SILENCED: Durfee held to three hits in D1 semifinal loss to Attleboro

Updated with videos.

MILFORD — It was quick, but not painless.

Eoin Kelleher held second-seeded Durfee to three hits, with no Hilltopper advancing beyond first base in a 2-0 loss to No. 11 Attleboro in the Division 1 South baseball semifinals on Wednesday at Fino Field.

"He kept us off balance. He had a good splitter," said Durfee senior catcher Brett Fonseca, whose two-out single in the seventh inning was Durfee's final hit of the season. "He pitched well in different counts. He had our number today."

Durfee senior Brett Fonseca after the 2-0 playoff loss to Attleboro pitcher Eoin Kelleher. ⁦@DurfeeAthletics⁩ ⁦@durfee_baseball⁩ pic.twitter.com/TfxuQdV9EN

— Greg Sullivan (@GregSullivanHN) June 13, 2019//
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Kelleher's 81-pitch performance was reminiscent of the one turned in by Durfee's Ethan Ferreira in Monday's 4-1 quarterfinal win over Wellesley.

The righthander set down the first 11 Durfee batters and faced the minimum possible 15 batters through five innings. Durfee's Alex Dominguez broke Kelleher's bid for perfection with a hit to deep center with two outs in the fourth but a pin-point throw by center fielder Alvarao Espinal nailed the Durfee slugger trying for a double.

Kelleher (6-3) struck out four, walked no one, and induced one routine out after another, eight groundouts and seven pop flies.

"He mixed three pitches —  his curve ball, his changeup, the fast ball," Durfee coach Dave Ulmschneider said. "He was able to throw them for strikes, keep us off balance. That's how you win baseball games when you're pitching."

The Hilltoppers (16-6) endured their second South semifinal loss in three years.

Attleboro (14-9) scored once in the second inning on two sharp singles and a sacrifice fly and once in the third when lefty hitting Camden Fitzpatrick slapped a two-out off-field RBI ground double just inside the third-base bag, scoring Tim Callahan who had drawn a one-out walk.

Durfee senior Curtis Perry (7-2) threw a complete-game five-hitter, an effort plenty good enough to win most days. He struck out two and walked one.

"Curtis did a great job. Our defense was solid most of the day," Ulmschneider said. "They only scratched across two runs. We just couldn't get anything going. Tip our caps to them, wish them well."

Attleboro for a few seconds appeared to have extended its lead to 3-0 ion a sacrifice fly in the sixth, but Durfee successfully appealed that the runner had left third base early. The Hilltoppers ended that same inning with a successful hidden ball play.

Durfee senior center fielder Jose Pabon flashed his serious speed and made a sensational diving catch of Ryan Morry blast to right-center in the fourth inning. The soft-handed Dominguez scooped three infield throws in the dirt, two for outs.

Kevin Metivier had the other Durfee hit, a leadoff single in the sixth.

Durfee's playoff roster included 16 seniors, its starting lineup seven seniors.

"I'm very proud of this team," Ulmschneider said, "the way they competed day in and day out. The way they conducted themselves. The way they worked today and stayed together the whole time. These guys have a lot to be proud of."

And a team that was unusually fun to coach. The Hispanic players brought their vocal enthusiasm to town the rest of the team joined the party.

"It's a ton of fun. A ton of fun," Ulmschneider said. "Every day, the smiles. It's all infectious. It's a great team to coach."

"This year was a blast for me," said junior third baseman Ismael Moreno. "This team, we started off as teammates but then literally we became family. Every single day we were together, helping each other out, pushing each other. Even helping each other out with class because a lot of us don't speak English. So we were all helping each other out every single day, every single day, having sleepovers. And now this is my family and it's always going to be my family. I'm never going to forget them."

Taunton defeated Xaverian in the other D1 semifinal, also by a 2-0 score.

Email Greg Sullivan at gsullivan@heraldnews.com. Follow him @GregSullivanHN.

Ismael Moreno, after playoff loss to Attleboro, talks about being part of the Durfee baseball family. ⁦@DurfeeAthletics⁩ ⁦@durfee_baseball⁩ pic.twitter.com/m4OStb9PWg

— Greg Sullivan (@GregSullivanHN) June 13, 2019//
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Durfee baseball coach Dave Ulmschneider after 2-0 south semifinal loss to Attleboro pitcher Eoin Kelleher. ⁦@durfee_baseball⁩ ⁦@DurfeeAthletics⁩ pic.twitter.com/nIsY2255du

— Greg Sullivan (@GregSullivanHN) June 13, 2019//

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Final out of Durfee’s baseball season. ⁦@durfee_baseball⁩ ⁦@DurfeeAthletics⁩ pic.twitter.com/6cKsapWrnU

— Greg Sullivan (@GregSullivanHN) June 13, 2019//

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Brett Fonseca keeps Durfee alive in seventh inning of 2-0 D1South semifinal loss to Attleboro. ⁦@durfee_baseball⁩ ⁦@DurfeeAthletics⁩ pic.twitter.com/GE6ZA1GJag

— Greg Sullivan (@GregSullivanHN) June 13, 2019//

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