HAVERHILL — Junior Dillon Ryan was masterful for Whittier, striking out 10 while spinning a two-hitter.
But Swampscott's Hunter Gordon did him one better, striking out 11 to power the Big Blue to a 1-0 win in the first round of the Division 3 North Sectional.
Swampscott, the 16th seed, eliminated the top-seeded Wildcats on the arm of their senior flamethrower, who will attend Boston College this fall on a baseball scholarship.
"He's the reason we won the game," Swampscott head coach T.J. Baril said.
In addition to a 90 mph fastball, Gordon also throws a looping curveball and a changeup that dances to keep opposing batters off balance.
Ryan did his part, retiring 14 batters in a row before he plunked John Pelletier on the ankle with two outs in the top of the seventh with the score still tied 0-0.
Matt Barbuzzi followed with a shot to right that rolled between the end of the fence and the foul line. Despite nearly rounding third (Pelletier had already scored) by the time the ball came to a rest, Barbuzzi was forced back to second (and Pelletier back to third) when the play was ruled a ground-rule double.
"That was a smart play by Nate (Allen, the right fielder) knowing the ground rules," Whittier head coach Joe Boland said. "We had our smart plays today, like that one that saved a run, and we had our not-so-smart plays. Nate's play was a smart play."
With no one holding him at second, Barbuzzi trotted to a sizable lead, forcing Ryan to fire a pickoff attempt to second baseman Jon Tannian, who was in mid-stride hustling to the bag. As soon as the ball left Ryan's hand, Pelletier broke for the plate.
Tannian hurled the ball to the plate, but it sailed over the head of catcher Colby Starner, allowing Pelletier to cross with the go-ahead run.
"Pelletier is probably our fastest runner," said Baril, whose club drubbed Lowell Catholic, 23-1, in the opening round. "We were trying to get that run home any way that we could. We executed perfectly on that play."
Boland said, "If they were going to beat us, I would have rather of had it been with their bats. We played right into what they were trying to do. They were smarter on the other bench today, what can I say? We were out-coached.
"Dillon pitched a heck of a ballgame. I told him afterwards that he has nothing to be ashamed of, we wouldn't have been here without him."
Gordon fanned the side in the bottom of the seventh on just 11 pitches to end the Wildcats' season.
Swampscott 1, Whittier 0
Division 3 North first round
Swampscott (1): Hunter Gordon p 3-0-1, Shane Coffey c 3-0-0, John Pelletier 1b 3-1-0, Matt Barbuzzi dh 3-0-1, Justin Massey ss 3-0-0, Mike Gillis cf 3-0-0, Casey Collins 3b 2-0-0, Steve Moran cf 2-0-0, Chris Cameron lf 2-0-0. Totals 24-1-2
Whittier Tech (0): Steve Surette cf 2-0-1, Billy Lafferty ss 3-0-1, Steve Clark 1b 2-0-0, Damian Colman 3b 3-0-1, Nate Allen rf 3-0-1, Dillon Ryan p 3-0-2, Jon Tannian 2b 3-0-0, Dennis Asselin lf 2-0-0, Colby Starner c 2-0-0. Totals 23-0-6
RBI: None
WP: Gordon; LP: Ryan
Swampscott (17-4):0âÇ0âÇ0âÇ0âÇ0âÇ0âÇ1 — 1
Whittier Tech (12-9):0âÇ0âÇ0âÇ0âÇ0âÇ0âÇ0 — 0
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