St. John’s Prep baseball captures Division 1 North title

LOWELL – Held to only three hits by Lawrence pitching and stranding 15 men on base, it normally would add up to a not very successful trip to the Division 1 North finals for St. John’s Prep.But these Eagles have been resourceful in 2010 and they used that trait once again on Sunday at LeLacheur Park.Facing Yunior Vasquez, he of the 15-1 record over the last two seasons and possessor of electric stuff on the mound, the Prep’s patience at the plate eventually knocked the Lancers ace out of the game in the sixth inning, allowing the Eagles to score twice to take the lead for good en route to a 5-1 win and the North crown.St. John’s (16-8) will play south sectional champion Xaverian, with whom they split, during the regular season in Catholic Conference play, on Tuesday at a site and time to be announced.”Lawrence is a good team with solid pitching,” St. John’s coach Pat Yanchus said. “But we caught a couple of breaks and were really opportunistic.”The No. 12 seeded Eagles also used a pretty deadly weapon out of the bullpen in junior Pat Connaughton to shut down the high powered attack of the No. 2 seed Lancers (21-3).Taking over for Josh Baldwin, who gave the Prep four solid innings, in the fifth, Connaughton held Lawrence to just two hits and struck out six over the final five innings.”Josh gave us exactly what we wanted out of him,” Yanchus said. “But Pat has been pitching so well in the tournament and we had him ready to go in a 1-1 game that we figured it was the right time to go with him.”The Prep had numerous chances to put distance between itself and Lawrence on Sunday, loading the bases three times in the first four innings against Vasquez. But the hard throwing righty was able to do a magical tap dance out of trouble each time.The only blemish came in the top of the first when Anthony Capuano reached on an error to lead off the game and came around to score on Tyler Coppola’s fielders choice.The Eagles loaded the sacks in the second with one down but Vasquez got a pair of groundouts and then worked out of trouble again in the third thanks to a ground out and a fly out.Lawrence tied the game in the bottom of the first as Harvey Blanco singled and scored on a two out wild pitch by Baldwin. After that, the senior settled down nicely ad held the Lancers to one hit over the next three innings as the game remained tied into the sixth.It was that sixth inning that proved to be pivotal as Vasquez had already thrown 131 pitches by that point and was beginning to finally tire. Alex Markakis walked to lead off and Capuano followed with a single to left.Justin Peluso then reached on a fielders choice that loaded the bases with no outs. After Kevin Barry flied out, Connaughton drew a walk to force home Markakis for a 2-1 Prep lead and knock Vasquez out for good. Kevin Davis’ sacrifice fly against reliever Victor Mendez plated Capuano to make it 3-1 Eagles.”We were very patient at the plate,” Yanchus said. “Their kid had some tremendous stuff but we were able to lay off a lot of pitches.”Now pitching with a lead, Connaughton turned up the wick and turned out the lights on the Lancers, returing nine of the first 10 batters he faced. In the eighth, however, Lawrence threatened by putting runners on the corners before the junior got the Prep out of danger.The Eagles then added two critical runs in the top of the ninth when Coppola reached on an error and scored on a dropped third strike to Dillon Gonzalez, who went to second on the play. Gonzalez later scored on a MArkakis single to make it 5-1 Eagles.Lawrence put a pair on in the bottom of the ninth but Connaughton got Jose Sandoval on a soft flare to Markakis at second to begin the celebration in the middle of the diamond.