You know what I’ve been thinking? Actually, I know for a fact: Peabody’s Eli Batista shows up in big games.
It was Division II tournament time at Coley Lee Field Friday against No. 13 Arlington. The visitors, might I add, were no joke, scoring 216 points this season with a win against Stoneham under their belts.
But the No. 4 Tanners made it look easy, cruising to a 34-0 victory in front of their home faithful.
Batista did his thing, recording 110 receiving yards and a touchdown – in very, very clutch fashion.
His first big play was a 40-yard catch from quarterback Luke Maglione. It put the Tanners in the redzone and set up Peabody’s first touchdown (Maglione to Nicholas Dresser; 10-0).
Then, the big one. Batista got behind the secondary and hauled in a 42-yard touchdown pass from Maglione. The score put Peabody ahead, 17-0, for a commanding halftime cushion.
Thanks to Batista and company, the Tanners picked up their first playoff win in seven years. Now, they’ll host Barnstable at 6 p.m. Friday.
Eli, good week, and keep it up.
