St. Mary’s wins Division 3 North title in extra innings

LOWELL – It took 10 full innings, but the No. 6 St. Mary?s Spartans upended top-seeded Austin Prep, 7-4, to win the Division 3 North sectional title Saturday at LeLacheur Park.
It is the Spartans? first North sectional title since 1988, when they won back-to-back crowns. St. Mary?s (18-6) will play Division 3 South champion East Bridgewater (19-2) in the state semifinals at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton.
Matt Costanza singled in the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning and also got the win in relief of Brendan O?Neill.
?That?s who he is. He?s an outstanding kid and a great player,” Spartans? coach Derek Dana said of Costanza. “To be able to bring him into a game that late and know that he?s going to give you quality innings and battle for you is outstanding.”
O?Neill struggled a bit early, but was helped by some great defensive plays. After giving up a leadoff hit in the first, catcher Brent Lozzi gunned down the baserunner on a pickoff play for the first out. O?Neill then walked the next two batters, but was helped again, this time by a strike-him-out/throw-him-out double play to end the inning.
The Spartans got things going in the top of the second. After two quick outs, Brady McLaughlin, who went 3-for-4 with a run scored, knocked a double over the center fielder?s head. Lozzi, who went 2-for-4 with a double and two walks, and Clay Yianacopolus both walked to load the bases. John Gaeta, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI, hit a grounder into the hole at shortstop for an infield hit to score McLaughlin and give St. Mary?s a 1-0 lead.
O?Neill settled down in the third, striking out two batters. He walked another, but Lozzi showed off his cannon arm yet again and gunned down the runner trying to steal second.
St. Mary?s grabbed another run in the third. After two walks to lead off the inning, Antonio Felix, who went 2-for-5, lined an RBI single down the left field line to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead.
After moving through the order in the bottom of the third, the Cougars got to O?Neill in the fourth. Peter Burns led off with a single, and Andrew Gerety tied the game with a huge blast over the left field wall. Chris Gagnon followed with a single. A pinch runner made it as far as third base, but O?Neill worked out of it to keep the score tied, 2-2.
The Spartans were able to get a bit of a threat going in the top of the fifth. Felix and Ryan Borders each singled and Austin Prep starter Aiden McCarthy was chased from the game after 4 ? innings. Paul McGeehan came in and got McLaughlin to fly out to left to end the rally.
The Spartans didn?t record a hit in the sixth, but after an error, a walk, and a hit batter, the bases were loaded for Costanza. He worked the count to 3-and-2 and actually hit a single up the middle. However, the hit was erased because a baseball from the bullpen rolled into the field of play. Costanza remained calm and drew a walk to force in the go-ahead run.
The Spartans added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on an RBI double by Lozzi, bringing the score to 4-2 in favor of St. Mary?s.
After two quick outs in the bottom of the seventh, the Cougars got a rally started. Two straight singles put the tying run on base, and then Logan Bravo knocked an RBI single to cut the deficit to one. Dan Monagle was up next, and tied the game, at 4-4, with another RBI single. Now, with the winning run on third base, O?Neill was chased from the game. Constanza came in and recorded the final out to send the game into extras.
Austin Prep led off the bottom of the eighth with two straight singles to put runners at first and third. But Costanza got the next three batters out in succession to keep the Spartans alive.
In the top of the 10th, St. Mary?s made its move. After a walk and a sacrifice put Donny Weisse on second, Costanza stepped to the plate and knocked him in with a base hit. O?Neill singled to put runners on first and third, and Felix knocked in Costanza with a fielder?s choice.