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No. 2 Andover ousted in semis

BEVERLY — Usually when you read a box score and see a team only managed four hits, your first impression is that the lineup just couldn’t get it going. The pitcher was feeling it, the timing was off, or something else just wasn’t working, right?

Well, for Andover, the trouble was almost entirely a result of Lexington’s fielders simply gobbling up every ball put into play.

Andover’s lineup was victimized by no fewer than five highlight reel defensive plays, most of which came at key points in the inning that prevented the Warriors from putting together any kind of rally. Combined with some sloppy pitching in the early innings, the result was a 7-1 Lexington win, ending Andover’s season in the Division 1 North Semifinals Thursday at Endicott College.

“They were the better team today, they made the plays, their shortstop and their center fielder were excellent,” said Andover coach Dan Grams. “It seemed like every time we had a rally going they made a big play.”

Lexington’s first web gem came in the bottom of the second, when the Minutemen infielders turned a nifty inning-ending double play to erase a lead-off hit by pitch. Then in the bottom of the third, Andover loaded the bases with one out and scored its only run on a Caeden Dillman groundout to first. The Warriors, who were by then trailing 5-1, had an opportunity to make a move, but a bomb by Tim Kalantzakos was tracked down by center fielder Jack Pawloski to end the inning.

In the fourth, Evan Christopulos launched a huge double to center, but was left stranded after shortstop Sal Frelick made two terrific plays and then Pawloski made another incredible running grab to end the inning, this time victimizing first baseman Mikey Comeau. 

The two helped strand Andover runners at second and third in the bottom of the fifth, and then in the sixth, Frelick made perhaps the best play of them all, covering almost 100 feet to make a diving catch in foul territory. Andover went on to also strand two runners in that inning too.

In the end, Andover left eight runners on base, a figure that Grams chalked up to bad luck more than anything else.

“I think we hit the ball, they only struck out one guy all day,” Grams said. “It’s baseball. It’s on the turf, we’re seeing everything bounce their way. We just couldn’t buy a big hit at the right time.”

Andover finishes the season 16-6, while Lexington improves to 18-6 and will now face Lowell in the Division 1 North Final. Thursday also marked the end of the line for one of Andover’s most celebrated senior classes in recent memory, a crew that once came within a win of reaching the Little League World Series and have enjoyed a lot of success in high school ever since.

“I’ve been following them, when they went down to Bristol and they lost, I was the first one to shake their hand,” Grams said. “Same type of situation, the same look on their faces. They’ve had great high school careers, a lot of them are multi-sport athletes, they have nothing to be ashamed of, Lexington was the better team today.”