AMHERST — The ending was painful for the Granby baseball team.
After reaching their first Western Massachusetts Division 4 final in 25 years, the fourth-seeded Rams lost to St. Mary’s 3-2 Saturday at Lorden Field.
“All these kids are great and I have been lucky to coach here,” Granby coach Jim Woods said. “This was special.”
In the dugout after the game, with the No. 2 Saints (21-2) celebrating a Western Mass. title, there was a mixture of sadness and anger for the Rams (19-4).
Among the ranging emotions was an even Joe Bessette, whose two-run homer in the semifinals helped the Rams get to the championship game.
“It’s bittersweet, obviously,” Bessette said. “They made the plays and we didn’t.”
The game-winning run for St. Mary’s came in the fifth on a passed ball with the bases loaded.
Seniors Bessette, Michael Sosa, Joe Desormier, Ben Rokowski, John White, Tom Rezzani, Dominic Rosazza, Tyler Sullivan , EJ Wiley, Noah Bleakley and Tristan Guzik played their last game for Granby.
“It’s kind of surreal,” Bessette said. “I just don’t feel anything. That’s the way I react. I feel awful for my guys.”
The game began with a pitching decision for Woods. Bleakley pitched a complete game in the quarterfinals, then got the final two outs in the semifinals.
“He said he was fine but Noah had pitched a lot,” Woods said.
Sophomore Michael White started for the Rams, pitching into the second before Woods went to Bleakley.
White gave up a run, a walk and three hits.
“He (White) was leaving the ball up a bit,” Woods said. “My hope was for him to finish the game. But with Noah saying he was ready to go I had a short leash.”
Bleakley entered the game in the second inning with runners on second and third and didn’t allow a run to keep the score 1-0.
Bleakley pitched five innings and gave up five hits with an earned run.
In the end, Granby’s pitching was effective. The offense simply could not get much offense going against the Saints’ John Daley.
Daley gave up two runs on three hits with four strikeouts in five innings.
“He mixes it up,” Bessette said. “He’s not the fastest kid you are going to see but he’s terrific at placing the ball exactly where he wants to put it.”
From there Nate Bonini closed out the Rams, getting the last four outs, including three strikeouts to end the game.
Granby got its runs in the second and third innings.
Sosa knocked in Bessette from second base with an RBI double in the second.
Sosa went 2-for-3 in the game, adding a single.
In the third, Bleakley’s RBI doubled gave the Rams a 2-1 lead.
The Saints opened the scoring in the first inning when Shaun Gezotis’ single brought home a run to make it 1-0.
Hunter Authier’s sacrifice fly tied the game at two in the third.
St. Mary’s 3, Granby 2
Granby 011 000 0 — 2 4 0
St. Mary’s 101 010 x — 3 8 0
WP—Daley LP—Bleakley S—Bonini
Records: Granby (19-4); St. Mary’s (21-2)
