Heading into yesterday’s contest at Bowditch Field against Framingham, the Norwood High baseball team was clearly playing with its back against the wall, needing to win its final five games to avoid missing the postseason for the second straight season.
The Mustangs managed to keep those tournament aspirations alive for another 24 hours as they scored single runs in the eighth and ninth inning to tie the game and pulled out a 15-inning victory, topping the host Flyers 9-8 in a Bay State Conference game.
“We have a long way to go, we’ve got more games to play, but for a morale booster and confidence, this was sweet,” said Mustangs coach Tony Fruci. “They very easily could have laid down, but they kept on plugging.”
Chris Pinette knocked in the winning run with an RBI single to left-center that scored Joe Trahon for a 9-7 lead in the top of the 15th and got the Mustangs out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the inning, getting a groundout and strikeout to preserve the win for Nico Rodriguez, who worked nine-plus innings of one-run relief. Rodriguez pushed Norwood in front in the 15th with an RBI single that plated Cory Sennott, who started the uprising with his fifth hit of the game and stole second.
The Mustangs (6-10, 6-7) trailed 7-5 after five innings, but got a run in the eighth and tied the game on a two-out double in the ninth from Sean Keady that scored pinch-runner Pinette, who entered the game for Chris Foley, who reached with a one-out walk.
Brian Williams was a key contributor to the Norwood offense, which pounded out 16 hits, with three hits and scored twice.
The Mustangs play their second de-facto playoff game tonight under the lights at Peter Wall Field against rival Walpole.
The Hawks bats fell silent in their first attempt to reach the postseason as Walpole native Phil Rossi tossed a complete game two-hitter for the Knights. Xaverian has dropped four of their last five to fall to 9-7 overall and 2-5 in the Catholic Conference.
Matt Morin went the distance, yielding a pair in the third and one in the sixth.
“They got two hits with men in scoring position and two outs and we got none,” said Xaverian coach Gerry Lambert.
Chris Kucher had a two-out double in the sixth and Tyler Parsons led off the seventh with a double and reached as far as third. Xaverian left the bases loaded in the fifth, walking four times in the inning but unable to score.
The Hawks get another chance to clinch when they visit Brockton on Saturday for a non-league contest.
Will Scannell was victorious in his varsity debut, giving up two earned runs on two hits over five innings as the host Wolverines moved within a game of qualifying for the postseason with a victory over winless Medway in a Tri-Valley League contest. The junior overcame seven walks and fanned five.
“He gave us what we needed,” said Wolverines coach Brian Whalen, whose club plays its fourth game in as many days today at Bellingham.
Connor Walsh was a home run shy of the cycle, going a perfect 4-for-4, scoring four times and driving in a pair. As he has done seemingly all season long Brian Morante delivered the key hit, a two-run double to right-center in the fourth for a 5-2 lead.
Westwood (9-8, 9-7) made the visiting Mustangs pay for their four errors as they directly resulted in three runs. Jason Sementelli remained hot at the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Ryan Walsh pitched two scoreless innings of relief, striking out three to close out the game.
