Div. 3 recap

Here's a recap of Westwood's win in their title game versus Frontier Regional.

By Matt Porter, Globe Correspondent

LOWELL – It happens every time. One mistake gets hammered, and then Westwood starts tacking runs on the board.

Take today's third inning, for example. One baserunner after another, and before long, the Wolverines had produced eight runs and a championship.

The No. 14 Wolverines, who entered the tournament at 12-8, capped a dominant postseason blasting Frontier, 12-6, to capture the Division 3 title at LeLacheur Park.

"We didn't want anything standing between us and the championship," said senior catcher Brian Morante. "One person sparks it, and it fires right through the whole team."

Westwood laid off outside offerings from Redhawks starter Gary Grandonico and smacked whatever was over the plate. Senior center fielder Sean Grandfield led off the third with a single to right, then he stole second without a throw. Morante, who came in hitting .588, worked a 12-pitch walk before junior first baseman Jason Sementelli (3-4) drove in Grandfield. Junior pitcher John Sheehan walked to load the bases, and Grandonico hit sophomore third baseman David Milano, scoring Morante to make it 3-0.

Grandonico was supplanted by junior righty Robbie Sjodahl, but he fared worse.
Despite throwing four consecutive first-pitch strikes, Sjodahl hit a batter, walked in a run, gave up a suicide squeeze and a two-run single, and was victim of an two-run error.

"This whole year, we've been ripping the ball all over the place," said Sheehan, the beneficiary of all the fireworks.

Throwing on a seven days rest, the righthander dazzled in six innings, fanned ten while allowing three runs on six hits and an error.

He mixed in curves while spotting 89-MPH heat, but his change was nastier, keeping the Redhawks off-balance all day. "That was the one I had working," said Sheehan, smiling with the game ball in his back pocket.

"When he's on, he's got a fastball that he can blow by people, a curve that makes them look ridiculous, and then there's his change," said Morante, wearing a bag of ice on his left hand he said was needed after catching Sheehan's fastball. "It's been an honor to catch him this year."

"He was tremendous today," said Frontier coach Aaron Campbell. "He's probably the best pitcher we've seen."

Frontier put together a three-run fifth to get back into it, as junior Ashton Lutenegger and seniors David White and Tim Capuano each singled in runs to make it 9-4. But Westwood soon put out the fire. Doubles by Sementelli, Sheehan and David Milano plated two in the bottom of the inning, and Sheehan quickly got two ground balls and a pop-up.

"That was beautiful," said Sheehan. "Get right out there and get it done."
Junior lefty Ryan Walsh gave up a run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Wolverines piled on each other at shortstop when Redhawks second baseman Anthony Laurentis grounded out to end it.

"They hit the ball hard," said Campbell. "Our kids, I don't want to say they were intimidated, but I think they got caught up in the moment. We met our match today. They deserve all the accolades they get."