Ben Chittick (32) gives a big leg kick and delivers a pitch in the bottom of the first inning. Photos by Mike Flanagan.
By Mike Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
The Dover-Sherborn Regional High School varsity baseball team looked to snap a two-game losing streak as the Raiders (1-4) rolled into Bellingham to take on the Blackhawks (3-2) on Friday afternoon.
Senior Ben Chittick got the start on the mound for DS, retiring each of the first six batters he faced. After Bellingham loaded the bases with one out in the bottom fo the third, Chittick recorded a strikeout and a fly-out to left to escape damage and keep the game scoreless.
The Raiders drew first blood in the home half of the fourth, thanks to a two-RBI double down the third base line by Dan Sullivan that plated both Curtis Bowman and Brian Olson, who reached via hit-by-pitch and an error at first. Senior captain Mike Gilio then drove in Sullivan with a single to left to make it a 3-0 game through 3 1/2 innings.
Chittick sent the Blackhawks down in order in the bottom of the forth with a strikeout and a pair of fly-outs. Bellingham's Matt Wilson struck out a pair and retired DS in order in the top of the fifth. The game's turning point came in the home half of the fifth, when the Blackhawks were able to force Chittick from the game following a pair of walks. The walks, mixed around an error at third, allowed Bellingham's first run of the game to come home and make it 3-1.
Ethan Lynch came on in relief and walked the first man he faced to load the bases with nobody out. An error on a fielder's choice at second allowed a second run to come home to make it a 3-2 game. Following a short fly-out to right, a passed ball to the backstop brought home the tying run. A two-RBI single by Wilson to right on the first pitch of the ensuing at-bat gave Bellingham's its first lead of the day at 5-3. Wilson would advance to second later in the next at-bat on a wild pitch. An overthrow on a steal of third allowed Wilson to run home and make it a 6-3 game. Bellingham would add five more to come away with 11 total runs in the inning to make it 11-3 game after five.
The game remained 11-3 until the top of the seventh, when DS put together a rally. Gilio walked to begin the inning, followed by a single from senior captain Jackson Griebel, which chased Wilson from the game.
A single by Oliver Ferrari was followed by a fly-out to right. Curtis Bowman wore a pitch on the arm with the bases loaded to force in a run to make it 11-4. A sacrifice-fly by Derek Roman scored Griebel to make it 11-5. Ethan Lynch smashed a single to right to score Ferrari and make it 11-6. Olson reached on an error at third, scoring Bowman and making it an 11-7 game. With the bases still loaded, Gilio came back up for the second time in the inning with the tying run at the plate. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Gilio smashed a ball heading towards the left-center field gap. Unfortunately, a strategic right-handed shift by Bellingham placed the centerfielder in a perfect position to make the game-ending out and the Blackhawks escaped with the 11-7 victory.
For funny and incisive sports analysis as well as video highlights of games, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter and Instagram handles @flano0.
