By Steve Krause / The Daily Item
PEABODY — English coach Joe Caponigro was asked -- after the Bulldogs' stunning 5-1 win over Peabody on Sunday at Bezemes Field -- how long he was prepared to go with starter Matt Burnham as he worked to retire the Tanners in the ninth.
Burnham admitted afterward he was on fumes. He knew it. Caponigro knew it too.
However, when asked, Caponigro simply replied, "until tomorrow."
Burnham pitched a gem to advance the Bulldogs into the quarterfinals of the MIAA Division 1 tournament, in which they'll play at Malden today (4). He gave up seven hits and struck out two in going the distance. Because the Tanners put the ball in play so much, it was essential that the 'Dogs play airtight defense, which they did. Matt Merritt made three spectacular plays at third and almost made a fourth. First baseman Ben Bowden looked like a wide receiver trying to keep two feet inbounds in catching a foul ball that was inches from being out of play. And shortstop Randale Lora leaped high to snare a line drive off the bat of Aaron Comak for the final out of the game.
"My teammates made great plays behind me," said Burnham, a senior. "How about Ben, over there, catching the foul ball?"
Burnham admitted he was tired, but wanted no part of coming out.
"I'd have fought him (Caponigro)," he said. "No way did I want to come out."
Adding to the thrill of the victory was the fact that the Bulldogs beat a pitcher -- Patrick Ruotolo -- who had an ERA of "under .50," said Peabody coach Mark Bettencourt. "English played great, and Burnham pitched the game of his life. And the third baseman played out of his mind. No secret as to why we lost. English got hot at the right time."
Ruotolo, author of three no-hitters this season, fanned nine. "But," said Caponigro, "we had a good approach. We laid off his high stuff because we weren't going to catch up with it anyway."
English's Josue Perez had three hits and struck the big blow in a four-run eighth with a two-run double.
Bowden gave English a 1-0 lead in the first with a double that scored Kyle O'Connor. In the seventh, with the score still 1-0, Burnham, who looked like he was starting to tire, got out of a bases-loaded jam by getting Matt McIsaac to pop to third. The next inning, O'Connor led off with a double and Merritt knocked him in. A ground ball by Bowden put Merritt in scoring position, and after Lora was hit by a pitch, Perez got them both in. Perez then scored on Drew Gentile's double.
Steve Krause can be reached at skrause@itemlive.com">skrause@itemlive.com.