Bishop Hendricken strikes first in D-I baseball series. Here's how.
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PROVIDENCE — Bishop Hendricken now sits one victory from another state baseball title.
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And if Thursday afternoon is any indication, East Providence has a serious task on its hands to deny the Hawks from walking away with the trophy at Rhode Island College.
The Townies were the lone Rhode Island team to defeat Bishop Hendricken during the regular season, but the tables were turned to start this best-of-three Division I championship series. Steve Maynard escaped an early jam and his offense backed him to the tune of a 10-0 victory via the mercy rule in just five innings.
Brett Knight’s two-run single to center in the bottom of the fifth capped a six-run frame and was the last in an 11-hit attack against East Providence left-hander Ben Hallene. Parker Boyd started the fire with a two-run triple to deep center in the third and it was all Hawks from there under warm sunshine.
“We knew from our reports that he threw a lot of off-speed, a lot of curveballs,” Boyd said. “All week we worked on the off-speed on the machines.”
Cullen Crain followed Boyd’s breakthrough with a safety squeeze bunt that gave Bishop Hendricken a 3-0 lead after three. Ryan Pierce sent an RBI double to the corner in right in the fourth to chase home Mason Crain, who reached on a one-out triple off the wall in right. The Hawks carried that four-run cushion into the fourth and brought an early end to this one through two-run singles from Dylan Poloski, Mason Crain and Knight.
“Just put them away,” Maynard said. “I know what my team’s capable of. I know what I’m capable of. Don’t let the foot off the pedal.
“Drive them into the ground. You just have the mindset you’re going into a game you’re going to win.”
Maynard’s toughest test was already behind him while his teammates hammered away at the plate. The right-hander issued three walks around a pair of outs in the top of the second and had no room for error with Chris Charbonneau digging in for the Townies. Maynard worked ahead in the count and recorded a swinging strikeout that kept the game scoreless.
“To walk three guys — not good,” Maynard said. “[Pitching coach Chris Sheehan] gave me a little break. He told me I’m in this position for a reason.”
Maynard benefited from a 7-5 putout to slow a potential East Providence rally in the third and came up with another strikeout to strand a pair in the fourth. He finished the day allowing just three hits and fanning seven, earning the victory after suffering a 3-0 setback against the Townies in April.
“A big focus today was just pounding the zone and making them put the ball in play,” Maynard said. “Obviously, that worked out really well.”
Bishop Hendricken (21-2) advanced through Pod 1 with an 8-0 shutout of North Kingstown and kept the bats going here. Boyd and Mason Crain scored two runs each while Knight finished with two hits, a run and two RBI. The Hawks were shut down in that previous loss against East Providence (18-5), with transfer JJ Renaud firing a complete game and keeping hitters off balance by landing his breaking ball for strikes.
“I think that was the approach today,” Boyd said. “We know we’re going to see slow stuff — a lot of it, so sit on that and try to drive it to the opposite side of the field.”
Renaud is likely to earn the start for the Townies in Game 2, which is set for noon Saturday. Bishop Hendricken would earn its third straight championship and 25th in program history by completing a sweep. The Hawks would certainly like to avoid the uncertainty that comes with a Game 3.
“Same mentality, honestly,” Maynard said. “Don’t take anything for granted. We just mercy-ruled them, but that doesn’t mean that's not going to come the next game with even more vengeance.”
East Providence 000 00 — 0 3 0
Bishop Hendricken 003 16 — 10 11 0
Ben Hallene and Jamison Sudney. Steve Maynard and Yadier Blanco.
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Hendricken crushes East Providence, 10-0, in D-I baseball series