Xaverian snaps St. John's winning streak as Pioneers can't capitalize on scoring opportunities
SHREWSBURY — The St. John’s baseball team hasn’t limited its raking to the infield after home games this season.
The Pioneers averaged eight runs through their first 15 games, the last seven of which they had won entering Thursday’s matchup with Xaverian for sole possession of first place in the Catholic Conference.
The bats were silent, though, as the Pioneers were limited to four hits and lost to the defending conference champion Hawks, who scored two runs in the first inning and three in the final two frames to claim a 5-0 victory.
“The name of the game was they took advantage of guys in scoring position at times,” first-year Pioneers coach Casey Cummins said. “Their guys put the ball in play and when we had the opportunity, we just didn’t do that today.”
The Pioneers, who are fifth in the latest Division 1 power ratings, dropped to 12-4 (6-2) while the No. 6 Hawks improved to 10-5 (7-1) after gaining a split of the season series. St. John’s won the first meeting, 3-2.
The Pioneers saw sophomore Jamie Herlihy single in the first, junior Andrew Schmit double in the second and get hit by a pitch in the seventh, and sophomore Conor Seacrist single in the fourth to lead off their respective innings.
Additionally, junior Jack Forgues reached on an error with one out in the sixth.
But Xaverian starter Paul McCarthy emerged unscathed each time over 6⅓ innings and 100 pitches. The junior righthander threw first-pitch strikes to 18 of the 24 batters (71%) while allowing the aforementioned four hits, a walk and a hit batter and striking out eight.
“It’s something that over the streak we had going we’ve done a good job of,” Cummins said of bringing runners home. “Coming into it, we knew McCarthy was one of the best pitchers in the conference.”
More: Plenty of late game heroics among the picks: Vote for the Hometeam Baseball Player of the Week
Brayden Mercier started for the Pioneers and was charged with five runs while surrendering three hits and three walks, hitting a batter and striking out eight. He also went 6⅓ innings and threw 100 pitches.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound junior lefty from Oxford saw the Hawks’ first three batters get on via a triple sandwiched between two walks as the visitors took a 2-0 lead. But he settled down and settled in, retiring 13 in a row.
“I just wasn’t locating,” Mercier said. “The triple, he hit it well, but I hung the slider. I just have to execute my pitches. I started doing that in the next inning, and that’s basically what it was.
“Ryan (O’Rourke) and Seb (Gruszecki), the pitching coaches, told me to keep my front side on it more and don’t fall off. I kind of settled down, calmed down. Calmed my nerves.”
An arm injury limited Mercier, who pitched on the junior varsity as a freshman, to playing in the field last season. He entered this year looking to fill whatever role presented itself, and that turned out to be as a starter.
Mercier has moved up a spot in the rotation with senior co-ace Noah Basgaard sidelined due to an arm ailment sustained April 11. That’s meant taking on tougher opponents.
No worries.
“I just like to pitch to the best of my ability every game and I know on a good day I can beat any team, throw well against any team in the state,” Mercier said.
Despite the loss, the Pioneers are still in the running to, realistically, claim a share of their first league championship since joining the Catholic Conference in 2021.
To do so they’ll need to start by defeating Boston College High for the second time this season when they meet on Saturday night in Boston.
The Eagles, who top the D1 rankings and are 5-2 in conference play, also have another game with Xaverian next week.
“Another team that we got the best of early in the season – gave them their first loss – and now they’ll certainly be ready to go Saturday night,” Cummins said. “But we’ll give the ball to our ace, Brady Shea, and definitely have all the confidence in the world that we can finish the week 2-1.”
—Contact Rich Garven at rgarven@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @RichGarvenTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Missed opportunities haunt St. John's in shutout loss to Xaverian
