Hurricane hurlers all pitched in
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The Amherst Regional baseball team's incredible run to the state final is all due to its pitching staff.
With the attention going to senior lefty Kevin Ziomek, Hurricane pitchers Dean Bonneau and Derek Osborne went unnoticed during the season. That changed when the pressure mounted during the tournament and Bonneau and Osborne took their place alongside their classmate.
The two right-handers have combined with Ziomek, the Gatorade Player of the Year in Massachusetts, to allow a combined one run on 11 hits with 41 strikeouts and nine walks over four games and 30 innings.
The staff earned run average for the postseason is a microscopic 0.23.
"We've had confidence in them all along and we know that's what they can do," junior catcher Steffen Herter said. "They haven't had their best performances all year but they're both delivering in the playoffs when we need them to, when the lights are on and when it gets tight out there."
Amherst knew what it was going to get from Ziomek, who had signed to play at Vanderbilt University and was recently drafted by Arizona in the 13th round of Major League Baseball's first-year draft.
Ziomek is 8-1 with three saves and a 0.93 ERA. He has struck out 117, walked 18 and allowed 25 hits over 60-1/3 innings. Ziomek's final start will be against Xaverian (15-10) on Saturday in the state Division 1 title game at 6:30 p.m. at LeLacheur Park in Lowell. Amherst (17-7) is in the state championship for the first time since 1941, when it lost to Somerville in its only appearance.
While Ziomek pitched the Hurricanes past Chicopee in the quarterfinals and Cathedral on three days rest in the semifinals, it was Bonneau and Osborne, who shut down East Longmeadow and Wachusett respectively, who worked magic on the biggest stage.
"We have a great group of kids with a lot of heart," Ziomek said. "I think that's what it takes and we've shown that we can win some big ball games."
Bonneau was tremendous in the sectional final, a 1-0 win Monday over East Longmeadow. He struck out eight, walked two and allowed three hits in the complete-game shutout.
Bonneau routinely pitched out of tough spots as the Spartans stranded eight runners, four in scoring position.
His performance was remarkable because he only threw 18 innings prior to the postseason. Bonneau "tweaked" something in his back during a preseason game and was limited on the mound and at the plate until his back healed.
To prepare Bonneau for the postseason, Amherst coach Greg Vouros skipped Osborne's final regular season start in favor of Bonneau on May 25th against Longmeadow. Bonneau fanned 11 and tossed a two-hitter in a 3-1 Amherst win.
Vouros "really gave me time to heal and it was nice because over the second half of the season and into the playoffs my back felt great and I was able to make some good pitches," Bonneau said. "I didn't pitch as much, but down the stretch I was able to get some innings in."
That performance was key in the eyes of Vouros, who elected to go with Bonneau over Ziomek, on three days rest again, or Osborne, who hadn't thrown since May 20.
"That Longmeadow game showed us what he was capable of and that's why we gave him the ball in the title game," Vouros said. "I would do it again and again."
The fact that Osborne hadn't pitched in nearly a month didn't deter Vouros from giving him the ball in the state semifinals, a 5-0 win on Tuesday over Wachusett Regional.
"I was most proud of Derek for the fact that he totally took advantage of that situation and didn't get down," Vouros said. "There was no one I'd rather give the ball to than him."
Osborne shut the Mountaineers down. He allowed two hits and two walks through eight innings before his pitch count caught up to him. He allowed two hits and a walk in the ninth before giving way to Ziomek, who fanned the final two batters.
Osborne left to a standing ovation and quickly realized who was closing the game.
"I was upset that I didn't finish it but there's not much you can do," Osborne said. "I was little tired. I have total confidence that Kevin will finish a game for me."
The feeling among the entire staff is mutual.
Mike Moran can be reached at mmoran@gazettenet.com.
