The Hurricane's season was done, and North Berkshire County started looking for its newest ace.
Previously, that distinction belonged to the pitcher on the mound that day, Adam Wright, who was enjoying his final season of a stellar career at Hoosac when he came on in relief in the bottom of the seventh inning. Wright walked his first batter, but came back to strike out the next two. He nearly kept the Hurricane's dream of winning back-to-back Western Mass. titles alive before Yelin blooped a single into shallow left field.
Hoosac lost by the narrowest of margins, and it was one of the few times in his career where Wright didn't come out smelling like roses. In his junior year, Wright stepped in for an injured Brandon Crouse and led the 'Canes to a record of 20-4 and a Western Mass. championship. He went 9-1 with a 1.49 ERA, losing his only game of the year in the state semifinals. As a senior, Wright struggled with a back injury early in the year before finishing with a record of 7-3 and a 1.82 ERA.
Without a doubt, Wright has been the dominant pitcher in North Berkshire County the last two years. And now he's gone, leaving open one of the most cherished and respected roles in local high school sports. It always seems to
The Berkshires is a place steeped in baseball tradition and history tells us that if a young man in this area wants to make it to the pros, baseball is his best bet. All four high schools have had their share of aces over the years: Ryan Cameron, Brian Cain, Jonah Bayliss and Aaron Herr at Mount Greylock, Peter Greenbush, Chris Modena, Matt Rodovick and Chris Lloyd at Drury, Greg Moran and Nick Modena at McCann Tech and Jeff Savary and Matt Wright at Hoosac Valley are just a few names that immediately jump off the list.
Lately, Hurricanes head coach Bob Rivard has been fortunate to have a pair of aces in the last three years. Both Crouse and Adam Wright were named All-Transcript MVPs in consecutive years as Hoosac won 46 games over a three-year stretch.
Rivard admitted having a pitcher with the qualities of an ace certainly helps make his job easier.
"For one thing, it gives you some stability," Rivard said. "You know that those are the kids that go out there every third start and give you a good game. It also allows you to kind of concentrate on the other games. Adam had about 19 wins in his career, and you knew when he went out there that you were going to get six or seven innings and probably get a W.
"Brandon had a tough senior year but before that, he was lights out."
Rivard said having a top-notch No. 1 hurler also helps to support the back end of the rotation.
"It just gives them confidence to know that they're going to give you the innings you need," he said. "They're going to give you about eight or nine starts and you know that you're going to be able to win every game. Then you can mix and match your lineup to give yourself a chance to win. It even allows you to work some other kids along slowly."
When it comes to having an ace pitcher, Blue Devils head coach Al Marceau has been on both sides of the field in his four years in the Drury dugout. In his first year in 2004, Marceau rode the talents of two top-end pitchers all the way to a Western Mass. title. Since then, his teams have been talented in the field but have struggled without an ace pitcher to hitch their wagon to.
"My first year we went to the state semifinals with Mike Wood and Nate Girard," Marceau said. "I think both of those two kids were No. 1s on any staff in the league. Since then, our pitching has been serviceable. I think when you have two guys you can look at the schedule and you don't dread the rainouts. You don't dread the back-to-backs."
Like Rivard, Marceau also believes that the quality of the front end of your rotation can have a direct effect on the rest of your pitching staff.
"I think it affects the rest of the staff more so than anything. When I had Woody, I think he had two games that he didn't go (seven), and that was by choice. He was just a horse. You put him on the mound and you shook his hand at the end of the game. When you have that luxury, it makes it easier on the rest of the staff. They can go into defined roles. You could put kids in that are maybe good for three innings into situations where they are successful. Every coach knows if you can get a kid some success early, it basically builds his confidence and you just see them carry it through the whole season."
According to Greylock head coach Steve Messina, the confidence of having an ace pitcher on the mound can also spill over to the rest of the players on the field.
"It's a good feeling to give a guy the ball and know you have a chance to win the game," Messina said. "It's nice for me and it's nice for the kids in the field. They know if they just push a couple of runs across, we have a chance to win. The kids know that if they don't do anything stupid in the field, that they should be able to win."
There is always that chance that the players in the field will become overconfident with their best pitcher on the mound. While they still might be focused in the field, all of a sudden it becomes really hard to score the few runs your starter might need to win the game. Baseball fans will remember the Houston Astros' troubles to score runs for Roger Clemens in 2005. Despite posting an ERA of 1.87 in 32 starts, Clemens only managed a record of 13-8 thanks to poor run support from his team.
"You never know how it's going to happen," Messina said. "You'd like to think that the kids know that when you have your No. 1 pitcher out there, all they need to do is stay focused to win the game. I'd like to think if the kids have a feeling of being successful, they're going to focus even more. But there is a chance that the kids could go out here and it's 0-0 after seven innings. You just never know, and that's why it's such a great game."
