'We’re just glad we can get back': Defending Division 3 baseball state champion Oakmont punches return trip ticket to Final Four

ASHBURNHAM — The Oakmont Regional baseball team made history last June when it won a state title for first time in the program’s 63 seasons .

And with a returning roster led by seven seniors, including a quartet of four-year starters, optimism and expectations for running it back were abundant and boundless when the Spartans gathered for their first practice in mid-March.

“The only time we addressed (repeating) at all was the first practice of the year,” coach Tim Caouette said. “That was the one time we talked about it, and we said, ‘This is a different year, but as far as we’re concerned it’s ours until it’s not.’ ”

Well, with summer drawing near, the year still belongs to the Spartans as they combined exemplary pitching, timely hitting and dynamic defense to defeat Bishop Stang, 5-0, on Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the Division 3 state tournament at Dennis Driscoll Park.

The second-seeded Spartans (20-3) advanced to meet No. 4 Apponequet Regional (18-5) or No. 12 Sandwich (16-6) on Tuesday in a semifinal at a time and place to be determined.

No. 11 Bishop Stang, whose strength of schedule was ranked first among the 70 teams in D3, finished 10-11 after losing for the fourth time — by a total of eight runs — in the 12 past games.

“To be honest, we expected this at the beginning of the year,” said senior Caleb Allen, a four-year starter along with Sam Curtis, Ben Forbes and Ty Curtis.

“We worked our butt off this year, and we’re just glad we can get back. It’s a good feeling; it definitely is.”

Allen allowed three hits — all singles — and issued two walks while striking out seven to record his second complete-game shutout of the postseason.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound righty faced 25 batters and needed 86 pitches to go the distance. He was in one jam and emerged unscathed after inducing a groundout to leave the bases loaded in the fifth.

“I felt really good out there,” Allen said. “My curveball was working well, my slider not so much. But the curveball worked great, and my teammates made the plays. I’m just happy we got the win.”

While the Spartans committed a pair of infield errors, they turned three double plays.

Sam Curtis, at second base, displayed great athleticism by leaping high in the second inning and leaning low in the sixth for putouts before doubling the runner off first each time. Allen then spun a deuce when he snagged a comebacker and tossed to first in the seventh.

“We take pride in our defense,” said Curtis, who is headed to Assumption University, where he’s going to attempt the tough twin task of playing football and baseball.

“It’s a big thing for us. Coach (Gregg) Picucci every practice, all day, we take pride in that.”

Offensively, the Spartans mustered six hits, two walks and a hit batter while three batters reached via error. All their runs came with two outs.

Allen drove in Curtis from second with a single in the first, and that’s how it stood until sophomore J.J. Walker raced home on a single by junior Johnny Losordo, who then scored on one of Bishop Stang’s three errors to extend the lead to 3-0 after five.

“I went up with full confidence because I knew I had a guy on second base,” Losordo said. “First pitch right down the middle, curveball, and I just hung in there and drove it up the middle. J.J. came around and scored like I knew he would.”

Walker had a pair of hits, the second being a two-run triple that drove in Forbes and junior Jake O’Day in the sixth.

The Spartans have scored nine runs thus far in the tournament, but that’s been plenty considering Allen and Forbes have combined to give up six hits — yes, six — and zero — that’s right, zero — runs in 21 innings.

And, again, the defense has been steady to spectacular.

“Pitching and defense,” Caouette said, repeating himself for emphasis. “Hitting is hard. Everybody who plays baseball knows hitting a baseball is the toughest thing in sports.

“And that comes and goes, but if you can pitch, and you can play D, you’re going to be in every game.”

—Contact Rich Garven at rgarven@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @RichGarvenTG.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 'We’re just glad we can get back': Defending Division 3 baseball state champion Oakmont punches return trip ticket to Final Four