NORTH ANDOVER — Just in case Brandon Walsh's storybook freshman season needed any more theatre, the phenom added his most dramatic moment to date at the most important time.
Not in the starting lineup because he was feeling under the weather, Walsh came off the bench in the seventh and blasted his first home run of the season — a blast to center field that cleared the fence — to give North Andover a 4-3 walkoff win over Burlington in the Division 2 North quarterfinals last night.
"I was just thinking about getting on base," said Walsh, who twice loosened up for a possible relief role on the mound. "The first pitch was a fastball and I knew if I got another one I was going to sit back on it."
The victory sends the Scarlet Knights to the Division 2 North semifinals against Dracut tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Alumni Field in Lowell.
Walsh's relief appearance never became a necessity because the Knights received seven strong innings from senior Aaron Brunette. He was at his best in the clutch, shutting the Devils out over the final three innings.
"(Brunette) gave it his all today and we weren't going to let him down," said Walsh.
Brunette allowed three runs through the first four innings, and was flirting with disaster in the fourth when Burlington opened up a three-run edge and threatened for more.
"Today wasn't my best (game), but I battled through it and turned it around," said Brunette who worked a ground out and strikeout to forgo further damage in the fourth. From there, he allowed just three more baserunners.
But while Brunette was keeping Burlington's bats quiet, North Andover's were just as silent. The team that pounded out 17 hits on Saturday, during a 17-2 win opening-round win over Wilmington, sent the minimum nine to the plate in the first three innings.
Trailing 3-0, Ryan Sifferlen solved Burlington lefty Kyle Camilleri when he singled to lead off the fourth. A Brad Patnaude walk gave North Andover its first threat of the day, and the Knights cashed in their first run when Sifferlen swiped third and scored on the catcher's overthrow.
"Early on, we were pressing a little too much," said Brunette who kept the rally going with a deep shot that landed for a ground rule double that scored Patnaude.
But North Andover could not cross the equalizer in the fourth and then went 1-2-3 in the fifth.
"He (Camilleri) was throwing with low velocity," said North Andover head coach Todd Dulin. "We are a team that would rather see someone throwing 80 (miles per hour) at us instead of 70."
Sifferlen walked to open the sixth and quickly made his way to third with a stolen base and wild pitch.
A walk to Patnaude put runners at the corner before Paul Pollano tied the game with a sacrifice fly to left.
Brunette faced trouble in the seventh after issuing a leadoff walk. But when Connor Walsh snared a line drive at third and doubled off the runner, the threat went away, setting stage for the younger Walsh to end the drama.
"I had a good feeling that we were going to pull it out and my teammates would back me up," said Brunette. "I was ready to pitch more if I had to."
North Andover 4, Burlington 3
Division 2 North quarterfinals
Burlington (3): Justin Fico ss 4-0-1, Kyle Camilleri p 3-0-0, Steve McLean 3b 3-0-0, Paul Conceison lf 3-0-1, Tim O'Meara 2b 3-2-2, Joe Yeadon 1b 2-1-1, Sam Cummings dh 3-0-1, Brian Trait cf 3-0-0, Dan Bortolami rf 2-0-0, Alex Castellucco ph 0-0-0, Ryan Moran c 0-0-0. Totals 26-3-6
North Andover (4): Ryan Sifferlen cf 1-2-1, Brad Patnaude ss 1-1-0, Michael Weisman 1b 1-0-0, Paul Pollano 1b 1-0-0, Connor Walsh 3-0-1, Aaron Brunette p 3-0-1, Mike Levy 3-0-0, Alec Jillson dh 3-0-0, Nick Waszczuk rf 2-0-0, Brandon Walsh ph 1-1-1, Juan Areces lf 2-0-0, Nick Blanks 2b 0-0-0. Totals 21-4-4
RBI: NA — Brunette, Pollano, Walsh
WP: Brunette; LP: Camilleri
Burlington (15-7):0âÇ1âÇ0âÇ2âÇ0âÇ0âÇ0 — 3
North Andover (18-4):0âÇ0âÇ0âÇ2âÇ0âÇ1âÇ1 — 4
