Michael Ryan sends Braintree into the postseason with win over BC High in memory of former coach
Braintree was the tournament host, but the games were shifted to the turf at BC High because of wet field conditions.
'[Braintree coach Bill O'Connell] told me I might have to bunt,' Ryan said.
'Didn't want to bunt, so I swung. Always wanted to hit a walkoff, so just had to make it happen. I was running down, saw my boys chasing after me. Nothing better. It means everything, especially to coach. It was big for him.'
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
His base hit was just one of three for the 12th-ranked Wamps (14-8).
Advertisement
Braintree second baseman Ben Phan dives up the middle to stop a ground ball off the bat of BC High's Wyatt Miller in the fifth inning.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
No. 10 BC High (11-9) led into the bottom of the sixth before surrendering a run on a throwing error.
Matt Rogers tapped a bunt to reliever Adam Bushley, who overthrew third, allowing Connor Grieve to score. Grieve advanced from first to second on a passed ball.
'We had energy all the innings,' Grieve said. 'We knew this was going to be a tough game, coming to BC High, playing them in a big game. I mean, we just wanted to beat a private school. We haven't really won a really big game this year. This was the one.'
Advertisement
Grieve earned tournament MVP honors by hurling a complete game with two strikeouts. He surrendered six hits, a walk, and two earned runs, but never came off the mound and got the job finished.
He was went also 1 for 2 with a single, a walk, a stolen base, and a run.
Braintree's Connor Grieve was named tournament MVP with a complete game victory against BC High and also went 1 for 2 with a run scored.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
Max Bohane led the Eagles with two hits — a double and a single — in three at-bats, and Wyatt Miller and Jackson Richard plated BC High's two runs on singles, respectively.
But when Ryan walked it off in the seventh, there was no shortage of emotion on the Braintree side, starting with O'Connell, because of his longstanding relationship with the revered Fredericks, who
'He said he's got trust in me to keep the legacy going that he built,' O'Connell said.
'You know, we're doing it. I think we're doing a decent job with it. Right up to the end, he came and saw us and just wished us well. He said 'Keep it going.' So we decided to do something in his honor.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a few seconds ago
- Yahoo
NBA schedule Leak, Cooper Flagg vs. Dylan Harper and fan hot takes with Slightly Biased
Kevin O'Connor is joined by Slightly Biased to break down leaks of NBA Opening Night and Christmas Day matchups ahead of the Thursday full schedule release. One of the biggest games includes no. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks taking on no. 2 pick Dylan Harper and the San Antonio Spurs. But don't miss out on LeBron James vs. Steph Curry as the Lakers and Warriors face off on opening night and the Houston Rockets square up against reigning NBA champs Oklahoma! Later, Kevin and Slightly react to listeners' hottest NBA takes. Will Victor Wembanyama win MVP as well as DPOY next season? Is it possible Jayson Tatum returns for the Celtics AND they're in the Eastern Conference Finals?! All this and much more on the Kevin O'Connor Show! (1:08) Rockets @ Thunder on opening night (5:23) Warriors @ Lakers on opening night (11:41) Harper & Spurs @ Flagg & Mavs (17:27) Christmas Day games (23:49) Slightly Biased, Spot On, or So Wrong? Subscribe to The Kevin O'Connor Show Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube 🖥️
San Francisco Chronicle
31 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers eager for helmet switch: 'It looks like a spaceship'
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers is still feeling things out in Pittsburgh, in more ways than one. The NFL's oldest player, who wrapped up his initial (and likely only) training camp with the Steelers at Saint Vincent College on Tuesday, is still searching for the right helmet. The league banned the helmet Rodgers has long preferred because it didn't meet certain safety standards. He's not exactly enthralled with the replacement he's been using. 'I'm trying to change (it),' Rodgers told reporters. 'We're in the process still. It looks like a damn spaceship out there. We've got to change it.' The 41-year-old pointed out that the facemask he has used in the past, which he's still trying to use now, doesn't fit. 'It an old facemask, just like I'm old,' Rodgers said. 'But we're trying to find the right helmet now.' Rodgers will have to get comfortable being a little uncomfortable until the team figures out a solution. He — and his current helmet — could get meaningful reps against another club for the first time on Thursday when the Steelers and Tampa Bay hold a joint practice ahead of the Buccaneers' visit to Acrisure Stadium on Saturday. While it's unclear whether Rodgers will play in either of Pittsburgh's two remaining preseason games, he is eager to get behind center against Tampa Bay. 