Bartels One-Hitter Not Enough for Belmont as Season Ends at Danvers

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Junior pitcher Cole Bartels.

A throwing miscue with two outs in the bottom of the fourth allowed a pair of unearned runs to cross the plate and ended the 2015 season for Belmont High School Baseball, as the Marauders came out on the short end of a 3-1 loss to host and number-one seed Danvers in the Division 2 North sectional tournament on Monday, June 8.

“Unearned runs will do you in all the time,” said long-time Belmont Head Coach Jim Brown.

The anticipated pitching duel between Belmont High School’s Cole Bartels and Danvers High’s Andrew Olszak – their respective league’s MVP – didn’t disappoint as the aces battled from the mound with Bartels throwing a hard-fought one-hitter only to be matched by Olszak’s two-hit gem.

“Coming back on three days rest (after winning the playoff opener in Wilmington this past Thursday) Cole pitched a great game. I think they had a single infield bleeder,” Brown said of his junior ace, who collected six strikeouts in his six-inning stint.

While Bartels battled deep into counts against Danvers, Olszak – who led his team in hits, runs, scoring and set a league record for stolen bases – threw a selection of pitches that Marauders hitters kept pounding into the ground.

“You have to tip your hat to their pitcher,” said Brown, noting that Olszak, 8-0 in the regular season with two saves, surrendered a total of four walks for the entire year.

“He can pitch inside, outside, low, high; he just hit his spots,” said Brown.

Danvers (19-3) took the lead in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly after the Falcon’s second batter went from first to third on a one-out single by Olszak.

Belmont (12-10) came back to even the score in the next half-inning as sophomore catcher Cal Christofori doubled a first pitch offering. He advanced to third on Nick Call’s sacrifice bunt and came home on Robbie Montanaro’s sac fly.

The Marauders defense stuffed out a threat in the bottom of the second when second baseman Trevor Kelly caught an attempted slap hit to double up the runner at first, followed by Christofori catching another Falcon player leaning the wrong way at first, resulting him to be tagged out at second.

But Bartels’ fielders failed him in the fourth as a routine grounder ate up Kelly to put the lead-off batter on first. A sacrifice, a walk and a stolen base placed men at second and third with one out. It appeared Belmont had the Falcon player who was heading home dead to rights on a missed suicide squeeze. But a slip by Call allowed the player to scamper back to the hot corner.

With two outs and a full count, Danvers’ DH drove the ball to shortstop Noah Riley, who rushed the throw just a bit. But that little extra push sent the ball over Montanaro’s reach.

Two scored, and Belmont faced attempting to score against a pitcher they had yet to solve. Kelly came close with a two-out double in the sixth, but he was stranded at second.

While Christofori kept the deficit to a pair coming in relief of Bartels – twice gunning down runners at second – Belmont could only get one runner on the bases with two outs in the ninth before yet another ground ball out from Olszak finished the season.

“I was proud of the way we battled. We always play [Danvers] tough,” said Brown.

“It’s always a close game. You’ve got to play a clean game, or they’ll capitalize on your mistakes,” said Brown.

Fore! PGA Tour Brings Street Closure, Parking Restrictions Beginning Tuesday

By Leave a Comment

Photo:

The Belmont Country Club is hosting the PGA TOUR Constellation Senior Players Championship beginning Tuesday, June 9.

Working with state and other municipalities, the Belmont Police Department has developed a traffic plan that will help keep traffic delays and parking issues to a minimum during the 

Road and exit closures:

The most prominent feature of the plan is that Winter Street in Belmont will be CLOSED to traffic on the following dates and times. These times are subject to change. 

  • Tuesday, June 9: 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, June 10: 5:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, June 11: 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday, June 12: 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, June 13: 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, June 14: 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

In addition, the state will close the Exit 56 ramp from Route 2 East (onto Winter Street) during the event hours.

The detour for motorists who use Exit 56 will direct them to use Exit 55 onto Pleasant Street in Lexington, so residents may anticipate that much of the traffic that usually would be on Winter Street will shift to Concord Avenue between Pleasant Street in Lexington and the intersection with Winter Street in Belmont. The reverse detour will bring motorists on Concord Avenue west to Pleasant Street in Lexington, where a right turn will bring vehicles to an entrance to Route 2 West.

