WESTBOROUGH – On a five-game skid, Shrewsbury needed starting pitcher Drew Vincequere to be sharp.
But Vincequere was more than sharp. On May 13, Vincequere’s complete-game, eight-strikeout performance stole the show, leading the Colonials past Westborough, 6-2, as the Rangers celebrated Senior Night.
“We always talk about how important our starting pitching is. If we can get a solid, competitive start out of someone, it’s going to give us a chance to win, and Drew not only gave us a chance to win today, he was on top of his game… He battled hard, he threw strikes, and when he got behind in the count, he battled back,” Shrewsbury Head Coach Lee Diamantopoulos said.
Vincequere retired the first 13 Westborough batters to open the game, remaining perfect until midway through the fifth inning. The Rangers’ first hit – a single by Joe Marino – came in the seventh inning. While Westborough plated two runs later in the seventh, all in all, Vincequere effectively shut down the Rangers’ offense, and his three-hitter gave the Colonials every opportunity to break their five-game losing streak.
“I was just going out there, playing. We were on a little bit of a losing streak… so I wanted to get us our first ‘W’ and get us back on the road. We’ve just got to stay together – that’s the most important thing,” Vincequere said.
The Colonials’ offense was also strong throughout the contest. Westborough pitcher Dylan Fischer dominated the last time he competed against Shrewsbury, leading his team to a 5-0 win on April 29 while hurling a complete-game, four-hit shutout on only 58 pitches. This time, the Colonials struck early and often.
“Baseball can be a funny game. It was just that day – we’re feeling a little more comfortable and seeing the ball a little better. I think we walked into Westborough today pretty confident, and it was nice to see the kids back that up. It started with the mindset,” Diamantopoulos told the Community Advocate.
Led by singles from JJ Ferguson – who went 2-2 with a double and two stolen bases – and Colby Coghlin, the Colonials led 1-0 after the first inning. The back half of Shrewsbury’s order produced in the fourth inning, with back-to-back hits from Owen Mongeon (3-4, 3 1B) and Colin Yeaton (2-3, 2B) putting the Colonials ahead 3-0.
“I feel like it was our patience at the dish that was really on our side. We drove the ball, found gaps, and scored runs,” said Ferguson.
Shrewsbury didn’t stop there. After Jack Kamin’s lead-off homer opened the fifth inning, the Colonials nearly batted around the order. An extra-base hit from Ferguson and Mongeon’s 2RBI single helped Shrewsbury take a 6-0 lead.
“It was nice to see. We put very good at-bats in. Hitting can be contagious and it was nice to see… people hitting the ball well. Hopefully that’s indicative of what we can do the rest of the season,” said Diamantopoulos.
While the Rangers couldn’t have been happy with the loss, the team celebrated Senior Night after the game nonetheless. Each of the team’s five seniors – Marco Micucci, Andy Cerniglia, Nick Bellofatto, Brendan Martel and Marino – took the field beside their parents, and snacks were available for the athletes postgame.
“This is the first group that’s had four years in a while because of COVID. It’s been great. They’ve been a steadying force for us. This year probably hasn’t gone quite the way they were hoping, but they’re a good group of kids. They show our group the right way to do things, and I’m proud of that,” Westborough Head Coach Scott Kittredge said.
