Vasil Does One Better, Throws Complete Game to Lead BC High to Super Eight Semifinal

Sean O'Connell (pictured) scampers home on a Dave Driscoll RBI single 

Photo by Eamon Convey (@ConveyWEEI)

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Brockton, Mass. – One week after throwing seven shutout innings, Mike Vasil managed to be better.

On Thursday afternoon, Vasil fired a complete game shutout, striking out 13 and throwing 30 of 33 first pitch strikes as No. 1 BC High defeated eight-seeded Walpole, 9-0, to advance to the Super Eight Semifinal at Campanelli Stadium.

BC High (18-6) will face Central Catholic on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the right to play Franklin in the Super Eight Final.

In all, Vasil threw 109 pitches featuring predominantly a two-seam fastball that hovered between 91 and 92 miles per hour and a sharp breaking ball. Vasil has struck out 26 hitters and fallen behind in the count 2-0 twice over his last 17 innings.

MIAA Baseball: Preview and Picks for Today's Super Eight Elimination Games

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Four more Super Eight teams are trying to keep their seasons alive tonight when a pair of elimination games get underway at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton.

First, at 4pm, Walpole looks to win its second consecutive elimination game while St. John’s Prep looks to rebound from a quarterfinal loss to Franklin. Then in the night-cap, the top two seeds in No. 1 BC High and No. 2 Wachusett will battle it out for a right to advance to Wednesday afternoon.

Here are our previews and predictions for the two Super Eight elimination games set to get underway later todaty.

Walpole Turns the Page After Big Hornets' Comeback, Stays Alive in Super Eight Play

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Nearly 30 minutes after Walpole thought they had made Super Eight history, the Rebels finally put it in the book.

After seeing Mansfield rally for five two-out runs in the bottom of the ninth off of starter Matt Donato, Walpole answered with three runs of their own in the top of the tenth highlighted by a Tyler Page go-ahead RBI double. In bottom half of the frame, Rebels’ reliever Matt Chamoun worked around a one out error to close it out as Walpole defeated Mansfield in 10 innings, 10-7, in an elimination on Friday night at Campanelli Stadium.

Walpole advances to play the loser of Saturday’s quarterfinal matchup between St. John’s Prep and Franklin. Mansfield finishes its season at 19-5.

MIAA Baseball: Super Eight Opening Round Preview and Picks

St. John's Prep right-hander Jake Sanderson is expected to get the ball in game on.

Photo by Eamon Convey (@ConveyWEEI)

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Wednesday afternoon marks the opening round of this year's Division 1A "Super Eight" tournament. A number of intriguing matchups are on the table as No. 8 Walpole travels to No. 1 BC High, the only team with 20 wins in the tournament in Wachsuett hosts No. 7 Franklin, No. 6 Lexington heads up to No. 3 St. John's Prep, and Mansfield on a 15-game winning streak takes a trip to No. 4 Central Catholic.

Here are our previews and picks for the four opening round games. You can click here for our full Super Eight primer and tournament picks from yesterday.

Schlittler Comes up Aces to Lead Walpole Past Brookline

By Matt Feld (@MattyFeld612)

Walpole, Mass. – As the postseason nears, one area Walpole certainly will not be fretting about is its starting staff.

On Monday afternoon, Cam Schlittler turned in a dominant performance throwing a complete game allowing just one run on three hits while walking no one and striking out 10 as Walpole defeated Brookline, 5-1, in a Bay State Conference battle at Bird Middle School.

Schlittler was perfect through five innings on just 53 pitches, but Warriors’ pinch hitter Josh Miyazawa broke up the bid with a line drive single to center field to begin the sixth. Miyazawa later scored in the inning on Noah Thomas’ RBI double for Brookline’s only run of the game.

Matt Donato Makes the Road Trip for Walpole a Homey One

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

By the time the game ended, Matt Donato had Walpole feeling right at home.

With the Rebels and Xaverian tied at two in the bottom half of the eighth, Donato drilled a walk-off single to left center field to send Walpole home with a 3-2 win over the Hawks on Tuesday afternoon at Xaverian Brothers High School.

Despite it being Walpole’s home game, the game was played at Xaverian due to field conditions at Walpole High.