't say enough about the toughness this team showed.'
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The Eagles (12-10) pounced early with an RBI single from Tommy O'Donnell in the first, then three runs in the second capped by Sam Bushley's RBI double.
But the Pioneers rallied with a four-run second, sending 10 batters to the plate to tie it — a number that looked quaint by the day's end.
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After the Eagles scored in three straight innings, the Pioneers needed to respond. They worked five walks, knocked six hits, and two of the outs in the sixth inning were productive sacrifice flies.
'When we're down in innings, I tell them to be a little bit more patient,' Cummins said. 'Let's not help them out. We need baserunners, and at that point we took advantage of our eye, our zone, and made it hurt when it counted.
'I probably had a sick feeling in my stomach for 11 months,' Secrist said. 'It's still not gone, but just great to beat them.'
The Pioneers will host No. 10 St. John's Prep (14-8) in the quarterfinal, at a date and time TBD.
St. John's Prep 5, Wachusett 2 —
Will Shaheen grabbed the win for the No. 10 Eagles (14-8) against No. 26 Wachusett (11-11), fanning six, while James Willett picked up the save with a strikeout. Tyler Spear led Prep's offense with two hits, three RBIs, and a run, Willett scored twice, and Connor Durney tallied a hit and an RBI
Division 2 State
Mansfield 4, Woburn 0 —
Junior Jack Peabody twirled 11 strikeouts in a complete-game effort, surrendering four hits and two walks as the No. 5 Hornets (14-9) buzzed into the quarterfinals over No. 21 Woburn (13-9). Darrian Sanders powered Mansfield with three hits, including a triple.
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Plymouth North 3, Billerica 0 —
Junior Liam Pearson recorded three strikeouts and allowed five hits and two walks in a complete-game effort for the top-seeded Eagles (18-4) in their second-round win over No. 17 Billerica (11-11). Matthew Nardone and Jake Novak had a hit and an RBI each.
Reading 2, Hopkinton 0 —
Grady Ventura tossed a flawless game, going seven innings, striking out seven, and giving up only one walk and one hit as the No. 2 Rockets (19-3) advanced to the quarterfinals over No. 15 Hopkinton (15-8).
Somerset Berkley 7, Melrose 4 —
Luke Thornton manufactured a game-high three hits, singling in the first, third, and sixth innings, and Kyle Sherman Jr., Hayden Teasdale, Alex Crook, and Liam Meehan all picked up RBIs in the second-round win for the No. 6 Raiders (16-6) against No. 22 Melrose (13-9).
Division 3 State
Bishop Stang 4, Hanover 3 —
The No. 5 Spartans (15-5) got on the board early after Matt Burt singled to center and Nolan Donaldson grounded into a fielder's choice, each scoring a run. Brock Winslow extended Stang's lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the second, and Burt earned the win, going five inning with three strikeouts, a walk, six hits allowed, and two earned runs in the second-round defeat of No. 12 Hanover (13-7).
Foxborough 5, Falmouth 2 —
Senior righthander Nolan Gordon hurled three strikeouts and relinquished six hits and one earned run as the No. 3 Warriors (15-8) made it to the quarterfinals over No. 14 Falmouth (13-7). Henry Griffin led the offense with two hits, a run, an RBI and a walk, and Gordon added a hit.
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Sandwich 8, Gloucester 2 —
Joe Coughlan's nine-strikeout day and Ty Creighton's two hits and four RBIs propelled the No. 7 Blue Knights (17-5) to the quarterfinals over No. 10 Gloucester (20-2). James Niemiec and Coughlan each recorded two hits and an RBI.
Mike Puzzanghera can be reached at
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