Cam Roper stood in amazement whereas his star Matt Pappalardo may solely smile ear to ear. Methuen’s dream event run features a remaining 4.
Pappalardo threw six innings of two-run ball whereas additionally belting the go-ahead RBI triple as No. 21 Methuen superior to the Div. 1 state semifinals with a surprising, 4-2 win over No. 4 Central Catholic on Sunday afternoon at Haverhill Stadium.
Methuen, which has gained three straight highway video games, will tackle No. 1 Franklin for a spot within the state remaining.
“I haven’t slept in two weeks,” stated Roper, the Rangers head coach. “Look at our guys. Cinderella. Snow White. Call us whatever you want. We’re a hell of a baseball team.”
The extremely anticipated matchup between Merrimack Valley Conference foes entered the sixth deadlocked 2-2. Methuen, nonetheless, jumped in entrance. Owen Kneeland led off the highest of the body with a single, establishing a possibility for Pappalardo. The Rangers’ finest hitter blasted a triple to deep proper heart to present the Rangers a 3-2 lead.
Later within the inning Methuen grabbed insurance coverage when Owen Sullivan scampered house on a handed ball. Now in entrance, Pappalardo spun his finest inning, hanging out the aspect within the sixth earlier than Sullivan got here in because the Rangers’ established nearer and fanned three to begin the celebration.
“This is different from anything else I’ve been able to experience,” Pappalardo stated. “Our energy has been high. We’re together as a team. It’s been so much fun.”
Both Pappalardo and Central Catholic starter Josh Florence cruised by the primary two innings however the Rangers jumped in entrance within the third when Kneeland grounded a two-run single to proper to present the guests a 2-0 lead.
One half-inning later the Raiders evened the rating as Will Norris hit an infield RBI single earlier than Nate Kearney linked on an RBI groundout to tie the sport 2-2. Pappalardo, nonetheless, labored out of hassle within the 4th and induced a double play within the fifth to ship the sport to the sixth even.
After beginning the season 1-7 the Rangers at the moment are headed to the Final Four, a run harking back to Xaverian (2012) and Norwood’s (2016) state championship years the place each entered the event with .500 data.
“We feel we can compete with anyone. We needed to put together some clean baseball games,” Roper stated. “Earlier we were more of a divided team but now we’re playing together and the kids are showing what they can do.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com