Drury Gets Revenge Against Wahconah

DALTON, Mass. – The Drury baseball team Friday showed just how far it has come in three weeks.

 

But the Blue Devils’ coach was not surprised in the least.

 

Julian Feliciano went 2-for-3 with a double, and Lucas Hamilton went the distance on the mound as the Blue Devils beat Wahconah, 16-2, in five innings.

 

It was a far cry from the 6-3 loss to Wahconah that Drury suffered in its season opener back on April 6.

 

Drury coach Rob Jutras said he expects his team to get better as the season goes on.

 

“I’m the luckiest coach on the face of the planet,” Jutras said. “This group is unbelievable. They have unbelievable character. They have unbelievable leadership.

 

“Every day, they show up, and they empty the tank, and it’s impossible not to get better when you’re doing that. They are unbelievable. I’m blessed, and I thank God for them every day.”

 

Drury jumped on top early with a two-out rally for four runs in the top of the first.

 

Carson Rylander got things started with a walk, and then JJ Prenguber and Hamilton delivered back-to-back singles to make it 2-0.

 

After a Brayden Durant walk and a pitch that got to the backstop put runners at second and third, Jake McAllister dropped a two-run single into short right field to give Drury a 4-0 lead.

 

The Blue Devils tacked on runs in the second and third to stretch the lead six runs.

 

Meanwhile, Hamilton kept Wahconah off the board until the bottom of the third.

 

“My fastball and curveball were working,” Hamilton said. “I was throwing both of them for strikes. I could locate my curveball. So I just stuck with those two pitches, and it worked for me today.”

 

Wahconah reached him for two unearned runs in the bottom of the third.

 

Ben Barry got things started by working a one-out walk in the nine hole. Luke Ferguson then reached on a two-base error to put ducks on the pond for Aiden Arseneau, who delivered a single to right-center to score both runs.

 

Drury limited the damage when Julian Feliciano threw out Arseneau (2-for-3) attempting to steal second and Hamilton got a called third strike for one of his seven strikeouts.

 

The Blue Devils then broke the game open with nine runs in the top of the fourth.

 

Feliciano (2-for-3, double, four RBIs) drove in a run, and Prenguber (2-for-2) hit a two-run single in the rally, which also saw Drury score three times on bases-loaded walks.

 

Wahconah changed pitchers twice during the rally, extending Hamilton’s wait to get back to the mound.

 

“My arm was a little cold,” he said. “It was a little flat coming out [to start the bottom of the fourth], but I just threw strikes. My guys got me behind me.”

 

Joe Hoffmann worked a walk to start the inning, but Hamilton got the next two hitters on swinging third strikes before ending the inning on a ground ball to the right side.

 

“Those are the things you kind of forget about, right?” Jutras said of Hamilton’s ability to overcome the layoff. “It takes discipline and a focus to kind of reset and say, ‘OK, I have to go out and do a job.’ But coming back to his character and the way he handles himself … he made that look easy today.”

 

Drury (7-3) takes a six-game winning streak into Monday’s game at Monument Mountain.

 

Wahconah (8-2) will look to get back in the win column on Monday when it hosts Hampshire Regional.

 

Photos from this game to come.