The Chelsea High baseball team defeated Minuteman Regional, 8-1, on a rainy Monday afternoon to improve to 9-5 on the season and clinch a berth in the post season state tournament.
The win also improved the Red Devils to 7-3 in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference (7-0 in the Small
Division), giving them a two game lead over Northeast Regional Vocational High School, which is 5-5 in the CAC, for first place in the Small Division. Adonys Urbaez turned in a stellar pitching effort for Chelsea,
going all five innings before the game was called for inclement weather. Adonys yielded just three hits and fanned five Minuteman hitters. He also played a big role in the CHS offensive attack, with an RBI triple and scoring three runs.
Juan Encarnacion swung a big bat for the Red Devils, with two hits, including a double, two RBI, and a run scored. Daniel Velastegui had three RBI on the day, including a key, two-run single down the right field line in the third inning.
Chelsea jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second frame and tacked on two runs in each of the third and fourth innings to provide Urbaez with more than enough support. Last Wednesday the Red Devils dropped a 7-3 decision at Mystic Valley. A rough second inning proved Chelsea’s undoing as the Devils committed four errors in the frame that allowed six MV runners to cross the plate.
CHS starting pitcher Odanys Baez was the victim of the fielding miscues, though he settled down nicely thereafter en route to hurling an eight hitter and fanning four in his six innings of work.
Jose Pineda had two hits, two RBI, a stolen base, and a run to pace the CHS offense. Velastegui had a hit and a run and Adonys Urbaez produced a hit and an RBI.
“We’re in first place in our division and we’ve qualified for the tourney,” noted CHS head coach Alan Beausoleil. “We’ve had a great year thus far and we’ll be looking to close it out successfully in our final four games.” The Red Devils play at No. Shore Tech Friday, and then host Greater Lawrence next Wednesday.