NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Small ball led to a big inning and a Western Massachusetts Class C semi-final win for the Drury baseball team on Monday.
The Blue Devils bunted four times in a 10-run, fifth-inning rally en route to a 10-2 win over Athol at Joe Wolfe Field.
Top-seeded Drury (14-3) earned a date against Greenfield in Wednesday night’s regional final at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke.
Carson Rylander earned the win on the mound, striking out seven and allowing no earned runs to improve to 5-2 with a 2.17 earned run average this spring.
For a while, it looked like those two Bears runs on a second-inning error were going to be the difference in the game.
Athol starter Ethan Heuer played escape artist, stranding five runners in scoring position – three at third base – in the first four innings.
In the fifth, Drury broke through in a big way.
And the Blue Devils did it by getting three bunts down and reaching first on all three.
“I thought we did a great job of executing and doing what the situation called for,” Drury coach Rob Jutras said.
“I think it allows us to kind of put our stamp on the game and relax a little bit and say, ‘Hey, we’re doing whatever it takes to score runs.’ And when you get to this point in the year, every run is huge. Our guys have the confidence to do it, and they executed well in that part of the game today.”
Noah Arnold led off the fifth by reaching on an infield single and taking second on an error. He went to third on a wild pitch, and Rylander walked and stole second base.
With first base open, Athol opted to intentionally walk Connor Hinkell to set up a force.
And then Drury had some fun.
First, Lucas Hamilton reached on an infield single that plated Arnold to make it 2-1. Then J.J. Prenguber tied the game with a bunt to drive in Rylander and reload the bases.
Another bunt, this one from Julian Feliciano, scored Hinkell and kept the bases loaded.
Then Brayden Durant delivered the big blow, a three-run double to left field to give Drury a 6-2 lead.
“Our guys, 1 through 9, have been doing a really nice job of just staying in the fight, taking it pitch by pitch and being consistent,” Jutras said. “We know we’re going to not come up with some big hits, and then we are going to come up with some big hits.
“And we know that’s just kind of the game. It’s a back-and-forth game. I like how we hang in there, and it’s always, ‘Next swing,’ ‘Next pitch.’ “
Durant’s big hit ended the day for Heuer.
Colby Malloy (1-for-2 with a double) sacrificed Durant to third, and he scored when Brayden Canales reached on a two-base error. A bunt single by Arnold scored Canales, and Arnold eventually scored when Rylander reached on a double error off a ball to the left side. Rylander came home on a wild pitch to make it 10-2 before Athol was able to get the third out.
Rylander worked into the seventh inning before giving the ball to Arnold, who retired two straight.
“Carson was awesome,” Jutras said. “He picked us up, and he was a leader today. He made no excuses, and he attacked. And I’m not surprised. I mean, he’s been very consistent.”
