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Calzetta, Lancers dominate reigning champs

Thursday, May, 20 By Hector Longo

LAWRENCE – Statement games, ground-breaking victories, landmark wins … they usually can’t be had until early June on the high school baseball circuit.

Last night before a spirited gathering of about 300 at Devlin Field, Lawrence High just reached out and grabbed one, dominating two-time defending state Division 1 champion, Boston College High, 5-1.

A program that has enjoyed limited success at the state-wide level – venturing no further than the sectional quarters since at least the 1970s – lived up to the top ranking in Eastern Mass.

“We showed we can beat the best. We showed why we’re number one,” said Lancer Dionys Quezada. “The crowd, the players, the drums, we wanted it so much. We showed everybody that Lawrence is for real. I know we are for real.”

The Lancers walked on to their home turf with a swagger, like they belonged and BC High didn’t.

In baseball, that confidence is huge. It can be the difference, especially when things get dicey with runners on or in huge two-out situations.

For Lawrence, the comfort level emanates from Calzetta, the reigning Eagle-Tribune MVP who improved to 6-0 on the year and 18-2 over the last three seasons.

“He was fantastic, pure heat,” said Calzetta’s battery mate, Quezada. “He was dominating. The outside corner was there when we needed it. The inside corner was there, too.”

And the slider was simply unhittable.

“It was working,” said Calzetta. “I could throw it for strikes in any count, and that was big because that’s a great fastball-hitting team.”

As hard as the 6-foot-4 right-hander competes from pitch to pitch, his air of invincibility grows the tougher each situation gets.

The same counter-puncher that outpointed Andover in a state tourney classic last spring, stranding 11, was back at it again last night in the one or two flurries the Eagles could muster.

In the fifth with a 3-1 lead , he stranded an Eagle at third with one out, buckling down for two of his eight strikeouts in the three-hitter.

Lawrence broke through with a pair of runs in the second with Elvis Guilamo striking the major blow with an RBI triple to right-center and Edwin Brito plated the other with an infield ground out.

Single runs in the third, fifth and sixth were plated by Quezada (sac fly), Calzetta (RBI single) and Harvey Blanco (RBI double).

All that remained were some electric innings from Calzetta on the hill – the big fella blew away the final eight hitters he faced – and pondering just how good these 15-1 Lancers really are.

“We understand that the MVC is a little down, but we’ve got some ballplayers over here,” said Calzetta. “I wanted to prove it to those guys. I like the pressure, it keeps you competitive, makes you work, You can’t relax with guys like that.”

BC High coach Norm Walsh was more than convinced, and that’s a man who understands what title teams are all about.

“They absolutely have the potential,” said Walsh of the Lancers. “(Calzetta) certainly can beat anybody. They are legitimate contenders, absolutely.”

Of course, there are still a handful of tasks left to which Lawrence must tend.

Saturday’s makeup with Billerica presents a rare opportunity for any team - that is a chance for a perfect 13-0 run through the MVC.

And Memorial Day weekend’s six-team Lawrence Invitational Baseball Tournament is just around the corner.

“This gives us a lot of confidence and a little momentum,” said Calzetta. “It felt good to beat these guys.”

For now, though, how good this baseball team is and how far it might go are points for rousing debate throughout the city and the Merrimack Valley.

If last night was any indication, it could take an awful long time, maybe right into mid-June to find out.

Additional stories:

• Calzetta, Lancers dominate reigning champs