Marsh Street will be closed for motorists intent on getting to Winter Street, Route 2, Lexington, or Waltham. Motorists headed for Belmont Center, Concord Avenue, or Mill Street may find it quicker to gain access via Route 60/Pleasant Street. Residents will be able to enter Marsh Street from Concord Avenue and proceed north on Marsh Street.

Robinwood Road will be posted as “do not enter” at Concord Avenue, since Robinwood Road will be used to send some event traffic away from the country club.

Residents of Hough Road and Robinwood Road will be asked to come on to Marsh Street from Concord Avenue. Hough Road residents may turn left onto Hough Road. Robinwood Road residents will turn left onto Winter Street and then turn left onto Robinwood Road.

To improve traffic flow with all of the detours, Mill Street will be diverted into a T style intersection at Concord Avenue. Motorists westbound on Concord Avenue will not be permitted to turn left onto Mill Street. Motorists driving east on Concord Avenue will be permitted to turn right onto Mill Street or continue on Concord Avenue in the normal manner.

Residents of the area:

All residents near the Winter Street Road closure will be able to get to and from their homes by motor vehicle at all times during the event. Some brief delays in doing so and parking restrictions on their streets should be anticipated.

For residents on the streets listed on the reverse, your driver’s license with the street address will be sufficient to allow you through any road closure to get to your home. In addition, for visitors you authorize, the Police Department will have a printed pass system available. To prevent improper use, there will be a limit to the number of passes each address will be permitted. This pass will not authorize on street parking. Passes for resident visitors will be available starting June 1 by visiting the police station.

Parking:

There will be temporary “no parking” restrictions on the streets listed below. Some of these parking restrictions are needed because of the detoured traffic flow. Other restrictions are intended to discourage event parking that might cause problems for emergency vehicles, add unsafe pedestrian trips to the event, and be inconvenient for residents:                                               

  • Rayburn Road                                
  • Country Club Lane
  • Dundonald Road                               
  • Grey Birch Park
  • Partridge Lane                                  
  • Greybirch Circle
  • Winter Street                                    
  • Greensbrook Way                              
  • Robinwood Road                                
  • Concord Avenue        
  • Hough Road                                      
  • Marsh Street (between Concord Avenue and Country Club Lane)

In addition, there will be no private parking available for purchase at or near the event at Belmont Country Club and no public or on street parking at or near the location. 

For more information about the event from the PGA TOUR:

http://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/constellation-senior-players-championship.html 

or  cspgolf.com  or  781-205-2040

Letter to the Editor: Selectmen Fail to Honor Center Reconstruction Process

By 8 Comments

Photo: Belmont Center. 

(Note: This letter was originally sent to the Belmont Board of Selectmen.)

I am disturbed and outraged to learn that Belmont Center Reconstruction Plan A was overturned at the last minute for Plan B, decreasing the size of the green space and surrounding it with traffic, just because of a small group of opponents. This group did not show up or speak out at all the many public meetings over several years.

The [Board of Selectmen] meeting on May 28th was just advertised as a discussion of beautification and conflicted with several other important town meetings that evening such as The annual
meeting of the League of Women Voters, and the forum on Criminal Justice with our State Sen. Will Brownsberger and our State Rep. Dave Rogers (I managed to attend both of these). Regardless, one meeting should not have tossed out years of planning and substituted an alternative plan without proper notice and comment period.

Over the last several years, I attended many meetings and was generally pleased with the majority of the details for Reconstruction of Belmont Center. But I was even more pleased with the process. Lots of comments were taken into consideration, and the resulting plan, Plan A, was a really good compromise of all the important features that everyone wanted. I am particularly in favor of the large, pedestrian-friendly, green space which Belmont Center has always sorely missed.

This last minute change from a plan that was already approved and supported by the larger community is completely inappropriate and does not represent the Belmont community as a whole. Town Meeting approved money in the fall for the Reconstruction with the plan that included much more green space; not a small island of token green space that is hard to utilize, similar to the current island of poorly utilized greenery.

