The fear is gone, but the wins are still there for Danvers

May 06, 2008 12:03 am

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On Baseball

Phil Stacey

SALEM — Unlike the last nine seasons, opponents no longer have trepidation when they face the Danvers High baseball team.

But just because that fear factor when facing the Falcons no longer exists, it doesn't mean the Blue-and-White have forgotten how to beat virtually everyone they play.

"We might not have the same team they've had here in the past, but we're still a threat," said senior righty Bobby Dean, who spun a three-hit complete game shutout as the Falcons downed host Salem, 5-0, at the New Salem State College Baseball Field yesterday afternoon.

"I know there have been teams like in 2001 (Danvers' Division 2 state championship season) where every guy in the order was a threat to hit a home run, and it seemed like every pitcher threw the ball 80 or more miles an hour. We don't have that, but we still play smart baseball and know how to win."

Ah, the halcyon days of the Danvers High baseball dynasty. Many, many times between the years 1999-2007, it seemed as though all the Falcons had to do was show up, bring their big bats, their big arms, their air-tight defense and a running game that resembled jackrabbits on the basepaths, and cruise to another easy victory. They have, after all, won eight of the last nine Northeastern Conference titles for a reason.

Those days of glory aren't gone — but they've certainly changed. True, the Falcons do possess a staff ace in the University of Vermont-bound Dean, but otherwise things are quite different. There are no true power bats in the lineup, nor anyone with blazing speed that can literally steal runs from the other team.

Rather, it's a group of ballplayers who realize they need to work hard and play smart, disciplined baseball if they're to have any of the same type of success that their previous band of baseball brothers did before them.

"We have good pitching which helps to keep the score low, and from there we are usually able to manufacture some runs," said John Gikas, who went 3-for-3 out of the No. 8 spot in the order yesterday, including a two-run double to left in the top of the second. That hit gave Danvers a lead it would never relinquish.

Salem, a team that is much, much better than its 6-5 record would indicate, certainly had their opportunities against the Falcons yesterday. They played errorless baseball, ran the bases well and got a solid pitching performance from righty Harry Noone, who needed just 89 pitches to hurl his own complete game.

The difference on this day was on offense. Danvers, a team whose bats had been slumbering lately, woke up and hit safely in every inning, finishing with 11 for the day. Seven of the nine starters had at least one base knock, and five different players crossed home plate.

Salem, on the other hand, couldn't do much against Dean — even on a day when he admittedly didn't have his best control (4 walks, 1 hit batsman, 5 strikeouts). The Witches only managed three singles and had only two runners reach third base: one of whom was picked off, and the other gunned down at the plate on a delayed steal.

"They got some timely hits, but we didn't swing the bats well," said Salem head coach Mike Ward, whose team was coming off of back-to-back one-run losses. "And when we did put the bat on the ball, they made all the plays defensively."

In the bottom of the fourth with the visitors holding a slim 2-0 lead, Salem cleanup hitter Aiden Church singled sharply to left and smartly took third on Noone's ensuing sacrifice bunt. After John Pagnato reached safely on a grounder to third, putting Witches on the corners, Matt Paine's attempted bunt was popped up and caught by Danvers catcher Jeff Eldridge for the second out of the inning.

Then, when Pagnato broke for second base, Eldridge threw a bullet back to Dean, who wheeled and fired towards freshman Nick Gikas at third base, picking Church off in the process.

After Danvers increased its lead to 3-0 in the fifth on Eldridge's RBI single, the Witches again threatened in the bottom of the inning. Again, Dean and the Falcons got out of a dangerous 1st-and-3rd situation. This time, speedy Beau Theriault was gunned down at the plate on an Eldridge-to-shortstop Jake Korthas-to first baseman John Gikas-to-Korthas-and-back to Eldridge at home play.

"The Salem kids run the bases very, very well and are always trying to create something out there. They're smart and aggressive," said Day. "Fortunately for us, we were able to get out of a few of those sticky situations."

"They made all the plays they had to," sighed Ward.

Danvers tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the seventh when Matt Pasquariello, a newcomer to the starting lineup, laced an RBI single to left and, two batters later, Greg Ladd followed with an RBI single to right.

"Everything came together for us (offensively) today," said the 18-year-old Dean, now 3-1 on the hill this spring. "We all went up to Salisbury to hit (at Extra Innings) on Sunday, and I think it really paid off."

In Danvers, they're learning that not all victories have to be blowouts or works of art.

As long as the wins keep coming, no one in Falconville is going to complain.

Phil Stacey is the sports editor of The Salem News. Contact him at pstacey@salemnews.com or at 978-338-2650.

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