You can ask any coach in the Bay State League. The keys to victories are pitching and defense.
Wednesday night at was a prime example of exactly that when the Milton Wildcats held off the (8-10) to win in a classic pitching duel, 2-1, which enabled the Milton nine to qualify for postseason play with a 10-9 record.
"We like to think we are in one of the better leagues in the state," said Dedham coach Kevin Quaranto. “We face good pitchers all the time."
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Wednesday was no exception.
Dedham was up against on of the top pitchers in the league in Milton’s Willie Archibald, who went all nine innings scattering three hits while fanning 11 in the complete game win to put his Wildcats in the MIAA tournament next week.
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"There is no doubt that kid is one-two in the league," said Quaranto. “He is a big competitor, he is throwing 0-2 curveballs in there for strikes. I give him a lot of credit."
On the Dedham side, Quaranto has found a stellar pitcher in the making in sophomore Patrick Maloney.
Maloney gave his team every chance against Archibald in going seven innings and allowing two runs while striking out six Wildcats in what was a gutsy pitching performance. While Dedham’s Mike Ryan kept it a one-run game in two perfect innings of relief and fanned all three Wildcats in the ninth.
"I thought Pat did a great job, and Mikey Ryan did a great job at the end," said Quaranto.
Milton was fortunate to score their first two runs in the fourth when Rob O’Neil opened the inning with a walk. Maloney hit Matt Regan with a pitch to put the first two on, and an error led to the first Wildcat run. Regan then scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Derrick Curley in what proved to be all the run support Archibald would need.
But things certainly got interesting late, as per ususal in Bay State baseball.
Dedham senior Cam Clifford was able to get to Archibald with two outs in the eighth, when he laced a low liner to left that got under the glove of the Milton left fielder for a triple. Clifford later scored on a past ball to make it 2-1 before Archibald could get out of the inning.
Dedham had a shot in the ninth when Domingo Rodriguez came up after a lead-off walk to Dan O’Connor.
Milton coach Ted Curley decided to head out to talk to his ace on how they would approach Rodriguez who had drilled two Archibald fastballs for singles earlier in the game.
"Domingo is a great hitter," said Curley. "We were very careful with that kid, I told Willie, 'anything but a fastball.'"
Archibald decided to go with a change-up to start off Rodriguez who popped it up to the second baseman.
"Once we got him out I felt safer," said Curley, who watched his ace dispose of the final Dedham hitter to end the game.
When asked after the game about his team qualifying for the tournament, Archibald responded with, "We are absolutely pumped, it was a great game to go out on."
Softball
Dedham 6, Milton 4
Brianna Dozier hit a grand slam in the top of the 7th inning to give the Marauders (12-6) the 6-4 win Wednesday. Junior Brooke Sheehan took the complete-game win as she struck out five and walked one, allowing nine hits.
