HAVERHILL — Thus far the MIAA State Event is bringing out the most effective in Central Catholic.
Lukasz Rondeau fired a complete-game shutout, allowing merely three hits and hanging out eight whereas the Central Catholic offense exploded for five runs inside the fourth inning on its technique to an 8-0 win over No. 13 Chelmsford on Thursday afternoon inside the Division 1 baseball Spherical of 16 at Northern Essex Neighborhood School.
Central Catholic will deal with No. 21 Methuen inside the quarterfinals Sunday at noon at Haverhill Stadium.
“Lukasz received stronger as he went and the final 4 innings he was lights out,” Central Catholic coach John Sexton said. “He’s usually somebody the place if you wish to get him, you higher get to him early. He was superb as we speak.”
Rondeau and Chelmsford’s Matthew Stuart had been locked in a pitcher’s duel by the use of the first three and a half innings, nevertheless inside the home half of the fourth the Raiders broke by the use of.
Profitable batter and two walks loaded the bases with two outs and Jake Bartlett associated on a line drive RBI single to correct to position the hosts up 1-0. Moments later, No. 9 hitter Jeremy Dela Cruz supplied separation by drilling a bases-clearing double to left coronary heart to position Central on excessive 4-0. Joshua Florence capped off the two-out rally with an RBI triple to coronary heart to stretch the profit to five.
“We simply deal with having one good at bat in a row and it labored out as we speak,” Sexton said. “Matthew Stuart is sweet. He throws arduous and throws loads of strikes. We had an enormous inning the place we received 5 after which cracked it open later. That’s the most important hit that Jeremy has had at Central Catholic.”
Rondeau survived a bases-loaded one-out scare inside the first after which hit cruise administration. The left-hander allowed a mere three baserunners between the second and seventh innings, with none reaching scoring place. Central Catholic positioned on the exclamation degree inside the bottom of the sixth as Merrimack Valley Convention Division 1 participant of the yr Nate Kearney crushed a three-run double to coronary heart topic to make it 8-0 Raiders.
“Methuen might be the most popular staff in Massachusetts,” Sexton said of the upcoming matchup. “That is the a part of the 12 months the place you must beat actual good pitching to win. That’s the value of poker.”
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