Hornets Rally Late as Booth Throws a Gem
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The McCann Tech baseball team Monday managed just five hits at Joe Wolfe Field.
But four of them went for extra bases.
And that power surge was enough to lift the Hornets to a 4-2 win over Lee behind the pitching of Collin Booth.
Owen Gagne and Josh Livsey each tripled, and Ozzie Webber and Seth Farnsworth each doubled as McCann Tech improved to 4-3.
“Unbelievably, McCann Tech is finally a hitting team,” coach Justin Howland said. “We haven’t been for years.
“When we start swinging the bats well, we hit the ball, and in the fifth and sixth inning, we started crushing it.”
They needed to start figuring out Lee starter Evan Trombley after the Wildcats scratched out runs in the third and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead.
In the third, Lee (1-3) took advantage of three errors and a wild pitch to break a scoreless tie.
Gabe Lassor reached on a fielder’s choice and ended up on third thanks to an error before scoring on a ball to the backstop.
The bases were loaded when Booth got a called third strike to minimize the damage.
“We got lucky with that,” Howland said. “We definitely have to clean up the defense. I think we were playing on our heels today coming off the loss from Friday, and weren’t playing aggressive. We were letting the ball come to us instead of attacking the ball.”
In the top of the fourth, Lee catcher Aaron Armstrong was hit by a pitch, and courtesy runner Omari Smith stole second and scored on Ben Kelly’s two-out single up the middle to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, McCann Tech cut that margin in half.
Booth got a single with one out and stole second before coming home on Gagne’s triple to left center to make it 2-1.
The Hornets tied the game with their baserunning in the fifth.
Seth Farnsworth worked a one-out walk and went to second when Lucas Rylander dropped a single into right. They then pulled off a double steal to get the tying run 90 feet from the plate, and Farnsworth scored on a ball to the backstop to make it 2-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Booth drew a leadoff walk and came around to score on Webber’s double to left. Then Webber came home when Livsey tripled to right to make it 4-2.
Gagne moved from first to the pitchers mound in the top of the seventh. Lassor hit a one-out single, but Gagne ended the game by spearing a line drive back to the mound and throwing to first for a double play.
Booth allowed just three hits and an unearned run to get the win.
“Collin doesn’t get enough credit,” Howland said. “It seems like when Collin gets on the mound, that’s the game we commit the errors. Collin’s always pitching well. He throws strikes, and sometimes when you throw strikes, those balls get hit. We’ve got to make those plays.”
McCann Tech goes to Hoosac Valley on Thursday. Lee hosts Mount Greylock on Tuesday.