May 10, 2023 – Story and photos by Joshua Ross
It’s been an uphill battle for the Harbormen this season starting 3-7. But things appear to be turning around. They have strung together three in a row and are within a game of having a .500 record. Wins over Plymouth South last week and North Quincy Monday had them feeling pretty good with their ace, senior captain Jake Schulte, on the mound for Tuesday’s match-up vs Silver Lake. Hingham lost the season opener 2-1 to the Lakers and was looking for some redemption.
After each team scored a run in the first inning, Silver Lake opened up a four run lead in the top of the third. Hingham came right back in the bottom of the inning with two of their own on a Schulte walk and junior Tadd Cavanaugh’s single. The Lakers added one in the fifth before the Harbormen exploded for six runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by senior Alex McGowen’s bases clearing double. McGowen added two more hits to his team leading 17 hits as well improved his team leading average to .395.
Schulte pitched a strong six innings, only allowing one earned run and striking out eight. Senior closer Ben Berardi, who was coming off a 4.1 inning relief appearance on Friday, closed the door on the Lakers in the top of the seventh to secure the much need win.
“We didn’t give up hope and kept the energy high in the dugout,” Schulte said after the game. “We got down a little bit at times, but we never gave up hope because we knew we had the guys on the team that are able to make things happen.”
With the way the playoff rankings work, Hingham needs to be at .500 or better to guarantee a spot in the post season. This win brings them one step closer to that goal.
“This win is huge,” Schulte went on to say, “We had a turning point in the season a couple of games ago, and that inning we came back really solidifies we are hot right now. I don’t think any teams want to play us.”
As a leader on the team, Schulte welcomes other players stepping up and contributing to wins.
“He bring a lot and has a lot of swagger,” Schulte said of McGowan. “He’s a great hitter and a guy you can always rely on.”
At times, the boys can make it a little more difficult on themselves with some mental errors, but it’s something they recognize and are working on.
“We have a lot of things we still need to work,” Schulte concluded. “But I think the team energy is up. We have a great pitching staff. We have really good hitters. We just need to stay hot and keep doing what we are doing.”
The Harbormen look to make it four in a row and even up their record Thursday when they take on Pembroke at home at 4pm.
GAME PHOTOS
