BEVERLY — The deadliest No. 9 hitter in the state struck again last night, just when Lawrence High needed him.
The Lancers stood stunned, down 1-0 early to an Acton-Boxboro row of sluggers that showed no fear over Michael Guerrero's 87 mph gas.
But if you haven't been watching the last month this Lancer baseball team can swing the bat a little too.
And all it took was a jolt of confidence from the bottom guy on the lineup card.
With the bases loaded and one out, senior Brahiam Ortega laced a solid single, giving the Lancers the lead and the belief that this night would be theirs.
Energized and settled, Guerrero got better and Lawrence simply got stronger, powering past fourth-seeded Acton-Boxboro, 4-1. Lawrence, which has already beaten a Super 8-nominated Lincoln-Sudbury club and top-seeded Central Catholic. will now play in the second straight all-Merrimack Valley Conference Division 1 North title game Saturday against Chelmsford, 7 p.m., at LeLacheur Park in Lowell.
"That hit was huge," said Guerrero, now 2-0 in the postseason with a saved and a 0.98 ERA. "We were a little nervous, and that hit really made us relax."
But there was still those A-B slashers that Guerrero had to worry about. And the senior righty took care of that situation on his own, along with catcher Andy Acosta.
"They were sitting on my fastball, and I had to make an adjustment," said Guerrero. "I just started throwing my changeup (and a nasty, nasty breaking ball too)."
A-B would never catch up to it. The Colonials, who finish at 17-6, would have just one more hit all night, and by the time Lawrence had pushed the lead to 4-1 in the fourth, the Lancer owned them.
Guerrero fanned six of the last eight hitters he faced, closing out with nine K's and just two walks in the win.
"It's fun to be out there on the field, playing behind Mike when he pitches like that," said Ortega. "Just watching him out there is amazing."
Batting eighth, the pitcher helped himself with a pair of hits, including an RBI-single in the fourth to plate Ronnie Velasquez, who had led with a triple.
For Lawrence, it's the first return to the Division 1 North title game since the 2010 team fell to St. John's Prep in what was an absolute classic. Lefty Jairo Vasquez, the freshman who knocked off Central on Monday, will get the call in that one for Lawrence.
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Baseball, 06/11/15 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
BEVERLY — The deadliest No. 9 hitter in the state struck again last night, just when Lawrence High needed him.
The Lancers stood stunned, down 1-0 early to an Acton-Boxboro row of sluggers that showed no fear over Michael Guerrero's 87 mph gas.
But if you haven't been watching the last month this Lancer baseball team can swing the bat a little too.
And all it took was a jolt of confidence from the bottom guy on the lineup card.
With the bases loaded and one out, senior Brahiam Ortega laced a solid single, giving the Lancers the lead and the belief that this night would be theirs.
Energized and settled, Guerrero got better and Lawrence simply got stronger, powering past fourth-seeded Acton-Boxboro, 4-1. Lawrence, which has already beaten a Super 8-nominated Lincoln-Sudbury club and top-seeded Central Catholic. will now play in the second straight all-Merrimack Valley Conference Division 1 North title game Saturday against Chelmsford, 7 p.m., at LeLacheur Park in Lowell.
"That hit was huge," said Guerrero, now 2-0 in the postseason with a saved and a 0.98 ERA. "We were a little nervous, and that hit really made us relax."
But there was still those A-B slashers that Guerrero had to worry about. And the senior righty took care of that situation on his own, along with catcher Andy Acosta.
"They were sitting on my fastball, and I had to make an adjustment," said Guerrero. "I just started throwing my changeup (and a nasty, nasty breaking ball too)."
A-B would never catch up to it. The Colonials, who finish at 17-6, would have just one more hit all night, and by the time Lawrence had pushed the lead to 4-1 in the fourth, the Lancer owned them.
Guerrero fanned six of the last eight hitters he faced, closing out with nine K's and just two walks in the win.
"It's fun to be out there on the field, playing behind Mike when he pitches like that," said Ortega. "Just watching him out there is amazing."
Batting eighth, the pitcher helped himself with a pair of hits, including an RBI-single in the fourth to plate Ronnie Velasquez, who had led with a triple.
For Lawrence, it's the first return to the Division 1 North title game since the 2010 team fell to St. John's Prep in what was an absolute classic. Lefty Jairo Vasquez, the freshman who knocked off Central on Monday, will get the call in that one for Lawrence.
Read More »
Baseball, 06/11/15 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
