HADLEY — The Hopkins Academy baseball team picked up its second consecutive loss, falling to Athol, 4-1, Wednesday afternoon.
Jon Morrison started for the Golden Hawks (1-2). The right-hander struck out 11, walked none and allowed one run on two hits over four innings. He helped his cause, going 2-for-3.
John Earle went 3-for-4 and stole three bases, including third once.
“We’ve got to do a better job of getting runners home when we have them on base,” Hopkins coach Daniel Vreeland said. “We left the bases loaded in the first and left runners on third base twice throughout the game, if you just get the ones on third home that’s a tie game.”
Hopkins came close in the fifth when Earle advanced to third after Athol first baseman overthrew second base. The Hopkins senior walked to reach first and got caught too far off the bag when Red Raiders starter Mark Ferrari attempted to pick him off.
Earle headed for second and took third on the overthrow.
When Nate Kelley struck out swinging, Earle got caught again with too big of a lead off the bag. Athol’s catcher fired to third where Earle was tagged out to end the inning.
“I love (Earle’s) base running, that’s always been one of his best things since he was a freshman,” Vreeland said. “He is super fast and his head is always in the game. It’s that way in all the sports he plays. If you watch him play soccer or basketball it’s the same thing, he’s always making the smart heads-up play. (Earle’s baserunning) definitely picked us up, it’s just too bad we couldn’t get in a couple more across in the same way.”
The sixth proved to be the game-changer. Justin Ciaglo, who relieved Morrison for the fifth, walked two of the first three batters before a double to center field brought one run home. A grounder to second was thrown home to Earle, who applied the tag for the second out. A single to right gave the Raiders a 2-1 lead.
Athol (2-2) added a run in the seventh. The leadoff runner reached first on an error then scored on a double to center field.
“We know Athol has been tough. They played us really tough last year too, I think they beat us in a very similar score last year,” Vreeland said. “They always have two or three kids who swing the bat really well and they did today too, their leadoff hitter and three hitter hit exceptionally well.”
Athol jumped on the board in the first, plating one run off a right field double. Earle answered in the first for the Golden Hawks, stealing second and third after reaching first on an infield error. Kelley grounded to first to bring Earle in and tie the game 1-1.
Morrison then singled to left and stole second before Noah Scanlon-Dean was walked. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and Justin Butterfield walked to load the bases with one out. Mike Curran struck out swinging before Jack Feltovic grounded out to second to end the inning.
“We were just trying to get our offense moving a little bit, it’s kind of hard to get them moving when we’re a little stagnant so we try to steal,” Earle said. “I love to keep the pitchers on their toes.”
Hopkins Academy left six runners on base. Ciaglo took the loss after allowing five hits and three runs over three innings.
“I think we just have to stick to making simple plays and we just have to get everyone back at practice and fired up,” Earle said. “I’m sure already everyone is fired up, so coming back like that will help us out.”