Baseball squad ends season at home
BY STEVE SHEPPARD INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR
It looked extremely promising for the Whalers through five innings Friday afternoon, but a victory just wasn't in the cards as Bristol-Plymouth scored five times in the top of the sixth, creating a deficit Nantucket couldn't overcome, and ending the high school baseball season in the first round of state tournament play.

It was the 16th-seeded Whalers' first trip to the tournament in three years, and the field was ringed with fans on a sunny, yet windy, day.

The weather was not a factor, however, as Nantucket's early lead wasn't enough to seal the victory and the Craftsmen hung on for the 8-4 win.

The Whalers led, 3-1, after three innings. Coming into the frame tied at 1, Nantucket scored twice after two were out. A Chris Welch double was followed by a walk to Will Soverino. With Erik Hughes at the plate, a passed ball advanced the runners to second and third. Hughes struck out, but the catcher dropped the ball, allowing him to reach first and Welch to score. Tomas Smaliorius, who started the game and pitched five and a third innings, popped up, but the catcher dropped the ball and Soverino scored the Whalers' second, and final, run of the inning.

Bristol-Plymouth came back in the top of the fourth to tie the game on a single, triple and fielder's choice.

The game remained tied as Smaliorius bore down, striking out the side in the fifth. He finished with nine strikeouts on the day.

The sixth proved to be the Whalers' undoing, however. Although Smaliorius struck out one batter in the inning, he surrendered the ball to Eric Lowell after two batters reached base. A walk loaded the bases, and a single and double brought home four quick runs. A seeing-eye popup brought home the inning's fifth run.

Nantucket valiantly came back in the bottom half of the inning when Adam Spencer singled with two out and reached second on a wild pitch. Jamie Viera, who went 2 for 4 on the day and drove in Nantucket's first run, then flied deep, but not deep enough, as the ball was caught and the inning ended.

Welch came on to pitch the seventh and left the mound unscathed, thanks to some nice defensive plays by Lowell at short and Spencer at first.

The Whalers scored in the bottom of the seventh on Lowell's third hit of the day, but the comeback fell four runs short.

It may have been a quick taste of the tournament, but the season was far from disappointing, however. The gritty Whalers banded together to qualify for the tournament for the first time since 2004, and coach Art Crowley was pleased with his team's accomplishments. The Whalers finish the season with a 9-8 record.

"It was a good season, and that was a good high school playoff game," he said when it was over. "These guys played well all year, and I couldn't be happier."

In retrospect, he said he may have reversed the order of pitching substitutions if he could do it over. "I should have brought in Welch before Lowell," he said, noting that both Smaliorius and Lowell are hard throwers. "The change in speed may have made a difference."

In the end, the experience was good for the team and will give it something to build on for next year, as it is losing just one senior, Ethan Bell, to graduation.

"These guys, they've come a long way," Crowley said. "Ethan Bell will be sorely missed,

however." I