LOWELL– Bobby Alcock’s goal going into Saturday’s Division 2 state championship game was to give the St. Mary’s baseball team its best chance to win. That’s exactly what Alcock delivered.
With seven shutout innings and eight strikeouts, Alcock lifted his Spartans to a 2-0 win over Hopkinton Saturday at Alumni Field.
Alcock, a senior, ended his high school baseball career with three consecutive victories in the Division 2 state tournament. He blanked Belmont in the North quarterfinal (1-0, eight innings), Woburn in the North final (5-0) and Hopkinton for a combined 22 shutout innings with 23 strikeouts.
“There’s no word to describe it,” Alcock, a right-hander from Lynn, said. “It’s really special. I’ve played with some of these kids my whole life, some of them throughout my four years of high school at St. Mary’s. There’s no other way I’d rather end my high school career than on top.”
Alcock was quick to credit his defense for backing him up throughout the season. Whenever Alcock ran into a jam (although they were few and far between), St. Mary’s gloves stepped up with key plays.
“This was definitely a team effort,” Alcock said. “Our guys played incredible defense the whole way. It was really incredible.”
With the ball in Alcock’s hand, there wasn’t much Hopkinton’s bats could do. St. Mary’s offense took the road less traveled with a few costly base running errors along the way but Alcock was a man on a mission. The red-hot Hillers had scored 31 runs en route to the Division 2 South title. They had no answer for Alcock.
“I knew they were a great hitting team,” Alcock said. “I just tried to keep the ball outside, just paint the outside corner and keep it low. I threw a few curveballs in there that spiked into the ground a couple times. It all worked out.”
A pair of RBI singles, one each from junior first baseman Lee Pacheco and senior third baseman Jared Coppola, was all the offense Alcock needed. Alcock worked around an error in the top of the second, a leadoff single in the top of the third and leadoff walks in the sixth and seventh innings. He willed his way through a few tough battles with pesky Hopkinton batters in the late innings and shook off fatigue to seal the deal. Alcock fanned four of the final eight hitters he faced.
“Bobby just started rolling,” Spartans coach Derek Dana said. “He was dominant, dominant at the end of the season. He wanted the ball, like he always does. I really think he put an exclamation point on his career (Saturday).”
Alcock’s next endeavor is official. He’ll attend Winchendon Academy, where he’ll sharpen his skills on the mound, for a postgraduate year. But before he can start preparing for his next chapter, Alcock will cherish the fairytale ending to his high school career.
“I’m going to enjoy this one for a little bit,” Alcock said. “Then it’s right back to work for my prep year.”
