By Mike Grenier
BRISTOL, Conn. — The Peabody West Little League all-star team has been playing, and winning, at such a frenetic pace this summer that it's been difficult for the players to have any sense of history.
But they're finally getting the hang of it.
"My coach said we're one of the 16 best teams in the world," Peabody West standout Austin Batchelor said Saturday on what will surely be one of the most memorable days of his life.
The coach, Dan Marchese, wasn't exaggerating or boasting when he made that statement. It's now etched in stone.
After yet another tension-filled, drama-drenched late game rally that resulted in an 11-7 victory over Lincoln, R.I., in the New England Regional championship, Peabody West is advancing to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
Like Marchese said, it puts Peabody West in very exclusive company. There are only eight teams from the U.S. who make it to Williamsport. The other eight qualifiers are from various parts of the globe.
Peabody West is also a history maker on another front. It's the first time that any team from District 15, which includes many cities and towns from the North Shore, has ever gone this far. Peabody West, which plays San Antonio, Texas, in its opening round game Friday night (8 p.m.) in Williamsport, did it by compiling an astonishing 17-0 tournament record, including 6-0 in the New England Regional.
"I haven't realized it yet ... how we got there and all that," said pitcher/slugger extraordinaire Matt Hosman. "It's amazing."
It was Hosman who administered the coup de grace in the bottom of the sixth with a majestic grand slam walk-off homer that snapped a 7-7 tie and undoubtedly triggered hotel reservation requests in Williamsport by many Peabody parents.
Give the Rhode Island team a ton of credit. This was Peabody West's hardest game of the regional. Rhode Island built leads of 5-1 and 6-2 before Peabody West climbed back into it with a two-run homer by Batchelor (3 for 3 overall with a pair of home runs) that made it 6-4, and then a huge two-run blast by Sean McGrath in the fifth that created a 6-6 tie.
However, Rhode Island scratched out the go-ahead run (sacrifice fly by Chris Leclaire) in the top of the sixth off Peabody West reliever, and eventual winner, Matt "The Rat" Correale, making it 7-6.
Peabody West, which had staged magnificent comeback wins against Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Connecticut earlier in the week, was down to its last breath. But those do-or-die situations are when manager Dave Batchelor's team has been at its absolute best.
"They had hit Austin (who allowed six runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings as the starter) and they hit Hosman (earlier in the tourney). Rhode Island is a very good team," said Batchelor. "But I told the kids to just hang in there. Before we went out there today, I told the kids we were going to hit and score runs. There was no doubt in my mind. But we had to stay under control."
That's precisely what Peabody West did. It just seemed to shrug off the pressure in a big situation. Nick Bona led off the inning with a single to right and A.J. DiFillipo followed with an opposite field single to right. Matt Gonick then walked to load the bases.
That brought up Correale, who, at 4-foot-6, has one of the smallest strike zones in America. Sure enough, Leclaire walked him to load the bases.
"I was just trying to get on first," said The Rat, "so 'Hoz' (Hosman) could get up."
Hosman, who entered the game with four homers and an .800 batting average in the regional tourney, wasted no time, cranking a no-doubt-about-it shot that won it.
"He's been incredible the whole way through," said Batchelor, talking about Hosman. "He struck out three times today (against tough Rhode Island starter Jeff Sheehan), but the only (at bat) that matters is the last one, right?"
There was so much at stake in this game that it got to Hosman at times. "I felt like throwing up," he admitted. But he regained his composure and finished 2 for 5.
Rhode Island might have been able to put Peabody West away if not for the exceptional relief pitching by left-handed Correale, who stopped the bleeding when it was 6-2 in the fourth.
"It's amazing how he gets it done every single time," said Austin Batchelor. "I wish sometimes he could be pitching instead of me because he's going to get it done better than me. They think it'll be easy to hit him, but then he blows it right by them. It's incredible."
After a slow start, Peabody West finished with 11 hits. DiFillipo was 2 for 4, joining Hosman and Batchelor on the multiple hit list. Traverse Briana, Matt Gonick, Bona and McGrath each chipped in a hit. On a day like this, with a berth to Williamsport on the line, every hit and every pitch was significant.
"I don't know what to say," said Dave Batchelor. "I don't even know what to think right now. I knew we had a good team, but I never imagined all this stuff that's happening to us. The more we play, the better we're getting, so who knows (what will happen next)?"
What happens next is the long bus ride to Williamsport. It shouldn't be too tough to take when you're one of the best 16 teams in the world.
