Eagles put on finishing touches

BC High's Billy Miller was able to beat this throw to Westfield shortstop Clifford Laraway. (David Kamerman/Globe Staff)

LOWELL - After Scott Warwick fanned Westfield pinch hitter Tim Lorenz, BC High got to celebrate a 7-1 win over Westfield yesterday at LeLacheur Park and its first state championship since 2001.

The win ended an impressive late-season run. After finding themselves in last place early in the season, the Eagles turned on the afterburners. They finished the regular season 16-4 and had three walk-off wins in the state tournament.

"The makeup of this team is why we're standing here now," BC High coach Norm Walsh said. "It's great, and really no surprise, that they finished the way they did. They were determined."

Warwick came through for the Eagles in the biggest game of their season. The senior threw a complete game, striking out four while dancing in and out of trouble. He did not have a 1-2-3 inning until the ninth, but was sure his team would back him.

"I tried to focus and hit my spots," he said. "I was confident it would work out. I had the best team in the state behind me."

With the Eagles holding on to a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning, Warwick got what may have been the biggest out of the game. With a runner on first, Warwick snared a hard-hit ground ball and started a 1-6-3 double play.

It turned out to be the closest Westfield would get the rest of the way. BC High scored four runs in the seventh, thanks to shaky defense by the Bombers and RBI singles by Tyler Horan, Tom Chase, and Mitch McClune, to go up, 6-0.

Westfield's hitters struggled with runners on and could only scratch out one run.

Joshua Blair led off the seventh with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Nick Gezotis doubled him home to cut the deficit to 6-1, but then Warwick buckled down, getting the last two hitters of the inning.

"Once Scott smells it, it's over," Walsh said. "He just battled, battled, battled. He was just great."

Early on, BC High catcher Tom Conley was able to use his arm to stifle potential Westfield rallies. The Catholic Conference MVP threw out Clifford Laraway by three steps at second base when he attempted a steal in the third inning. Then, after Steve Blair reached on a throwing error, an alert Conley (who was backing up the play) threw out the first baseman after he tried to advance to second.

A scary moment occurred in the second inning when BC High's Billy Riley hit a sharp one-hop grounder off starter Jim Lorenz's leg and toward second baseman Jeffery Crawford. Lorenz laid on his side on the mound, his face expressing obvious pain.

After a few moments he was able to walk it off and continue in the game.