Bonneau pitches Amherst to baseball title
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CHICOPEE - The mound visit was quick and to the point.
Amherst Regional coach Greg Vouros briefly talked with his infield with two outs in the seventh inning Monday night. The tying run was at first and East Longmeadow scored two runs with two outs in the seventh to win against Westfield in the semifinals.
"He just calmed everyone down," Amherst pitcher Dean Bonneau said. "It was an adrenaline rush and he helps us keep our composure."
"That (semifinal comeback) was in the back of my mind," catcher Steffen Herter said. "They know how to get it done - we just needed to be tough."
Like he had done the entire game, Bonneau rose to the occasion when the pressure mounted and the right-hander struck out Ken Morrisino to seal the No. 4-seeded Hurricanes' 1-0 victory in the Western Massachusetts Division 1 Tournament title game at Szot Park.
"That was a real good team we beat," Bonneau said. "We stuck to our plan and that's what we did. You can#t do it much better than that."
The sectional title was Amherst's fifth and first since 2006. The Hurricanes (16-7) will face central Massachusetts champion Wachusett (18-8) in the state semifinals at 7 tonight at Szot Park. Wachusett won the central Massachusetts championship Monday with a 12-4 win over St. John#s.
Amherst is attempting to reach the state final for the first time since their only visit in 1941, a loss to Somerville.
"It's different. It feels different," said Vouros, who was an assistant when the Hurricanes won in 2006. "That was an unbelievable experience and this one, this was our goal all year. We peaked at the right time. This is a special win for these guys."
Bonneau, who had battled a back injury through most of the season, was brilliant as he matched Spartans sophomore Steve Moyers (four hits, eight strikeouts, no walks). Bonneau allowed three hits, struck out eight and walked two on 111 pitches.
"You have to work it all around" against East Longmeadow, Bonneau said. "My curve felt great and it helped me keep them off balance.
Fastball was feeling good too. We were working in and out and to set up the curve. Steffen and Vouros called a great game."
Unlike Moyers, Bonneau faced some adversity but came through each time. Bonneau stranded eight runners, including six from the third to sixth innings. Of those eight runners four were in scoring position.
"No one on this team really gets rattled," Bonneau said. "We kept our composure."
The trouble started in the fourth when an error allowed leadoff hitter Frank Calabrese to reach first for the second-seeded Spartans (19-4). A balk sent Calabrese to second and a wild pitch moved him to third, all with no outs. But Bonneau fanned the next two hitters on six pitches and then fielded a come-backer to end the inning.
"He is the definition of clutch, especially tonight," Hurricanes second baseman Zak Tanne said. "He finds a way to get the strikeout, fly out, groundout, anything we need."
In the fifth No. 9 hitter Sean Harrington worked a two-out walk for East Longmeadow. Mike Ahmed then walked and a passed ball moved both into scoring position.
But Morrisino struck out to end the inning.
Bonneau stranded two more hitters in the sixth. He hit Calabrese to open the frame. Rob Mack hit a towering fly ball behind second base that fell in. Left-fielder Kevin Ziomek fielded the ball and threw to second to force out pinch runner Ryan Mickiewicz.
Moyers then singled to left to put runners at first and second. But Mike Barthelette flied to right and James Christensen hit into a 1-4-6 force at second to end the inning.
"He bore down with guys on base and really got tough," Vouros said of Bonneau. "He showed what he was made of and that's what it takes to win. You have to be able to step up when the pressure's on. He certainly showed he can do that."
Moyers, who suffered his first career loss after 15 straight wins, was outstanding, mixing three pitches and keeping the Hurricanes off-balance.
"He didn't walk anyone and he has confidence in three pitches," Vouros said. "His breaking ball was fooling our guys even when it wasn't a strike."
Amherst scored its lone run in the third.
Moyers retired eight straight to open the game until Tanne singled to left. It appeared Moyers was going to escape the inning when he caught Tanne at first in a rundown. But the senior slid to the outside of second base to avoid the inside tag and was safe.
It#s the "little things," Tanne said. "Every day in practice we're practicing bunting, sliding, stealing ... fielding every single possible ground ball imaginable. We've been doing everything all year long just for this, in case it happens."
On the next pitch Herter singled to right. Tanne was waved home and avoided another tag with a smart play. Barthelette fielded the throw at home up the third-base line and attempted a low, swipe tag. But instead of sliding Tanne raced across home for the run.
"It's little plays that show the heart we have," Herter said.
Amherst threatened again in the fourth. Bobby Carkhuff and Sean Cunningham had back-to-back, one-out singles but Ziomek struck out and Bonneau popped to short to end the inning. Moyers then retired the final nine Amherst hitters, including the last three on four pitches.
Moyers threw 67 pitches.
"I knew he'd be here tonight doing his job and we're happy to get that one off him," Vouros said. "Fortunately it was enough."
Mike Moran can be reached at mmoran@gazettenet.com.
