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Baseball

Facing postseason elimination against Deerfield Academy in a doubleheader this weekend, Andover grinded out two crucial victories with timely hitting and strong pitching to secure a spot in the Central New England Prep School Baseball League (CNESPBL) Tournament.

After a slow start to the season, Andover found itself on the brink of playoff elimination and both Deerfield and Andover were fighting for the final spot in the tourney. Tabor, Cushing and Worcester Academy had already earned spots earlier in the season.

The first game of the doubleheader featured a lights-out pitching performance from Andy Hamel ’14, who threw 76 pitches en route to a complete game 2-0 win. Payton Jancsy ’16 drove in John Festa ’15 in the first inning, giving Andover a lead it would not relinquish. Chris Hohlstein ’15 later doubled, bringing in Nick Gorski ’14 to pad the lead.

After Hamel’s pitching performance in Game One, Andover still found itself needing one more win to qualify for the playoffs, and behind Tim Salvadore’s ’15 six-inning, three-run outing, Andover squeaked by Deerfield 4-3.

Down 3-2 in the fifth inning with its playoff hopes slipping away, Kevin Superko ’14 ripped a triple into the gap to drive in the game-tying and winning runs.

The second win of the day did not come without drama —Thomas Lane ’15 had to pitch his way out of a bases-loaded jam to earn the playoff-clinching save in the seventh inning.

“We knew our backs were against the wall because both teams were fighting for a playoff spot and we knew that we needed to win both to keep this dream alive,” said Jancsy. “All of the pitchers did a great job and kept us in the game, and when we needed hits, we got them.”

After beating Deerfield twice, Andover traveled to Tabor for a preview of the first round of the playoffs. The game was knotted at one run apiece for the first few innings, but Andover broke away late to win 9-1. Hohlstein rocketed his second home run of the game in the seventh inning, putting an exclamation point on a well-rounded win.

After winning seven of its last eight games, Andover has significant momentum heading into its matchup against Tabor.

“These past few wins have been huge for us,” said Lane. “We’ve been on a nice little streak going into the playoffs and that’s really important for us heading into the biggest games of the year.”