Andover wins North baseball title

June 09--LYNN -- Nothing about this run has come easy to the Andover High baseball team.

Four formidable foes from four different leagues, including top-seeded Peabody -- and the Warriors simply mowed each down.

Last night here at Fraser Field, it was Chelmsford falling for the third time to the Warriors this season, 6-3, in the Division 1 North title game.

Two wins from a state title, with its first sectional champ trophy in hand for the first time since 2005, Andover made it seven wins in the last eight, improving to 16-8 on the year.

Tuesday night (7 p.m.) at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, the Warriors battle South champion Norwood in the Eastern Mass. championship.

"As a coach, this puts me in some pretty elite company at the school with Ken Maglio and Dave Bettencourt," said Warrior boss Dan Grams. "For the kids, we told them if they win a banner, it's something nobody can take away from them. It's something they can show their kids someday and talk about."

As has been the case just about every time Andover stepped on the field this year, the Warriors found themselves in a dogfight, erasing deficits of 1-0 and 3-2 to pull even on Alex Brickman's sac fly in the fourth.

Andover took over in the bottom of the sixth, a frame that started pretty innocently when E.J. Perry IV backed into a soft curveball, taking it off his backside. Perry moved up on a John Cox sacrifice and aggressively took third on a pitch that bounced in the dirt.

Enter shortstop Gabriel Hernandez, who lashed a triple to right center.

"The infield was in, and I was looking to lift something over their heads," said Hernandez.

Before Hernandez had a chance to catch his wind, he trotted home on Pat Pengeroth's triple. And Tim Awiszus piled on the insurance with a sacrifice fly of his own.

So suddenly, Andover led 6-3, and lefty Sam Bennett was in line to pick up his second straight tourney win out of the bullpen, needing three outs.

The southpaw, who stymied Waltham on Wednesday, made quick work of Chelmsford's top of the order with nary a scratch, prompting the celebration to commence. "This one feels a lot different than hoops," said Hernandez, a key reserve on the Warrior basketball team that fell in the sectional finals at Tsongas Center to rival Central. "This feels unbelievable. It's huge."

Righty Colin Flynn got the start on the mound for the Warriors and delivered an effort that could be best described as determined and courageous. Relentless attacking the Lions, he worked 5.1 innings, allowing six hits and no walks, while striking out five. None of the three runs he gave up were earned.

Bennett entered a 3-3 game with one on and one out in the Chelmsford sixth, slamming the door shut and allowing his team to rally in the bottom half for the win.

Division 1 North title game

Chelmsford (3): Mark keller rf 4-0-0, Quinn Cooney lf 4-1-1, Mike DeDonato 2b 4-0-0, John Campsmith ss 3-1-2, Mike Tice p 3-1-0, Jesse Ashley p 0-0-0, Derek Adamson c 3-0-1, Ben Sauter 3b 3-0-2, Jack Hansbury dh 3-0-1, Eric Rose 1b 3-0-0, Totals 30-3-7

Andover (6): Tim Awiszus cf 3-1-2, Quinn McCarthy 2b 2-2-2, Frank Potts 3b 3-0-2, Alex Brickman dh 1-0-0, Chris Nicholas rf 3-0-1, E.J. Perry IV 2-1-0, Jack Cox lf 2-0-0, Gabriel Hernandez ss 3-1-1, Patrick Pengeroth 1b 3-1-1, Colin Flynn p 0-0-0, Sam Bennett p 0-0-0, Totals 22-6-9

RBI: A -- Awiszus, McCarthy, Potts, Brickman, Hernandez, Pengeroth; C -- Campsmith, Adamson 2

WP: Bennett; LP: Tice

Chelmsford (13-11): 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 -- 3

Andover (16-8): 2 0 0 1 0 3 x -- 6

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