On Baseball column: Experience, fundamentals drive Pingree

By Matt Williams
Staff writer

May 08, 2008 12:18 am

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On Baseball

Matt Williams

SOUTH HAMILTON — Arguably the best kept baseball secret north of Boston, The Pingree School just keeps winning.

As the defending New England Small School champions, the Highlanders have racked up a total of 50 wins over the last three seasons.

That trend didn't change yesterday as Pingree dispatched a strong Portsmouth Abbey squad, 4-1, to earn their sixth straight victory.

Just how does this senior-laden squad from a small private school continue to crank out these victories?

"Most our us have been playing on varsity since our freshman year, so there's definitely a teamwork aspect. We all know how to play together," said second baseman and team co-captain Dillon Vassallo.

With nine seniors — and every starter from last year's title club back for another season — experience is certainly not lacking for Pingree. They're a team that was built from the ground up and has developed a reputation as one of the stingiest and slickest fielding squads around.

"As freshmen, we worked on defense. We got solid with that and built out from there," said Vassallo, noting that the Highlanders are quite proud of the lack of errors they've made over the last two years.

Since Pingree plays with wooden bats, defense becomes even more important. With less pop and power than their metal cousins, wood bats create more ground balls and tough hops that the Highlanders double-play combination of shortstop Jolmi Minaya (the reigning Eastern Independent League MVP) and second baseman Vassallo have made a habit of gobbling up.

"The games are closer with wood bats, and that helps the pitchers," said Vassallo, a Rockport native. "There are a lot of tough, close plays that you have to have the confidence to make."

Of course, you might say that good pitching breeds good defense, and Pingree has plenty of both in supply.

Lamarre Rey shined on the hill yesterday, conceding just one run in seven innings of work while allowing only five baserunners. Save Jon Jaxtimer's sixth-inning RBI single, Abbey couldn't drive the ball on Rey, who struck out five.

Along with Minaya and Ted Fitts, who tossed a no-hitter last week, the Highlanders staff is nothing if not imposing.

The biggest change for this team's core has been the offense. As underclassmen, they would hold teams to minimal runs and still come up short — a frustrating trend. Years later, though, the bats have come around.

"Our hitting hasn't always been there, but this year it's come around," said Jesse Sullivan, another Highlander co-captain. "The Abbey pitcher (Frank Holbrook) was really good. A couple years ago, we might've been shut out by him."

Instead, the Highlanders scored runs in all manner of ways.

Senior Amory Parker of Hamilton got things started with a third inning double when the Pingree machine began churning. Vassallo laid down a sacrifice bunt and Rey lifted a sacrifice fly to bring Parker home, and the Highlander offense had produced again.

"There's definitely trust there," said senior first baseman Will Taft, a Hamilton native. "We've been playing together long enough to know that if we get on base, someone else is going to pick you up."

Fundamentals were on display again in the fourth, when the speedy Sullivan reached on an error, stole two bags and came home on a Parker sacrifice. Vassallo bunted for a hit in the fifth to put the pressure back on in fifth, with Minaya knocking him in for a 3-0 lead.

Creating runs any way they can is a skill the Highlanders learned when their offense was lacking. Even with the bats cooking, the ability to manufacture runs is one that pays off against strong pitchers like Holbrook.

"You have to be able to make runs," said Vassallo. "It is something we work on in practice all the time. We've got the bats going and now we're looking good."

Perhaps even more vital than their fundamentals is the team's attitude. The group has been through it all together, and uses their vast experience in big games to take the pressure off. They're relatively carefree and enjoy the game for what it is.

"Having fun is a big thing for us. We have some goofballs — though some of the stories can't be repeated," Sullivan quipped.

That seems perfect for a team trying to repeat as New England prep school champs. They don't see it as an arduous or daunting task, but as something that would be fun and might cement their legacy.

They've grown up together over the last four years, and they're not intimidated. They don't let the pressure get to them.

"It'd be great to win two straight," said Taft of the New England crown. "We came in with a lot of expectations this year — and mainly from playing with each other for four years we've been ready for it."

Matt Williams is a staff writer at The Salem News. Contact him at mwilliams@salemnews.com.

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