BOXFORD — Masconomet trailed by a run early yesterday, but a big fourth-inning rally put the Chieftains on top en route to a 4-1 win against nonleague opponent Beverly in a Mother’s Day baseball matinee.
In the fourth, Jack Steen ripped a two-run single to left-center field, giving Masco (12-1) a lead it would not relinquish.
“He’s locked in,” Chieftains coach T.J. Baril said of Steen. “He is one of the most intense baseball players we’ve ever had. He wants to be up in the big spot. He’s been waiting for his opportunity and he’s not giving it back.”
Beverly’s next try at the plate showed promise, as the Panthers (8-4) loaded the bases with no outs. Chieftains pitcher Greg Dougherty fanned the next batter. Garret Desmond, who drove in the loan Beverly run in the first, then missed on a suicide squeeze attempt. Masco caught Anthony Morrissey in a rundown between third and home, then tagged out Frank DiOrio trying to reach third base for an inning ending double play.
“Earlier in the year we kind of got burned in that situation, so I give the team credit,” Baril said. “We’ve seen it, we’ve learned from it, we’ve worked hard at it and we didn’t get burned this time.”
Masco added to their lead in the sixth, wracking up four hits in the inning — including an RBI single from Sal Cioto, who scored later in the inning on a Kosta Hantzis single up the middle.
Dougherty finished off his six-hit complete game with a perfect final frame that included a pair of strikeouts.
“Greg has transformed into a starting pitcher for us,” Baril said. “He’s athletic, he throws a ton of strikes.”
