PALMER — The 10th-seeded Mahar Regional Baseball team brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh inning but ultimately fell to No. 7 seed Palmer High School, 6-3, in the preliminary round of the Division IV Western Mass. Baseball Tournament Tuesday afternoon at Legion Field.
Senators starting pitcher Sam Paul matched zeros with Palmer starter Jake Riel through three innings, but the bottom of the fourth proved to be the Senators’ undoing, when the Panthers sent nine men to the plate and put five runs on the board.
The inning began with Palmer shortstop Matt Remillard dropping a perfect bunt down the third-base line for a hit and promptly stole second. After a walk to Riel and a flare to center, the Panthers had the bases loaded with no one out.
Paul took Palmer’s next batter, second baseman Cam Walch to a full count, but just missed on his next delivery and Remillard coasted home with the game’s first run on the base on balls. A subsequent passed ball scored Riel for the 2-0 Palmer advantage.
Paul then hit the next batter, re-loading the bases with still nobody out in the frame.
The Senators (10-11) recorded an out at the plate on a fielder’s choice but could not stop further damage as Dan Smith hit a soft grounder just through the right side for a base hit, making the score 3-0. After a fly ball to right for the second out, the Panthers struck again, as Trevor Blackburn knocked a solid single to center, plating two more for the five-run cushion. Mahar was able to get the third out on the play, however, when the runner trying to advance to third base was cut down.
The Senators came to life offensively in the top of the fifth, putting up three runs of their own and getting right back into the contest. After two quick outs, Zack Geyster got things started with a sharp single to left. Gabe O’Lari then put on a very impressive plate appearance, finally drawing a base on balls after the count had been worked full.
Miller Richardson and Matt Herk made that walk hurt when they hit back-to-back doubles that led to an RBI for Richardson and two for Herk, closing the gap to 5-3.
Palmer (14-7) tacked on a run in the bottom of the frame to make it 6-3, but the Senators had no intention of going quietly. In the top of the sixth, an infield hit by Zach Duguay and a walk to Charlie Barnes put runners on first and second with nobody out, and a double-steal quickly put the runners at second and third. Mahar failed to capitalize, however, as two strikeouts and a ground ball to second ended the threat.
Base hits by O’Lari and Paul brought the tying run to the dish for Mahar in the seventh, but the comeback was not to be, as Palmer reliever Joe Lombardi fielded a comebacker to end the game for the 6-3 final.
“My guys never quit,” said Senators head coach Art Billings. “I’m really proud of everything they’ve done. Sometimes good teams capitalize on your mistakes, and that’s especially true when you get into tournament play. We definitely battled, didn’t give up, and I’m proud of that. That’s the kind of group we have.”
Mahar and Billings bid farewell to six seniors playing their final Senator game: Richardson, Duguay, Geyster, O’Lari, Herk and Jake LaCasse.