ATHOL — The pitching quartet of Dilan Fountain, Anthony Oro, Noah Pottinger and Maysin Tarbell held Smith Academy to four hits in a 9-1 win for the Athol baseball team on Tuesday.
Oro picked up the victory for the Red Raiders (9-4, 3-2 Hampshire League East), pitching three innings.
The hitting started in the bottom of the second when Nick Bousquet smacked an RBI single that brought home two runs for the Red Raiders.
Bousquet powered a solo-homer to right field in the bottom of the fourth. Athol moved to within one win of a playoff berth.
“We are not there yet,” Bousquet said. “We are not a playoff team yet. We certainly don’t want to lose another game. We just have to be the best us. From thing the looks of things, if we play the best baseball, we can we can do some damage.”
Oro relieved Fountain in the third inning and faced a bases-loaded situation with one out.
Athol’s defense closed out the inning when Bryce King and Fountain turned a slick 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
“Dilan threw well and got us started,” Athol coach Josh Talbot said. “I don’t know if he ran out of gas or what happened.”
Oro gave up one hit, with a strikeout and a walk.
“He got us out of a jam and threw well for a couple innings,” Talbot said.
Pottinger pitched the sixth and looked pretty nasty in the process with two strikeouts.
Tarbell came in for the seventh. Third baseman Riley Paine and catcher Mark Ferrari attempted to show Tarbell a curveball grip before the inning started.
It was not Tarbell’s first time on the mound.
“He’s pitched an inning or two here and there,” Talbot said. “A couple of innings last year.”
But with speed and location, Tarbell closed out the game and registered a strikeout.
The Red Raiders face a tough stretch ahead with six games in nine days.
“We were definitely into the game today,” Talbot said. “But it’s really easy to be into the game when we are up. It’s really hard to be into a game when we are down. We have to be a little tougher when things are tough and difficult for us.”
Athol has games against Mohawk, Easthampton, Mahar and Pioneer coming up.
“I am sure there will be moments over the next nine days where we will be in tough spots,” Talbot said. “If we can pull together in those spots when it is challenging and we are facing adversity, then I will feel comfortable with where we are at.”
Smith Academy (1-9, 0-6) starter Colin Ferrara threw three consecutive walks in the second inning before Bousquet’s RBI hit.
Another run scored on a wild pitch.
After Bousquet’s homer, Keegan Lutz hit a double for the Red Raiders. Ferrari launched a double to left-center to bring home Lutz to make the score 7-1.
Oro gave himself some insurance with an RBI single that scored Ferrari.
Paine hit an RBI single in the sixth that plated Ferrari, who had singled earlier in the inning.
Will Dobson had two hits and a run scored for the Falcons.
Athol was aggressive on the base paths with seven stolen bases with Paine and Lutz leading the way with two each.
Athol 9, Smith Academy 1
Smith Academy ………001 000 0 — 1 4 1
Athol ……. 050 301 x — 9 10 1
Hits: (SA)Will Dobson 2, Bassett, Ferrera. (A) Fountain, Ferrari 2, Lutz 2, Bousquet 2, Oro, Paine 2
2B: (A) Lutz, Ferrari.
HR: (A) Bousquet .
RBI: (A) Bousquet 3, Paine, Ferrari, Oro.
SB: (A) Lutz 2 Ferrari, Paine 2, King. (SA) Ferrera, Will Dobson, Bassett.
WP: Oro ( 3 ip, 1 k, 1 bb) Fountain (2 ip 2 k 3 bb) Pottinger (1 ip 2k 0 bb) Tarbell (1 ip 1k obb
LP: Ferrera (2 ip, 4 k, 2 bb) Dadmun (2ip 1k 0bb) Cavanaugh (1 ip 1k 1bb) Bassett (1ip 1k 1bb)