So who are the potential candidates to assume the role of North County's next ace? The list is a diverse one with a few cagey seniors, a couple of up-and-coming juniors and one sophomore, who has the potential but not the experience.
For Hoosac, the next ace could be the starter of last year's semifinal loss against Southwick. Dalton Larabee, who impressed at times during his sophomore year, allowed just two runs on five hits over six innings against the Rams. The poise he showed pitching on the season's biggest stage has Rivard believing he'll be the top pitcher on his staff this year.
"He pitched in the semifinals of the tournament last year and pitched a pretty good game," Rivard said. "I think Dalton's a competitor. He's a three-sport athlete, so he knows how to compete. He came up as my catcher, but because he did such a good job last year, we didn't let him catch. He knows how to throw strikes and likes to control the game. He knows the game and he's been in big games before. He's the kind of kid that wants to be out there. You want someone out there that likes that challenge, and Dalton is that kind of kid."
At McCann, the No. 1 candidate is also very clear. Senior Tom Primmer has had an up-and-down career with the Hornets. He impressed as a freshman before elbow surgery slowed him down his sophomore year. He showed signs of brilliance last season, earning All-Transcript honors with his play in the outfield and at shortstop. It's on the mound, however, where McCann head coach George Canales is hoping Primmer shines this year.
"Last year, he had a very good year," Canales said. "His strikeout ratio was really good, and he actually had a one-hitter against Sabis last year. He struck out 16 batters and walked just two."
Besides his breakout performance against Sabis, when he struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced, Primmer also had a 13-strikeout game against Smith Vocational.
"I think Tommy had an outstanding year last year, and I'm looking for him to have an even better year this year," Canales said. "His curveball is really moving on him and even his fastball is improving. He's got a little more speed than he had last year. We've brought some college coaching tapes in this year that we've been looking at. His whole attitude has changed, and he's really getting the team pumped up."
Down the road at Drury, Marceau expects to have one of his strongest staffs in years. He sees two kids, senior Jared Lampiasi and junior Mike Bullett, that have the potential to be No. 1 starters. An All-Transcript selection at pitcher last year, Lampiasi got the ball in the Blue Devils' biggest games. He posted an ERA of 3.00 and a record of 2-4, which isn't bad considering three of his four losses came by one run to league heavyweights Pittsfield, St. Joe's and Wahconah.
"I think with Jared, it's the tenacity," Marceau said. "You look out there and you see a kid that's 5-7. He's not big, but he just comes at you. He throws the pitches, he hits his spots, he battles and he never gives in. With Jared, a lot of it is mental. He's got physical tools, but I think the mental part is what kind of upgrades his physical ability. He's just tenacious, and he's harder on himself than I could ever be."
Lampiasi's experience boosts him to the top of the rotation, but Marceau is also expecting big things from Bullett, who did a solid job in limited duty as a sophomore last year. With the way he talks, it's clear Marceau believes Bullett has the chance to be one of the best pitchers in Berkshire County in the next two years.
"You have to watch him throw," he said. "The ball explodes out of his hand. Even just warming up, the way the ball comes out of his hand and his natural movement. He can throw four pitches and throw them in the strike zone. The biggest question mark with him is does he want to be the next Adam Wright?
"Ability-wise, talent-wise, he's lights out. He's still young. He's going into his junior year. He pitched some crucial innings for us last year in some big games. But until he gets out there and makes his first start and faces adversity, it's still unsure. Is he going to go after it? Is he going to pick up on Jared's mental makeup and the way he approaches the game?"
With 17 years on the job, Messina knows what it takes to groom a pitching ace. He's had a few really good ones come through his system, and now he believes he's got another one on the horizon. Senior Dylan Dethier (2-1 record, 4.55 ERA) has the most experience and will be counted on heavily for the Mounties this year, but Messina is confident that sophomore David Jones will eventually be bumped to the top of the rotation.
"David's got a strong enough arm that he can blow it by people at some point, but if he learns how to pitch, that will make him more effective," Messina said. "A lot of guys can pitch, but a few of the guys are crafty like Dylan. He's not your typical pitcher. He's not going to blow it by you, but he's got a good curveball. He beat Hoosac (last year) by keeping them off-balance and doing a really good job of pitching.
"David's got a live arm. He's got a strong arm, but he needs to learn how to throw some off-speed stuff, mix in his pitches and learn how to get people out. He's had limited experience and limited innings, so he's just going to have to learn how to pitch against juniors and sophomores in high school. His body is conducive to pitching. Everything has worked in his favor, so he just needs to continue to work."
It's unknown which pitcher listed above, if any, will make the move from starter to North County's next ace. History tells us, though, that the chances are good that someone will emerge. The Berkshires have always been full of aces, and the next one is bound to be in the cards somewhere.
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