Streaking CHS baseball climbs to top of standings

By Mike Berger

With home wins last week over Stoughton and Franklin and another one this Monday against a strong Mansfield club, the Canton High baseball team is now firmly in the driver’s seat in the Hockomock Davenport Division, holding a one-game lead and the tiebreak advantage with eight games remaining in the regular season.

Senior Chris Pirrera (Mike Tureski photo)

It’s quite a remarkable turnaround for a team that, just a few weeks earlier, had found themselves staring up at most of the division after losing four of their first five games. Since then, however, all they’ve done is win — ripping off four straight road victories followed by three more in a row at home to improve to 8-4 overall.

They have won pitchers’ duels and late-game rallies, and they’ve proven their mettle against some very good competition, highlighted by shutout wins over Taunton and Franklin — the seventh and ninth ranked teams in all of Division 1.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have climbed up to the No. 13 spot in the latest D2 rankings, bested only by No. 6 King Philip among other teams in the Hock.

Mansfield, the reigning Davenport champions, had previously been ranked ahead of Canton until the two teams squared off on Monday, with the Bulldogs doubling up the Hornets to leapfrog them in the standings.

While the pitching and defense wasn’t as sharp as it had been in recent outings, the Bulldog bats more than made up for it, piling up 13 hits and four stolen bases while setting a new season high in runs scored with 11.

Senior Teddy Shuman led the way with four hits and two RBIs, while sophomore Kellen Porter, a recent call-up from the JV squad, came through with a bases-clearing double. Senior Shane Kelleher also had a big game for the Bulldogs, going 2 for 3 with a triple and two RBIs, while teammates Andrew Gillis, Will Young and JT Norton each recorded RBI singles.

Ace pitcher Dean Madden drew the start for the hosts and nearly went the distance, allowing five runs (but only two earned) over 6 2/3 innings while striking out nine batters. Tommy Rose came on in relief in the seventh inning to record the game’s final out.

For Madden, it marked his fifth win as a starter this season — and second in as many games following the gem he pitched last week against a 9-1 Franklin Panthers team.

While freshman phenom Ethan Edmunds also pitched a great game for the visitors, Madden ultimately won the duel, holding Franklin to just three hits and striking out nine as part of a complete-game shutout.

Canton got its lone run of the game in the third inning when Shuman singled, advanced to second and third on a passed ball and a groundout, and then came around to score on an RBI single by Rose.

The Bulldog defense also stepped up with great plays by Norton at shortstop, Shuman at first base, Kelleher at third base, and catcher Liam Connolly, who threw out a Franklin runner attempting to steal second.

Two days earlier against the Stoughton Black Knights, senior Chris Pirrera got the start and was very effective, striking out eight batters over six innings to earn his first pitching win of the season. Shuman and Norton each had three hits for the Bulldogs, and Gillis added two hits and two RBIs as Canton went on to win 5-2.

This week, the Bulldogs will take their show on the road as they head to Wrentham to take on the 9-3 KP Warriors, followed by another road game Friday against division foe Foxboro.

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