South All-Stars show West how it's done in baseball showcase
LYNN -- It had the look and feel of an All-Star game, certainly lacking the intensity of a tournament game. But the South squad's talent was overpowering yesterday, with Pembroke pitcher Paul Chiampa and Sandwich outfielder Brian Bodjiak leading their team past the West, 8-1, in the first of two high school Sectional All-Star games at Fraser Field.
Bodjiak, named the game's Most Valuable Player, scored the winning run in the bottom of the second inning, just minutes after Chiampa, the Most Valuable Pitcher, struck out his fourth batter in a perfect two-inning outing.
"I was wicked nervous out there," Chiampa said. "I thought I was going to get crushed. I didn't expect that at all."
"Some of these guys were throwing so well, it almost puts the defense into a false sense of security," said South coach Ted Curley of Milton. "These kids can still hit. They're throwing against All-Stars, but some of these good pitchers can make the good hitters look bad."
The South's five pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts, including seven of the first nine West batters.
The West didn't get its first hit until the top of the fourth, when South Hadley's Derek Pelkey ripped a one-out single to center and eventually scored on a single to right by Longmeadow's Nick Iavicoli, cutting the South's lead to 2-1.
Bodjiak gave his team a 3-1 lead in the fourth with a two-out RBI single to left. The South wrapped up its victory with four more runs in the fifth, including a two-run double by Virginia Tech-bound Sean McDermott of Walpole, who also struck out three batters over two innings.
"Other than that one inning it was a pretty well-played game," Curley said. "It's fun when you have athletes like this. Everybody out there is good.
"It's a pleasure to work with kids like this. Most of these kids are going to go on to play college ball. A lot of pros come out of this tournament."
Bodjiak pitched the final two innings, striking out four and allowing only two hits. He ended up 2 for 3 with a double, RBI, and run.
"It's about having fun, and when you have fun you play well," Bodjiak said. "I'm going to try and do that in college, so why not do it against the best in Massachusetts?"
The North beat Central, 7-6, in the second game of the doubleheader . . . Nine players from each game were selected to represent Massachusetts against the Connecticut All-Stars Saturday at Riverside Park in Hudson. The four players selected from the South were McDermott, Bodjiak, James Hamilton (Harwich), and Brendan Wheeler (Braintree). The five players selected from the North were Kevin Scanlon (Lincoln-Sudbury), Kyle Multner (Peabody), Matt Ruane (Belmont), Sean O'Hara (St. John's Prep), and Dan Godefroi (Andover). 