NATICK – Shrewsbury Post 397 defeated Walpole Post 104 by a score of 9-3 on Wednesday afternoon, advancing to the final day of the Senior Legion State Tournament.
Walpole drew first blood. Jacob Preto walked and advanced to second base on another walk. Preto moved to third on a dropped third strike before he dashed home after the ball skipped past the Shrewsbury catcher. Walpole led 1-0 after the first inning.
However, that one run would be all Walpole could manage until the sixth inning. Shrewsbury’s starting pitcher David Escobar had an outstanding performance. Escobar went 5.2 innings on 102 pitches, striking out eight players, walking three, and allowing zero earned runs.
The Shrewsbury defense also tightened up after the first inning. James Benestad made several acrobatic catches in the outfield in high-pressure moments, saving several runs. Jimmy Mitchell also had an excellent defensive day.
“James [Benestad] – he’s been sensational. You know, he’s really a catcher, [but] he is sensational in center field. [Jimmy] Mitchell made some absolutely great plays,” Shrewsbury Head Coach Frank Vaccaro said after the game. “Defense and pitching win playoff games like this. [When] you get to this level and to this point – if you don’t play defense and pitch, you lose.”
Whereas Shrewsbury’s defense stood strong, Walpole’s defense made repeated errors throughout the game. Collections of passed balls, drops, errant throws and botched rundowns cost the team. In the second inning, Pat McManus flied the ball into right field, but the ball bounced off the fielder’s glove, allowing two Shrewsbury runners to score.
Although Walpole pitcher Joseph Finkelstein started strong, he eventually faltered. Shrewsbury sent 11 batters to the plate in the fifth inning, scoring four runs before the first out was recorded, and officially putting the game out of Walpole’s reach.
In the fifth inning alone, McManus went 2-2 with two singles, Shrewsbury drew three walks, and Benestad and Mitchell each doubled. After the action-packed inning, Shrewsbury led 8-1.
“It was tight for the first three or four innings, then their pitcher got tired and we took advantage of it,” Vaccaro told the Community Advocate.
Both teams tacked on runs in later innings to make the game 9-3, but the game had been virtually decided in the fifth. Colby Coghlin pitched the last 1.1 innings for Shrewsbury.
Shrewsbury will face undefeated Franklin Post 75 today. The team will need to defeat Franklin twice to win the double-elimination state championship.
However, losing the state championship doesn’t end Shrewsbury’s season; Post 397 will be hosting and competing in the northeast regional tournament in August. The tournament will be held at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester.
