Scoring 30 runs on 26 hits in two games and allowing a total of zero runs, Andover Boys Baseball swept Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) in a doubleheader on Saturday, bringing its record to 7-2 for the season.
Andover secured the first game of the doubleheader with a score of 11-0. Captain Robby Cerulle ’17 started the first game on the mound with help from Cam Garfield ’17 and Post-Graduate (PG) Henry Ennen ’17. The trio was able to keep NMH to just six hits and no runs.
PG Matt Cerfolio ’17 and Captain Taylor Beckett ’17 both landed hits all three of the three times they stepped up to bat, driving in three runs apiece.
Starting catcher Tristan Latham ’19 was one triple away from hitting for a cycle. Latham finished with a single, double, and pair of homeruns.
Andover came out strong from the start and never looked back, maintaining and building on its early lead throughout the rest of the game.
Anthony Redfern ’18 said, “[Head Coach Kevin Graber] and our coaching staff always stresses to score early. We were able to do that against NMH.”
In the second game of the doubleheader, Andover defeated NMH by an even bigger margin, securing a 19-0 victory. Redfern, Jordan Aucoin ’17, and Jackson Emus ’19 all pitched in the second game. The three pitchers held NMH scoreless, only allowing four hits in the dominant shutout.
Beckett had a perfect batting average for the second consecutive game, knocking in five RBI’s on the day. Kai Marcos ’18, Travis Lane ’18, Cerulle, Cerfolio, and Latham were all able to manage two hits.
Marcos said, “No matter the score, we competed and found ways to get better. We competed against ourselves each pitch, each groundball, each steal break, and in each at bat. We are looking to keep this momentum going through the rest of the season.”
The doubleheader added two league wins to Andover’s league record of 4-1 in the New England Central division.
Redfern said, “This weekend gave us two huge league wins moving forward and furthered the team’s confidence in our pitching. It’s great to have this kind of momentum and confidence in the defensive and offensive play that the team has right now. This is exactly what we needed to go into the last three weeks of the league play with, especially prior to playoffs.”
Andover will square off against Groton this Friday and face arch-rival Phillips Exeter Academy in another doubleheader on Saturday.