If a change is to be made at this point, a public process must be offered once again; no last minute substitutions to appease one small vocal minority. If this is not done correctly, the whole process is tainted and will be very difficult for the Selectmen to gain the confidence and monetary support of the town again.

Bonnie Friedman
Town Meeting Member
Precinct 3

This Week: Farmers Market Reopens, Chenery Concerts, Retiring Teachers

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont Farmers Market.

On the government side of “This Week”:

  • The Board of Zoning Appeals will meet on Tuesday, June 9, at 7 p.m. on the third floor of the Homer Building (in the Town Hall Complex) to take up a special permit request from Rebecca Pizzi to allow a child care business to be run out of 92 Payson Road. 
  • The School Committee will be holding a reception and ceremony for retiring staff and teacher beginning at 6 p.m., on Tuesday, June 9, at the Chenery Middle School. At the regular meeting, the committee will vote on school fees for next fiscal year and will get an update on the space situation at the six district schools. 
  • The Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee will get together on Wednesday, June 10 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall to discuss a future walking tour of potential pathways.

• The Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library at the corner of Old Middlesex and Oakley, will be holding Summer Pre-School Story Time at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9, with stories and crafts for children 3 to 5. Younger siblings may attend with adults. Parents or caregivers must be present. Registration is not required. Pre-School Story Time meets at 10:30 a.m. every Tuesday and Friday throughout the summer.

• Yoga for Everyone at the Beech Street Center from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., on Tuesday, June 9. Join Susan Harris, a registered yoga teacher and associate professor of Nutrition at Tufts University, for this Iyengar-inspired class which practices yoga postures slowly and with attention to alignment and safety, adapted to the abilities and needs of individual students. Practice is done with bare feet; mats and props are provided. Cost: $15/class. Non-seniors, beginners and experienced are welcome. This is a non-Council on Aging class held at the Beech Street Center. For more information, call Susan at 617-407-0816.

• The town’s new Veterans Officer, Robert Upton, will be at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Thursday, June 10 from noon to 2 p.m.. Please register at the front desk.

• The Belmont Country Club hosts the PGA 2015 Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship beginning on Thursday, June 11, to Sunday, June 14. 

• Come to opening of the Belmont Farmers Market, now in its 10th season, at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 11. 

• The 7th and 8th Grade Band Concert will take place on Thursday, June 11, at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School. 

• Well-loved local musician Liz Buchanan will be performs original songs and traditional favorites for kids and their parents in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room, Friday, June 12, from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

• The Chenery Middle School 5th Grade Band, Chorus and Orchestra will perform in concert on Friday, June 12, at 9 a.m. in the auditorium at the school. 

• The Senior Book Discussion Group will will discuss Summer by Edith Wharton on Friday, June 12, at 11 a.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

• The Belmont Public Library’s OTAKUrabu program offers students (7th to 12th grades) the chance to watch anime, do a craft/activity, plan for future events and nibble on some Japanese snacks (while they last – they’ll go fast) on Friday, June 12, from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Assembly Room. Provided to you for free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library. Just drop in, no registration required.

Belmont High Graduates 275 Newly-Minted Alumni from Class of ’15

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Caps flying during the 2015 graduation at Belmont High School.

“Bittersweet,” is how Lisa Castagno would feel watching her daughter, Olivia, receive her diploma along with 274 of her classmates during graduation ceremony for the Class of 2015 at Belmont High School on Sunday afternoon, June 7.

“I’m really happy but sad,” said Castagno, who has seen three daughters graduate from the school, with a son remaining. “It’s great to see them growing up. It’s an exciting time for them and for us parents but in a different way.”

Amidst cheers, hugs, contemplation, photos and a cloud of cigar smoke, 275 seniors transformed from students to alumni during the ceremony held in the school’s Wenner Field House.

“Your child charmed us, and at times alarmed us, they have pushed the boundaries of learning and thinking to new horizons,” Belmont High Principal Dan Richards told the graduates and those who packed the Field House.

“We will miss their energy and their endless ideas, but know that each of them will put that creativity and intelligence to good use,” he said.

Class President Sophie Kunz-Cosgrove said this graduating class “cultivated a culture of hard work, determination, and caring, in and out of the classroom.”

