DANVERS — Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.
Bobby Dean, Chris Perry and the other members of the Danvers High baseball team may have no idea who the Talking Heads are — they popularized the above-mentioned lyrics in "Once In a Lifetime" nearly 30 years ago. But when it comes to what they do on the diamond, they certainly know what those words mean.
Dean allowed just one hit and struck out 11 over six innings, Perry delivered the game's key hit, a two-run single in the bottom of the first, and Danvers — stop us if you've heard this before — clinched the Northeastern Conference South title with a methodical 4-1 victory over Winthrop yesterday at the Twi-Field.
It was Danvers' fifth straight NEC crown, tying the league record of consecutive titles set by Lynn English (1976-80) and tied by Swampscott (1993-97). It was also the Falcons' ninth conference championship in the last 10 years, a feat that no other team in the circuit has come close to approaching.
"It feels really good, especially since we didn't think we'd be in this situation at the beginning of the season," said Dean. "There are so many good teams in this league, but we managed to beat virtually all of them. That says something about our team."
"To win it this season was huge," said Danvers head coach Roger Day, echoing Dean's sentiments. "These guys just find a way to get it done."
In running his record to 5-0 — he still hasn't lost a game in his high school career — Dean didn't give up a hit until the top of the sixth, when Winthrop's Vinnie Eruzione fisted a shot off the label of his bat into center field for a clean hit.
Dean wasn't perfect; he walked five batters — including three in the fourth inning, when the Vikings got their only run on a wild pitch — be he was tough when he had to be. Of his 11 strikeouts, seven came on fastballs, four on off-speed pitches and three were caught looking. The Vermont-bound right-hander also stranded four Vikings on base before giving way to Greg Ladd to start the seventh.
"I felt good today, even after pitching two games last week. The coaches made sure I had plenty of race (since facing Beverly last Saturday night)," said Dean, now 5-0 with an 0.94 earned run average this season. He has struck out 60 batters in 37 innings and has allowed just five earned runs.
Dean's counterpart was Winthrop junior left-hander Matt Moore, a soft thrower who relies on control and mixing up his speeds. He surrendered only three hits, but hurt himself with seven walks and two hit batsmen.
Jake Korthas and Dean drew walks off of Moore in the bottom of the first, and each moved up a base on Jeff Eldridge's sacrifice bunt. Perry, batting cleanup for the first time this season, then laced the first pitch he saw into right field, plating both of his teammates for a 2-0 lead.
Ironically, Danvers had spent a good part of its pre-game preparation taking batting practice, with the hitters' sole purpose to hit balls to the opposite field. That's no problem for Perry, who sends a majority of his base hits to the right side of the field.
"I was looking for a pitch I could drive," said Perry, one of four Falcons' captains. "It was a fastball on the outside part of the plate and I just went with it."
There wasn't much offense after that first inning. One of the Falcons' two remaining hits, however, was a two-run single by Ladd in the bottom of the fourth that plated Perry and Matt Pasquariello.
Dean wasn't about to cough up a lead like that.
"When he's pitching," Perry said, "teams tend not to score a lot of runs against us."
Perry also made the defensive play of the game from third base, going far to his left to nab an Al Petrilli shot and throwing him out to lead off the seventh.
NEC baseball champions the last decade
Season Team
1999 Danvers
2000 Danvers
2001 Danvers
2002 Danvers
2003 Lynn Classical
2004 Danvers
2005 Danvers (North)
Beverly/Salem (South)
2006 Danvers (North)
Salem (South)
2007 Danvers (North)
Winthrop (South)
2008 TBA (North)
Danvers (South)
* NEC went to North/South format in 2005
