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The Needham boys baseball team experienced quite a run in the South Division 1 sectional playoffs this year. After a nine-inning, 2-1 nail-biter in the opening round against Plymouth South and a subsequent 3-2 stunner over the 3-seeded Bridgewater Raynham, the Rockets found themselves with 10-seeds Walpole standing between them and the final.
Walpole had themselves experienced a somewhat improbable run, winning on the road against 7-seeds Barnstable before defeating Catholic Memorial at home to send them to the semi-final. They had also gone on the road to beat Needham, 4-1, earlier on the season.
The stage was set for a good game, and neither team disappointed.
After a three-run rally put Walpole ahead in the bottom of the 6th, the Rockets found themselves down, 5-4. Needham promptly loaded the bases, bringing up team captain Sam Foley with two outs. Foley then connected a base hit, scoring two runs. An insurance run and tidy bottom half of the inning later, the 11-seeded Rockets had punched their ticket to the finals in Braintree against Silver Lake.
Unfortunately, that was where the Rockets' Cinderella story ended. Needham found themselves up against a 1-seeded Silver Lake team that was riding the hot arm of pitcher Jason Johndrow. The Lakers took the final, 7-0.
With only six seniors on the team, the Rockets will look forward to returning most of the team intact next season, and seem poised to make another deep run.
