St. John’s baseball defeats Swampscott

SWAMPSCOTT – As losing streaks go, two games doesn?t quite rise to the level of “it?s time to press the panic button,” but St. John?s Prep baseball coach Dan Letarte was still glad to see his team get its groove back with a 9-0 win over Swampscott Thursday at Swampscott.?It was nice to come in, get a win and hit the ball,” Letarte said. “We weren?t getting those quality hits. It was nice to drive in runs like that … I feel like the kids got their confidence back.”The Eagles, whose slump included a 2-0 loss to Malden Catholic and 4-3 loss to BC High, are now 16-3 with their final game of the season Saturday against Danvers.The game was the season finale for the Big Blue, who finished 5-15.?When you have three times as many losses as wins, it?s a tough season on the diamond,” Swampscott coach Jason Calichman said, adding that he?s only losing four players to graduation and is hoping to get back to where he believes Swampscott baseball should be. “It?s a tough pill to swallow, but I?ve never questioned the kids? hearts.”This one was a game for the first four innings with St. John?s Prep breaking the scoreless tie with a run in the third inning. With one down, Max Burt doubled to center field and then advanced to third on a fly ball to right field by Keith Leavitt. Jacob Yish drove him in on a double to center field.The Eagles made it 2-0 in the fourth inning on a solo home run by right fielder Andrew Attar. Unfortunately for the Big Blue, the Prep bats were just getting started. The Eagles put the game away with a five-run fifth inning that featured an RBI single down the left field line by Yish (3-for-3, 2 runs); a two-run single by Ted McNamara, and a two-run single by Rich Riby, who drove in McNamara and Attar, who had doubled to right field.St. John?s struck again in the sixth inning. With one out, Yish walked. The next batter struck out, but Dan Trulli did what every guy coming off the bench hopes to do and that?s hit a home run — a two-run shot, to be exact, that gave the Eagles an insurmountable 9-0 lead.?Those were nice shots,” Letarte said about the home runs by Attar and Trulli. “Those are guys coming off the bench for us (Attar started, but normally he comes off the bench, as does Trulli). Those are guys who took advantage of their opportunities.”The Big Blue could only muster three hits off Prep pitching. Sophomore Justin Foley started and got the win. Andrew Faris and Justin Kerhulas provided stellar relief. Corey Bleau took the loss for Swampscott. He left in the fifth inning after getting drilled in the hand by a line drive back to the mound.?I thought Corey Bleau pitched a great game,” Calichman said. “To be down 2-0 in the fourth against that team …”Although it was a tough night for the Big Blue, Calichman said he?ll continue to schedule games against St. John?s Prep because those are the type of quality teams you have to play to elevate the program. Letarte also likes the matchup.?I love playing Swampscott … they have a very young team with 10 sophomores who are going to come right back at you,” Letarte said.