RallyNorth.net

Wed, Jun 04, 2014 04:00 PM @ Boston International

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Final
Georgetown	0	2	2	3	5	0	0	12
Boston International	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1

Georgetown in familiar surroundings

Wednesday, June, 04 By Jeff Hamrick

 

LOWELL — If the calendar says early June, chances are you can find the Georgetown baseball team playing important games.

True to form, the third-seeded Royals marched into the Division IV North finals for the fifth time in six years with an easy 12-1 victory over second-seeded Boston International yesterday at Alumni Field. Georgetown (15-7) will play the winner of today's semi between top-seeded Lowell Catholic and fifth-seeded O'Bryant at a time to be determined.

"The kids have been here before," said Georgetown coach Justin Spurr, who hopes to guide his squad to its second Eastern Mass title in his three years at the school. "That's what we say. The thing we do before a game like this is we pump them up. We get their hearts racing, and we train them how to level things out."

The Royals scored at least two runs every inning from the second through the fifth, but the offensive explosion hardly was needed with Patrick Slack on the mound. Despite being replaced with two out in the fifth, the senior ace was unchallenged by Boston International (16-5).

"He didn't even know he was pitching until we got on the bus," Spurr said. "We had a couple options. We're real confident with our pitching staff, and we had three guys ready to go today. But we chose to go with him today. He's a big-game pitcher."

Slack needed just 71 pitches (51 for strikes) through the 19 hitters he faced. He allowed three hits and only two base runners past second — both of which were stranded at second. With six strikeouts and one walk, Slack went to a three-ball count once and a two-ball count five times. Four balls were hit out of the infield, including a bad-hop single that spoiled the no-hitter with two out in the fourth.

"When I went into the game, I thought I was going to get a lot of curve balls and sliders," said Slack, who ran his record to 7-2. "And those (pitches) worked, so we just kept sticking with it for the four or five innings I pitched."

Leading the offensive charge was Kyle Nelson, who had three hits, including a pair of triples on two-strike counts. He drove in one in the third and two in the fourth.

"Having two strikes makes me focus more, and worry less about where I'm going to hit it," Nelson said. "Then I just have to hit it. When we're swinging the bats and being aggressive, we get hits."

Other big contributor's in Georgetown's 11-hit afternoon were Ben Noelk (2 for 4 with two runs) and No. 9 hitter Michael Goddu (2 for 4 with two runs and a pair of RBIs).

Now, however, this year's bunch of Royals has plans on making their own history.

"We want to leave (previous success) in the past and worry about this year," Nelson said.