The St. Mary Saints celebrate a state title in Division 4 baseball Saturday at Holy Cross University. (Photo by Bill Deren)
WORCESTER – It just goes to show you that when you put your heart, body and mind behind something 100 percent, you can accomplish anything.
A baseball team from a teeny-tiny, private Catholic school in Westfield overcame everything the state had to throw at them, and became the best squad in all of Massachusetts. The St. Mary Saints defeated the Archbishop Williams Bishops (Braintree) 5-3 Saturday at Holy Cross University to complete their journey and capture the Division 4 baseball state title.
“We can do anything,” said Matt Masciadrelli, who delivered an MVP-worthy performance, going 3-for-3 with a double, walk, three runs scored and an RBI.
“We’re basically one big family – we’re together every single day – with our 40 boys at our school so we know each other,” he said. “It’s so surreal – the support from the fans and all our teammates just coming together just so focused from the first inning to the last inning.”
The little school that could motored ahead from the start.
Masciadrelli led off the top of the first inning with a sharp hit off Archbishop Williams freshman pitcher Myles McDermott down the third base line, before wheeling around the bags with a little help from his teammates.
Jake Butler advanced Masciadrelli to third with a one-out line drive hit off the pitcher’s leg. Butler stole second base. Masciadrelli scored on a two-out wild pitch.
“They’re just so defensively sound and that starting pitcher just pounded the zone,” Masciadrelli said. “You had to be focused and you had to have a winning mentality to it.”
Achbishop threatened with a leadoff hit from No. 3 batter Casey Earle in the fourth inning, but St. Mary starting pitcher John Daley forced two groundouts sandwiched around a fly out to escape unscathed.
St. Mary tacked on a run in the fifth. Masciadrelli smacked a ball high off the signs of the left field wall for a one-out double. Butler followed with a two-out hit deep on the left side of the infield dirt that scored Masciadrelli. The hit ended McDermott’s night.
St. Mary took a commanding lead in the sixth. Nate Bonini walked and was lifted for pinch-runner Aidan Burke. With one out, Drew Collins singled. Collins stole second. A play at-the-plate resulted in the second out of the inning when the Saints were caught trying to score.
The out at home plate did little to discourage the resilient Saints as Masciadrelli delivered yet again.
With two outs, Masciadrelli singled to left field for a 3-0 advantage. Shaun Gezotis walked. Then Butler uncorked another big hit, this time a two-run single to left field to put St. Mary up 5-0.
Archbishop’s bats awoke from their slumber a short time later in the bottom of the sixth.
Timothy Chase belted a double to the right field corner. With one out, Casey Earle drilled a single through the left side. Benjamin Murphy followed with an RBI single to left field. With two outs, John Rega hammered a double to deep right-center field to pull the Bishops within two, 5-3.
Archbishop threatened to inch even closer with a runner in scoring position – Reg advanced to third on a wild pitch – but St. Mary reliever Nate Bonini came back to get a hard-earned strikeout.
Bonini was lights-out in the seventh, retiring the side 1-2-3, striking out lead-off batter Chase (2-for-3) to end the game.
“Not to sound arrogant, but I’m not surprised,” St. Mary coach Troy Collins said. “This team – they just don’t flinch; they’re a great group of kids who play hard, do the right things, practice hard all year long. What a joy it has been coaching them. Boy, I’ll tell ya – state champions.”
“(All) the other schools we go against – it’s kind of bizarre that we can do something like this, but it’s not a fluke,” he continued. :We’ve been good for a long time. Maybe people will recognize us a little more because we have put a good product on the field for years. So when you come to play little St. Mary’s, you better come to play – simple as that. We’re going to battle you to the end. That’s for sure.”
