'We played a complete baseball game': Clinton's production, timely pitching leads to victory over Grafton

CLINTON — The Clinton High baseball team surrendered the winning run in the top of the seventh inning in a 4-3 loss to defending Division 3 state champion Oakmont Regional on Wednesday.

The Gaels were understandably down after dropping their second straight game following a three-game winning streak to start the season.

“But we had practice Thursday, and we told them, ‘That game is over, and we move on,’ ” coach Tom Santasania said. “And they came out (Friday) lively and ready to go, and we played a complete baseball game.”

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The Gaels got production up and down the order and saw pitchers Jake Notaro and Mike Welch combine to strand 10 runners as they defeated scorching-hot Grafton, 8-4, on Friday at the Clinton Veterans’ Athletic Complex.

Eight was indeed enough.

“We put up a number today,” said Santasania, whose squad broke open a 2-2 tie with a five-run fifth. “Eight runs is a good number in a baseball game and (especially) against a good Division 2 baseball team.”

The Gators, who took a 1-0 lead in the second and tied it in the fifth before things went awry, saw their four-game winning streak snapped as they dropped to 4-2.

They scored 10-plus runs in each of their wins, but were unable to fully capitalize on 11 hits and four walks — while also hindering the cause with four errors — versus the Gaels.

The message afterward was to move on, and quickly, as the Gators have a roadie at nearby Nashoba Regional at 11 a.m. Saturday.

“The older kids were actually mentoring the younger kids,” said coach Brian Andersen, who is a teaching colleague of Santasania at Clinton Middle School.

“Just saying, ‘Hey, this is one baseball game. Don’t put your heads down. We rattled four off in a row, and we just lost one. We have a game tomorrow, so 24-hour rule. Show up tomorrow and show what Graton baseball is about.’ So you can’t ask for more than that.”

The Gaels started Notaro. The sophomore right-hander went 4⅓ innings, allowing seven hits, a walk and an earned run while striking out four as his dad, Anthony, a postal worker on his lunch break, and paternal grandfather, Frank, looked on for the first 45 or so minutes of the two-hour contest.

Then Welch made his first appearance of the season to close it out and notch the win. The senior righty gave up four hits and three walks while throwing four wild pitches, but ended the fifth, sixth and seventh with strikeouts to strand two runners each inning.

“Jake pitched four great innings, and I just knew I needed to back him up,” Welch said. “My command wasn’t always there like I usually would have it, but I locked in at the end.”

The Gaels' top five hitters in the order combined for eight RBIs, with juniors Davis Lunn and Ethan Frisch, plating three and two, respectively. Junior Aiden Green, senior Mike Vanasse and sophomore Brian Silverster each had a ribbie.

As for the bottom of the order, sophomores Caleb Coyne and Notaro and junior Liam Nelligan combined to score on each of the five times they reached base.

“From one through nine everybody was locked in,” Lunn said. “Pretty much everybody hitting the ball well. I’m pretty sure everybody had a hit today, so it was great for everybody.”

Close enough as seven players recorded at least a hit while nine of the 10 players with a plate appearance reached base.

The Clinton coaching staff tinkered with the lineup beforehand and afterward was understandably pleased.

“It worked out well,” Santasania said. “Bottom of the order reached base one way or anothe,r and then the guys at the top who have been smashing it for three or four games now came out and swung the bat.”

The Gators got RBIs from seniors Tyler Cass, Tyler Warren and Tyler Prout and sophomore Kyle Brown. Junior Finn Gilmore reached base three times (2 hits, walk), senior Jake Mayerhauser, Warren and Prout each had two hits, and junior Chris Kiesiner walked twice.

—Contact Rich Garven at rgarven@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @RichGarvenTG.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Clinton baseball 'moves on,' upends Grafton after tough loss