NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Through the opening two games of the state tournament, things were comfortable for North Attleboro. The Rocketeers outscored the first two opponents by a combined 27-3 and rolled into the Elite Eight. In Saturday morning’s Div. 2 quarterfinal at Community Field, North had to show a different side, show that it could grind out a win to advance.
Falmouth, despite being the No. 21 seed, gave North all that it could handle rallying from an early deficit to get the lead in the fifth, getting back within one in the sixth, and bringing the tying run to the plate in the seventh. Through it all, North held on.
An instant response in the bottom of the fifth and a home run in the sixth for key insurance, plus clutch pitching with runners on base, helped North pull out an 8-5 victory and secure a berth in the state semifinal for the first time since winning it all in 2018 and for the first time under the current format.
“They’re feeling pretty good, which is always key right now, and if we feel like we can get a contribution from everybody in the lineup at some point in the game then we’re putting ourselves in a good chance,” said North coach Mike Hart. Asked about having to come up with big plays in close games, he added, “Being in the Hockomock League, you’re in those situations at least once a week, so they’ve been there and showed that they can do it.”
North’s offense has been on fire in the postseason and the Rocketeers didn’t take long to get on the board on Saturday. Derek Maceda (3-for-4) singled with one out and stole second. Danny Curran (3-for-4) came through with a big two-out single to right to bring in the opening run.
Starting pitcher Tyler Bannon, who got the win in the playoff opener, cruised through the opening three innings. He faced one batter over the minimum, had seven strikeouts, and didn’t allow a hit. Falmouth starter Jared Burridge-Lopes was also pitching well and kept it 1-0 through three, while allowing just the two hits.
Things changed in the fourth. Bannon ran into trouble with his control. He followed a leadoff walk with his eighth strikeout but then walked back-to-back batters to load the bases with one out. Dillon Harding swapped shortstop for the mound and came through with consecutive strikeouts, one looking and one swinging, somehow escaping the jam unscathed.
Momentum seemed to carry over into the bottom half of the inning. Curran got things started with a double into the bleachers in left and Jordan Paradis drew a walk. Harding (2-for-3) continued his heroics at the plate, lining a single to left, which slipped past the left fielder and allowed both runners to come home.
Falmouth appeared to be on the ropes, but the Clippers turned things around in the fifth. Harding loaded the bases with a walk and a pair of hit batters. Andrew DeBettencourt lined a double down the left field line, just out of the reach of third baseman David Floyd’s dive, for Falmouth’s first hit of the game.
A wild pitch brought in the tying run and Nicolas Gagnon singled to put Falmouth in front 4-3 with still no outs in the inning. Curran came in to relieve Harding and turned a double play on a bunt that was hit in the air right back to him. A groundout would finish that half of the fifth.
Trailing for the first time, North needed a response. The Rocketeers didn’t wait long. Bannon hit a towering fly ball that was misplayed and put the lead runner on. He also stole second after the throw down was dropped. Maceda tied the game by crushing a ball to right center, one-hopping the scoreboard that is deep in the outfield.
North regained the lead when Tyler DeMattio lined a sac fly to center. Curran kept swinging a hot bat, singling to center with one out and then stealing second. After a groundout, Harding had another big hit, curling a double that just eluded a great diving effort by the left fielder and making it 6-4.
“We’ve been down in a lot of similar situations this year, but we’re a family together, we’ve been playing ball for a long time, and when we get in a sticky situation we get together and just work through it,” Curran said.
Falmouth wasn’t going to go quietly. Connor Hennigan and Michael Matta singled to start the sixth. After back-to-back fly balls, Curran was on the verge of getting out of the inning, but Christopher Maseda smacked a line drive that appeared to tip off the top of Bannon’s glove as he tried to make the spectacular leaping grab. Curran got a strikeout to end the inning with a one-run lead intact.
“Dillon has been an excellent reliever for us,” Hart explained. “Danny has been a starter for us all season but we talked about him coming out of the bullpen in these situations, he’s been biding his time, and he has to be ready to go and he was.”
North got a break in its half of the sixth. With two outs, Maceda skied a fly ball on the infield. A miscommunication between the pitcher and first baseman allowed the ball to drop in for a hit. DeMattio (1-for-3, three RBI) made sure that the mistake hurt, as he drilled a two-run homer into the trees in left field, giving North critical insurance runs.
“Derek gets on with two outs on a dropped infield pop up and Tyler isn’t the person they want following a situation like that up,” said Hart. “He’s been nails all season, he’s been consistent, and we were pretty confident we’d get something going there.”
Curran admitted how much of a relief it was for him to see that find the bleachers. He said, “It was unbelievable. Tyler took so much stress off of me with those extra runs. It changes so many things.”
A double and a walk brought the tying run to the plate with just one out, but Curran caught Matta looking and then got a grounder to Floyd at third to seal a win that was anything but easy.
Curran said, “It’s a mental sport. You just have to stay on it every inning. Everyone has a part on this team. There wasn’t one person who did it. We all kept our chest high, our heads high and we got through it.”
“I can’t believe it,” Curran continued. “Final year of baseball and we’re going back to the Final Four. I can’t wait.”
North Attleboro (18-5) will face top seed Milton in the state semifinal at a date, time, and location to be determined.
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