“After today, we will start our lives apart. But we built something here that will always be with us; a community, our community where everyone is different but everyone belongs,” she said.

Thomas Zembowicz, the first of the speakers honored with the School Committee Award for Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship – whose long list of accomplishments in academics, volunteering and athletics read by School Superintendent John Phelan seemed to embarrass him slightly – said what he will miss the most from his experience at Belmont High is “a feeling of contentment and belonging … in even the most mundane situations” hearing snippets of conversations or watching classmates working together on projects.

“I reflected on the rituals that bind us as a class; unscripted and unnoticed … noticing these shared routines … gave me a more powerful sense of nostalgia,” said Zembowicz, who will matriculate at Yale in the fall.

“Take a minute to notice the forged ties with people that shared things with you, even if that means just sharing a table at the library,” he said. “Because even as the past weeks events slip out of our memories, we will always have each other.”

Organization, for Catherine Tang, the second School Committee Award speaker, was the touchstone of her experience at Belmont High School. How she studied and practice, Tang did each within a tidy planned “comfortable” system. That was until the day her art teacher, Mark Milowsky, squirted a tube of paint on her blank canvas.

“Mr. Milowsky said, ‘You need to learn to trust yourself’,” Tang said. Despite being out of her comfort zone, she created a work that she remains most proud.

“We all have our plans, our systems, our expectations for the future. But we may find that someone splatters paint on our canvas,” said Tang, who will not travel far to attend Harvard College this fall.

“It is up to us to decide what we make of the unexpected situations that life throws at us, whether we view them as obstacles or as opportunities for personal growth,” she said.

“Don’t worry about the unexpected; trust your abilities and put your mark on the new and unexpected.”

Finally, it was time for the 275 students to become former pupils, to shake hands with school committee members, superintendent, and principal; then tossing caps in the air, and meet outside for photos and cheap cigars.

Belmont Boys, Girls Track In the Top Ten in East Divisional Meet

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont’s girls relay team in action. 

In the best combined day in recent memory, the Belmont High School Boys’ and Girls’ Spring Track teams powered their way to top-ten finishes in the East Division 3 championships held Wednesday, June 3 in Durfee, Mass.

Led by a pair of second-place finishes by sophomore Julia Cella in the 100 (12.73 seconds) and 200 meter (26.36) sprints, Belmont piled up 46.5 points over the day, good for a solid sixth place.

The boys collected 33 points to place 9th, just three points from 7th place.

Belmont’s girls was the only team with two runners in both sprint finals as fellow sophomore Marley Williams joined Cella in the dashes.

After taking seventh in the 100, Williams finished second to the eventual winner, Tatum Pecci of Tewksbury, in the preliminary heats of the 200 meters, making her a favorite in the finals.

But Williams began feeling under the weather and scratched from the final, said Belmont Head Coach Melissa Glotzbecker, whose team won the Middlesex League regular season title and the League meet. 

Belmont’s other multi-event point scorer was freshman standout Anoush Krafian, who finished third in the 100-meter hurdles, tied for seventh in the high jump and 11th in the long jump. She was also on the 4×100-meter relay that came in fourth.

Junior Samantha Kelts was one of three athletes who broke the existing point record for the pentathlon to finish the multi-event competition in third. Also capturing a third place medal was junior Meggie MacAulay in the 400 meters.

Sophomore Claudia Tenner led three Marauders in the 400-meter hurdles, coming in 7th followed by senior Kayla Magno and sophomore Guilia Rufo.

In the field events, junior Katrina Rokosz threw the javelin just under 111 feet for 7th place.

Leading the boys was senior captain Ari Silverfine, who broke two minutes to finish fourth in the 800 meters, while anchoring the 4×800 relay that raced stride for stride against Pembroke which eked out the victory over the Marauders by less than a second.

Silverfine’s fellow senior Owen Madden took third in the 400 hurdles while junior Luke Peterson used his long frame to finish fifth in the long jump, and sixth in the triple jump.

The final meet for both girls and boys is the All-State meet taking place on Saturday, June 6, at Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg.

