HOLDEN — The Wachusett Regional High School varsity baseball team’s bid for advancement in the MIAA Division 1 state tournament fell short with a 3-1 first-round loss to visiting Walpole High on June 5. Wachusett, ranked 16th overall, concluded its season with a record of 12-9, and now sets its sights on a bounceback in 2024.
“Our team is all A+ kids,” said Mountaineer head coach Jeff Kodys. “We had a couple of injuries that made our lineup a little bit different, but we just couldn’t make the adjustment today.”
“We come out here every day for big games like this, and sometimes things don’t go our way, and that’s what happened today,” added senior co-captain Alex Toomey, who will continue with baseball at Anna Maria College next season.
It was Toomey getting the start for Wachusett and the early goings were shaky, as the poised righthander allowed a pair of first inning runs to the Timberwolves. A visit to the mound from the bench settled him down, allowing no additional runs through four innings.
“My coach was telling me to pitch the way I had all season (3.06 ERA) and to keep pounding the zone,” Toomey said. “It happens in baseball. Everyone gets in a jam, and there’s always a way to work out of it and minimize the damage.”
Wachusett would score its only run of the day in the sixth frame when senior co-captain Jack Hansen and Jason Flaherty belted back-to-back hits with a single and double, respectively, but the highlight reel play goes to centerfielder Noah Pratt. The Bentley College-bound co-captain speared a blast that appeared destined for the left-centerfield gap before the speedy outfielder went fully body extension to make the catch, saving a run in the process.
“I was just running as fast as I could,” said Pratt, also a senior co-captain. “The wind was blowing in, and I thought I might have a chance. I decided to take a nice dive out there, and I just got it.
“The important part of a playoff game is staying within yourself and not thinking it’s too big of a game,” he added. “I think we did a good job today. We just couldn’t get the bats going.”
When asked if, as head coach, Kodys approaches a playoff matchup differently than a regular season tilt, he explained: “You don’t have too many opportunities to watch teams throughout the season, scouting-wise. We knew that they had a lefty who was pretty good, and their lineup was good. That’s how you approach any game, whether it be playoffs or regular season.”
Members of the 2023 Wachusett Regional High School varsity baseball team: Sam Perry, Ben Domineck, Braden McLoughlin, PJ O’Rourke, Nick St. Cyr, Dennis Jardine, Anthony Doe, Jason Flaherty, Will McGrail, Gavin L’Heureux, Alex Toomey, Jack Hansen, Lucas Gamache, Noah Pratt, Justin Mariani, Travis Moran, Steven Hebert, Nate Roy, Aiden Riley and Ethan Divito.
