McCaffrey’s gem lifts Hawks over Pats

Matt Metcalf, Sports Editor
Posted 4/14/15

The cross-town match-up between Bishop Hendricken and Pilgrim didn’t disappoint on Wednesday afternoon – even if it was just the first week of the season.

With a pair of aces – Mike …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

McCaffrey’s gem lifts Hawks over Pats

Posted

The cross-town match-up between Bishop Hendricken and Pilgrim didn’t disappoint on Wednesday afternoon – even if it was just the first week of the season.

With a pair of aces – Mike McCaffrey and Elijah Dressel – on the bump, there was little offense until the Hawks’ bats woke up late.

Hendricken broke open a 2-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to roll to a 5-0 win over the Pats.

The win was just what the Hawks needed in their season opener – a win against a team that should be a division contender by the end of the season.

“Both teams did a good job and the pitchers were great for both teams,” Hendricken head coach Ed Holloway said. “It was a good game for us to win. Pilgrim has a good team. They have good pitching, good defense and they played very well today.”

Pilgrim, on the other hand, would’ve liked to produce some more offense – mustering just two singles off of McCaffrey.

But the Pats had to be encouraged by Dressel’s performance against arguably the best lineup in the state, as the tall right-hander tossed 5.2 innings and surrendered just one earned run, while allowing seven hits and striking out two.

“He was outstanding,” Pilgrim head coach Scott Bailey said of Dressel. “He allowed four unearned runs and left one down the middle of the plate in the first inning on an 0-2 count – and they get a run there. If we get that out, then maybe momentum shifts our way. They’re a good ball club, but their runs were unearned. It’s tough to give any team extra outs.”

All-Stater, McCaffrey, picked up right where he left off last spring at the front of the rotation for the Hawks – going the distance in a complete-game shutout. McCaffrey allowed two hits and walked just one, while striking out eight – including the first six Pilgrim hitters of the game.

The southpaw kept hitters off-balance and switched speeds well in an efficient seven innings of work.

“He pitched great today,” Holloway said. “He’s gotten stronger. He’s throwing more strikes and has more velocity on his fastball.”

After McCaffrey struck out the side in the top of the first, the Hawks wasted no time getting on the board.

Dante Baldelli led off the bottom half of the inning with a single, and came around to score on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by John Toppa, giving Hendricken an early 1-0 lead.

That’s where the score stayed until the fourth inning, however, as McCaffrey and Dressel hit cruise control.

But in that fourth inning, the Hawks upped their lead to 2-0 when a groundball was mishandled on the right side of the infield, allowing Billy Keegan to cross home safely after he got things started with a leadoff single.

Hendricken then put the game away in the sixth on two hits, three walks and an error.

Baldelli drove in Keegan and Mike Webb with a bases-loaded double to make it 4-0, before Gian Martellini walked with the bases loaded to force Jason Comeau home from third.

Martellini reached safely in all four at-bats, registering two singles and a pair of walks.

The senior backstop will be key for the Hawks offensively and defensively this season.

“He’s going to have a good year, he’s a good player,” Holloway said of Martellini. “He did a good job at the plate and catching McCaffrey today. He’s a key for us.”

Martellini, Baldelli, Keegan and Webb registered two hits apiece for the Hawks in the win.

Darren Grant and David McMullen had the only hits of the game for the Pats.

Despite the lack of offense, Bailey felt that his team was getting better swings off of McCaffrey as the game went on.

“Our guys were aggressive because we knew the scouting report that they usually start guys out with a first-pitch fastball,” Bailey said. “As the kids got through the order, they were a little bit more aggressive. He’s a good pitcher and it’s early in the year.”

The Hawks moved to 2-0 with a 3-2 walk-off win against Cranston West on Sunday. They’ll be back in action today at La Salle at 4 p.m. in a rematch of last spring’s state championship series.

The Pats, now 1-1, will look to move above .500 at Coventry today at 3:45 p.m.

Pilgrim will take the positives away from the game against Hendricken and move forward.

“We’re going to take something good out of it – the kids worked hard,” Bailey said. “We’re on to Coventry on Tuesday. One game at a time.”

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here