Oliveira walk-off caps wild seventh; Fenwick baseball reaches semis

PEABODY – Tuesday afternoon’s MIAA Division 3 quarterfinal matchup between host Bishop Fenwick and Stoneham was as good a game as anyone will see this tournament season. Trailing 3-2 entering the seventh, the visiting Spartans rallied to regain the lead 4-3.Not to be outdone, the No. 2 Crusaders showed great resiliency of their own, staging an epic rally, which culminated with a Jhon Oliveira walk-off two-run double for a 5-4 win. The win sends Fenwick to the semifinals, where the Crusaders will meet familiar foe St. Mary’s (Wednesday, 7 p.m., at Fraser Field).”We scrimmaged Stoneham at the beginning of the season, so we knew what we were up against,” explained coach Kevin Canty. “They fought and clawed all game long and that is exactly what we expected.”A close contest the entire way, Stoneham was seemingly in the driver’s seat after handing Crusaders closer Brian Burke his first blown save of the season. After relieving starter Andrew Lessard with one out and one on in the final inning, Burke proceeded to load the bases with a walk and a single by Ben Allen.No. 3 hitter Andrew Cann drove home the tying run on a groundout to shortstop Mike Mackensie before Bobby Giordano put the Spartans on top with an RBI single. After hitting Steve Keskinidis to load the bases, Burke got out of trouble with a groundout to second.”If we were to be in the same situation tomorrow, I would go right back to him,” said Canty of his closer. “I have all the confidence in the world in him. That was his first bump all season, it just came in an important game, but we responded for him.”Showing no panic, the Crusaders relied on the bottom of their order, as they have all tournament long, to get things going in their last at-bats. Pinch-hitter Rob Carillo reached on an error by pitcher Mike Andrews, who was phenomenal all day long.No. 9 hitter Eric Razney used his blazing speed to beat out an infield single to third while Carillo advanced to third on the throw. Razney would steal second uncontested, setting the stage for the leadoff hitter, Oliveira.With a 2-1 count, Oliveira took an Andrews curveball to right field. It stayed fair, prompting the Crusaders bench to empty before mobbing their sophomore left fielder.”I was looking for the curve,” explained Oliveira of the final at-bat. “I crushed a fastball earlier in the game for a triple, so I waited on a curve and got the barrel on it.”Fenwick had to fight back from another deficit early on as Stoneham put up two runs in the first. After striking out the first two batters, Lessard surrendered an infield single to Cann before Giordano roped an RBI double to right-center. An error from second baseman Nick Fanjoy allowed Giordano to score right after.The Crusaders got one back in their half of the first. Oliveira led things off with an infield single before a Nick Bona double down the right field line sent him to third. An ensuing groundout to second from Gianni Esposito brought Oliveira home.Both starters settled down, turning the second through fourth innings into a pitcher’s duel, one that saw Lessard retire 10 straight Spartans.”He threw very well today, as he has all year,” said Canty of Lessard’s outing.Lessard pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run on six hits while striking out five.The Crusaders offense finally broke through in the fifth. Mike Campatelli led off with a single to left before being sacrificed to second by pinch-hitter James Traversy. Razney followed with a grounder to short, which brought a rushed throw from Keskinidis that got past Giordano at first, allowing Campatelli to score the tying run.Razney would attempt a steal of third soon after, which Cann would air-mail into left field, giving Fenwick its first lead. The Crusaders had a runner cut down at the plate in the inning and would strand a runner on third as well.Despite the no-rest factor, Canty is excited for another encounter with St. Mary’s. A win today would send the Crusaders to the championship game for the se