LOWELL — Forget the eight losses on their slate, Plymouth North is a Division 2 baseball monster.
The defending state champions, who were floundering in early May with a 7-6 record, made North Andover victim No. 11 in the last 13 games, dousing the Knights, 8-0, in the Eastern Mass. championship game before about 800 fans here at Alumni Field.
"We play an awesome schedule, and we could feel our confidence build up," said Plymouth North coach Dwayne Folette. "We're playing very well right now, and our good players are great players."
Southpaw Jeff Agnew, the Eagles' No. 2A starter, three-hit North Andover, striking out seven with a pair of walks.
"When he throws strikes, he's dangerous," said Folette of the junior, who stretched his scoreless streak to 171âÑ3 innings. "I can't explain it, he's just tough to hit. He did the same thing against a very good Bishop Feehan team (in the South semifinals).
A slow start didn't help matters for the Knights, who finish the history-making campaign at 20-5.
Three errors in three innings contributed directly to the Eagles' early 2-0 advantage. Meanwhile, Agnew carried a no-hitter into the fourth.
"Commit three errors with just three hits and you can't expect to win the game," said Knights coach Todd Dulin. "Slow lefties, I don't know. He just kept us off balance all day. I talked to the Bishop Feehan coach, and he said the same thing, like I don't know how we ended the game without scoring a run."
North Andover never really solved the southpaw, but had chances to make things interesting in both the fourth and the fifth.
First, Connor Walsh singled up the middle, and with two outs, Mike Levy laced a line-hugging double to right. Agnew then induced an infield groundout from Paul Pollano to end that one.
In the fifth, a Brandon Walsh infield pop got lost in the lights and Juan Areces reached on an error with nobody out.
Agnew got nasty again, retiring Ryan Sifferlen on a deep fly to right and then getting a double-play ball to short.
Granted a reprieve, the Eagles, who will face either Auburn or Greenfield Mt. Greylock for the state title Saturday, went for the kill, plating a run in the fifth and five more in the sixth.
North Andover sophomore Mike Weisman took the loss, a victim of some suspect early defense and a high pitch count. Finishing up a superb season at 7-2, Weisman went five-plus innings, allowing six hits and four walks, striking out three.
Plymouth North 8, North Andover 0
Eastern Mass. Division 2 Final
North Andover (0): Ryan Sifferlen cf 3-0-0, Brad Patnaude ss 3-0-0, Connor Walsh 3b 2-0-1, Alec Jillson dh 2-0-0, Aaron Brunette rf/p 3-0-0, Mike Levy c 3-0-1, Matt Hogan pr 0-0-0, Paul Pollano 1b 2-0-0, Nick Waszczuk ph 1-0-0, Brandon Walsh 2b/p/rf 2-0-1, Karan Jhaveri ph 1-0-0, Juan Areces lf 2-0-0, Mike Weisman p 0-0-0, Nick Blanks 2b 0-0-0, Totals 24-0-3
Plymouth North (8): Jameson Wood cf 3-3-1, Tom MacInes rf 4-2-1, Joe Flynn ss 3-1-3, Matt Walsh c 2-0-1, Mike Higgins 3b 3-0-0, Zach Prifti dh 2-1-0, Phil Cash 1b 3-0-1, Ed Raeke lf 2-1-1, Dan Fratus 2b 2-0-0, Joe Brigida pr 0-1-0, Jeff Agnew p 0-0-0, Totals 24-8-8
Plymouth North (18-8): 0 0 1 0 1 5 0 — 8
North Andover (20-5): 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0
RBI: Wood, Flynn 5, Walsh
WP: Agnew; LP: Weisman
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