LYNN — It will be a party for the Catholic Conference on Saturday night at Polar Park in Worcester. After seeing Saint John’s (Shrewsbury) punch it’s ticket to the Division 1 final, BC High wasn’t about to let its rivals have the spotlight to themselves.
Overcoming a tough and talented Leominster team, the Eagles overcame a 2-1 fifth inning deficit with a pair of runs to snare a 3-2 win and a third shot at the Pioneers this season.
“Leominster is a gritty, hard nosed baseball team that is well coached,” Eagles coach Steve Healy said. “We knew it was going to be tough. But to see the kids rewarded for all the hard work they’ve put in all year is nice.”
It didn’t come easy against Leominster ace Angel Baez for the Eagles but it was a pair of timely hits that helped the top seed do in the Blue Devils (19-3).
Chris Mondesir singled with one out in the fifth and then took second on a wild pitch with two outs. Baez was one strike away from getting out of the inning but Tommy O’Donnell lined a 2-2 pitch for a hit that tied the game.
Moments later it was left fielder Andrew Flaherty who stepped into the spotlight as he cranked a double up the gap, easily scoring pinch runner Jacob Bierenbroodspot for a 3-2 lead.
“It was nice to see Andrew come through in that spot,” Healy said. “We felt like he had a good swing in him.”
He came in with an even bigger play the next inning when Leominster had the tying run at second with two down in the sixth. Zach Casey hit a sinking shot to left that Flaherty was able to just pick off the turf to end the inning.
The Blue Devils threatened again in the seventh against reliever Charlie Bushley, who took over for Liam Kinneen.
Walks to Sawyer Corbin and Daniel Nelson gave the top of the Leominster lineup one more shot. Bushley, however, came up with the goods and froze Reece Lora with a curveball to end the game.
“We told Charlie that he wasn’t going to take the bat off his shoulder until there was two strikes,” Healy said. “He did a great job of getting ahead and tied him up pretty well with that last curveball.”
The Eagles (19-5) took a 1-0 lead in the second on a two out single from Cole Bohane that scored Henry Austin.
Leominster rallied back to take the lead in the fourth by stringing together four straight hits off Kinnane. Nick Massa drove home Mark Garner to make it 1-1 before Casey singled in Massa.