From the girls team, Cella will be running in the 100 and 200 meters, Krafian in the 100 hurdles and high jump, MacAulay the 400, in addition to the 4×100 relay with Cella, Krafian, MacAulay and Williams with Naria Sealy as alternative.

Silverfine will run the 800 and Madden the 400 hurdles with the 4×800 and 4×400 relay teams taking part.

Belmont Yard Sales: June 6–7

By Leave a Comment

Photo:

Yard sales in the “Town of Homes.” 

• 141 Fairview Ave., Saturday, June 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 30 Moraine St., Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 5 Pearl St., Saturday, June 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• 61 Spring Valley Rd., Saturday, June 6, from 9 a.m. to noon.

• 116 Sycamore St., Saturday, June 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 

This Weekend: Coffeehouse Friday, Power Recitals, Chamber Concert Sunday

By Leave a Comment

Photo:

• The final Second Friday Coffeehouse concert featuring an Evening with Richard Curzi & Positive Energy will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 5 – which happens to be the first Friday of the month – at the First Church in Belmont, Unitarian Universalist, 404 Concord Ave. Joining the ensemble on stage will be Belmont High students Rowan Wolf on tenor and baritone sax, Yilei Bai on alto sax, Jasper Wolf and Riley Grant on trumpet and Jack Stone on trombone. In addition to Curzi, the night will feature the “Filthy Funk Gentlemen,” a kickin’ brass section of Belmont High School students who were featured at the annual Parents of Music Students “MY GENERATION” benefit dance party.

• Belmont has created the First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program to help low- and moderate- income families purchase homes in the “Town of Homes.” Find out how to apply in an open session presented by the Homebuyer Assistance Program. Come get answers to questions and help with applications on Saturday June 6, at 10 a.m. at the Belmont Public Library.

• The Powers Music School will be hosting a weekend of recitals. On Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, students will perform All-School Recitals at 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m. with an addition 6 p.m. concert on Sunday. Back on Saturday, June 6 at 6 p.m., the school will hold its Honors Recital, open to all graduating seniors and advanced students per nomination by a faculty member. 

• Belmont High School graduation will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, in the Wenner Field House.

 

• The First Church in Belmont Unitarian Universalist will host the 37th annual benefit Chamber Music Concert on Sunday, June 7 at 8 p.m to benefit the SPARK (Supporting Parents and Resilient Kids) Center at the Boston Medical Center. 

The concert includes:

  • Three Russian folksongs as well as Early English songs and duets by Cherubini sung by Irina Kareva, mezzo soprano and Melanie Bacaling, soprano, accompanied by Alfa Radford and Ian Garvie, harpsichord.  
  • Trio Sonata by Baroque composer Jan Dismas Zelenka, performed by Susan Jackson and Terry D’Errico, flutes; Robin Hillyard, bassoon; with harpsichord continuo.  
  • Piccolo solo, Pennywhistle Jig, and a flute duet.

Concert attendees will also be treated to an amusing and brilliant finale excerpted from Gilbert & Sullivan, and featuring the performing artists. The SPARK Center helps over 100 children and families in the Boston area who are coping with a host of issues including: complex neurological problems, HIV and AIDS, emotional and behavioral problems related to trauma, and developmental delays and related special educational needs. For more information please call 617-484-1054 ext.201 or email aradford@uubelmont.org

On the Rebuilt Street That You Live: Town’s Roads Repair List for 2016

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Palfrey Street.

Palfrey Road is one of the worst conditioned streets in Belmont.

Due to the steady amount of traffic – many vehicles use the roadway as a convenient detour onto Trapelo Road bypassing the Cushing Square lights – and the unlevel pitch of the road, the thoroughfare’s road surface running between Common Street and Gilbert Road at times resembles a Peruvian mountain path with crevasses and pot holes that involuntarily realign cars wheels and steering.

But long-suffering commuters and residents need only wait just about a year for relief as the byway  was placed on the town’s fiscal year 2016 road reconstruction list that totals $2.55 million.

Announced at this week’s Town Meeting by Glenn Clancy, director of Community Development, Palfrey joins 12 other roads deemed so in disrepair that it made the cut for reconstruction. More than half of the streets have a pavement condition index (PCI) in the 30s, considered a “poor” grade where travel is “uncomfortable with frequent bumps or depressions.”

