WORCESTER – All those batting practice sessions finally rewarded Bourne baseball head coach Sean Donovan.
Despite an early four-run deficit to start the Div. 5 final Sunday afternoon at Polar Park, the second-seeded Canalmen (18-7) erupted in the second and fourth innings to beat No. 9 Hopkins Academy, 10-5, for the program’s first state title.
Six of Bourne’s 12 hits went for extra bases, quickly responding to an immediate gut-punch that had the Golden Hawks (18-5) primed for a fourth straight upset win this tournament. Seniors Jack Ferreira (4-for-4, two doubles, two RBI) and Damon White (3-for-4, triple, double, two RBI) shined brightest in an effort that saw all nine batters reach base at least once.
“I’ve thrown these kids a zillion BP fastballs and I will do it until my arm falls off,” Donovan said. “I had high hopes for this graduating class when they first came onto the school, and they’re walking off senior champions. … I’m so happy for the entire group, I can’t speak highly enough about these kids.”
“I feel so blessed,” Ferreira added. “I feel worthy, I feel like all my hard work in baseball … led up to this moment.”
Hopkins Academy peppered Bourne starter Ryan Sullivan from the start. Cody West’s double put two runners in scoring position for Patrick Fitzgibbons (2-for-4), who brought both in with a triple. Liam Flynn doubled in another for a 3-0 lead with no outs, and Donovan needed to make a pitching change.
Bringing in Luca Finton proved the perfect call.
Outside of early command issues that contributed toward a 4-0 deficit, the sophomore slowed down the red-hot Golden Hawks by frequently working himself out of whatever trouble he got into, allowing just two runs (one earned) on two hits, five walks and seven strikeouts over six innings of relief.
“I was just thinking ‘I need to shut them down here, I need to focus up – lock in, pump strikes,” Finton said.
The offense fed off of his performance.
Ferreira’s leadoff single in the second started a string of four straight batters to reach safely, bringing in two runs. White made it 4-4 with a two-run triple, bringing new life to Bourne.
Finton struck out the side in the third and drew soft contact in the fourth to keep the score knotted, and the Canalmen erupted again in the fourth. White’s single loaded the bases with no outs, Jacob Lewis drove in two with a double, Finton drove in two more with a triple, and another Ferreira single put Bourne in full control up 9-4.
“I think (Finton’s outing) just kept our offense going,” Ferreira said. “It really helped us (rally).
Sullivan didn’t hang his head too much after failing to get an out in his start. His two-run single with the bases loaded in the second inning brought home Bourne’s first two runs.
“They all want to perform, they all want to be the guy,” Donovan said. “It’s so awesome when you have nine out of 11, or 11-11, going after it, trying to be the guy for the team.”