The list with the corresponding CPI rating includes:

  • Clifton Street (32) from Beatrice Circle to Prospect Street
  • Bartlett Avenue (33) from White Street to Harriet Avenue
  • Winslow Road (34) from Hammond Road to Palfrey Road
  • Palfrey Road (35) from Gilbert Road to Common Street
  • Payson Terrace (35) from Payson Road east to Payson Road west
  • Glendale Road (36) from Common Street to Orchard Street.
  • Cushing Avenue (36) from Pine Street to Payson Road
  • Sharpe Road (37) from School Street to Washington Street
  • Marion Road (39) from Belmont Street to Grove Street
  • Albert Avenue (40) from Tobey Road to Brighton Street
  • Albert Avenue (53) from Lake Street to Tobey Road
  • Simmons Avenue (41) from Scott Road to Brighton Street
  • Middlecot Street (40) from north of Cowdin Street to Claflin Street 
  • Middlecot Street (72) from Cross Street to north of Cowdin Street
  • Sherman Street (41) from Brighton Street to Dean Street.

Clancy said the list is subject to change based on the availability of utility work to be completed on the roads in 2016. But he added that National Grid, the gas utility, has stepped up the rate of conversions this year insomuch that he believes that most, if not all, of the roads on the list will be completed by the end of the construction season next year.

Baseball: Belmont, Bartels Show Their Best Beating Wilmington in Playoff Opener

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Junior Cole Bartels pitching Belmont to first-round victory over Wilmington.

Belmont High School Baseball played its best game of the season at the most opportune time as the Marauders handed hosts Wilmington High School Wildcats an 8-1 loss in a first-round of the Division 3 North Sectional playoffs played under sunny skies on Thursday afternoon, June 4. 

Belmont’s battery, junior right-hander Cole Bartels and sophomore catcher Cal Christofori, led the way as Bartels kept the Wildcats silent for all but the third inning, striking out 10 during his six inning stretch on the mound.

“It was great. I could find my spot and threw hard,” said Bartels after the game.

Christofori went three for four at the plate with an RBI triple in the third to bring in Belmont first run before scoring the Marauders second run on an error. Christofori finished the game in relief of Bartels.

“We did the little things; get your bat on the ball and good things will happen,” said Belmont’s long-time Head Coach Joe Brown, winning a first-round post season game for the third consecutive year. 

“We really were focused since the end of the season and we’ve had some great practices,” said Brown of the error- free effort by his defense behind Bartels.

Next up for Belmont (12-9) is a match up with number one seed Danvers High which sports a 18-3 record, after disposing of Tewksbury, 7-0, on Thursday.

The game will take place at Twi Field in Danvers at 4 p.m., Monday, June 8.

“I’ve coached against [Danvers’] Roger Day six or seven times and he’s gotten the better of me most times,” said Brown. “I expect a lot of small ball and quality baseball on Monday.” 

Belmont broke open the game in the fourth after surrounding a run in the bottom of the third, getting to the Wildcat’s ace, southpaw Jackson Gillis, with Christofori sending home Bartels, then coming home on the error. Third base Nick Call scored the third run on shortstop Nick Riley’s double.

The Marauders’ scraped together a run in the fourth as center fielder Ben Goodwin scampered home on Christofori’s second RBI. 

But the rally ended after Call ripped a Gillis fastball into the left center gap. Since Wilmington High could not use its new baseball field due to the construction of the new school building limited parking, the game was played at a middle school field which does not have an outfield fence. Had a barrier stopped the ball, it would have been unlikely Call would have tried to stretch a double into a triple. An outstanding throw from the outfield caught Call before Christofori crossed home. 

The Marauders provided the knockout punch with three in the fifth inning, highlighted by Goodwin’s two-out, two-run double, scoring juniors Trevor Kelly and Matt Kerans. 

It was then up to Bartels to secure the win, as he made quick work of the heart of the Wildcat lineup in the sixth.

“[Bartels] was phenomenal today. He had his control on,he was mowing guys down. He pitched out of a jam early and then was untouchable,” said Brown.