'It's good to go against a different team (because) ... you get a chance to go against not-vanilla defenses," he said. 'So hopefully (Tampa Bay coach) Todd (Bowles), he probably won't show everything, but he'll do some stuff to stress our protection and give us a chance to get some film to work on.' Pittsburgh's offense — without Rodgers, wide receiver DK Metcalf or running back Jaylen Warren — put up 31 points last weekend in an exhibition victory over Jacksonville. Rodgers praised the efficiency of backup quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. He also got a feel for what the 'operation' might look like when he gets on the field. Rodgers also did his best to be what he called 'the voice of reason" on the headset. 'Sometimes people freak out on there and start yelling and screaming,' the four-time NFL MVP said, with more than a hint of his dry humor. 'Or other times, people are talking that shouldn't be talking. But I'm more of the comic relief on there.' All kidding aside, Rodgers believes the offense has made some progress since the rocky opening days of camp. Perhaps just as importantly, he's made it a point to try and get to know his new teammates, some of whom were toddlers (if that) when Rodgers entered the league 20 years ago. That includes popping up in different spots when the team goes out to stretch before practice, which allows him to chat informally 'So many times I feel like the expectation is that leaders have got to be at the front of line,' Rodgers said. 'But you know, sometimes to lead properly you have to serve and serving sometimes involves you being at the back.' It also provides him with a different and welcome perspective on what the vibe might be like on a given day. 'I don't need to be out front the entire time when I'm here,' he said. 'I want to make connections with the guys, and sometimes those guys hanging in the back are hanging in back for a reason. So those are the conversations I want to have.'
NBC Sports
33 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
WNBA ratings and attendance are still strong despite top stars missing games with injuries
NEW YORK — Even with many of its top stars sidelined, the WNBA has still had strong ratings and attendance numbers this season. Injuries have kept Caitlin Clark, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier and Angel Reese out, but that hasn't dampened fan interest in the league. ESPN games are up slightly over last season and games on ABC are up 17%. Attendance has also still been strong, thanks to the addition of the Golden State Valkyries this season, who have sold out all of their home games, averaging more than 18,000 fans. Still, it's not all been rosy for the league with negative attention coming towards the WNBA with a number of sex toys being thrown on the court at various arenas over a two-week span. That has subsided over the last few days. For the most part, even without their stars, those teams have been able to play at a high level. Minnesota has won all three games without Collier — the MVP frontrunner — who is sidelined with a right ankle sprain, to remain in first place in the standings, increasing their lead to 6 1/2 games over New York and Atlanta. Indiana has gone 6-2 over its last eight games without Clark, who has been out for nearly a month with a right groin injury. She is progressing from the injury but still is not practicing. The second-year guard told Sue Bird on her podcast that she feels a level of 'responsibility' to play, knowing that so many people have been drawn to the league because of her. 'I think that's definitely been hard. I'm going to go to every road game no matter what, whether I'm playing or not. It's hard because obviously I do feel this responsibility of being out there and playing,' Clark said. New York has been up and down without Stewart, who said she plans to be back by the end of the month from a bone bruise in her right knee. Honoring Sue The Seattle Storm will unveil a statue of Sue Bird on Saturday before the team faces Phoenix on Sunday. Seattle is the first franchise in WNBA history to dedicate a statue to a former player. Early next month, Bird will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Power poll rankings Minnesota remained the No. 1 team in the poll with Atlanta and New York still behind the Lynx. Phoenix and Las Vegas followed the Liberty. The Aces are riding a four-game winning streak. Indiana, Los Angeles and Golden State are next. Seattle fell to ninth as the Storm have lost five straight games. Washington and Dallas came after the Storm with Chicago and Connecticut rounding out the poll. Player of the week A'ja Wilson of Las Vegas was the AP player of the week after averaging 25.3 points, 13 rebounds and 3.7 assists to help the Aces win all three of their games last week. She had the first 30-point, 20-rebound game in league history in a win over Connecticut on Sunday. Other players receiving votes included Kelsey Plum of Los Angeles and Alyssa Thomas of Phoenix. Game of the week New York at Minnesota, Saturday. The Lynx beat the Liberty in New York last Sunday and now don't play again until the two teams tip off in Minnesota. New York has back-to-back games in Los Angeles and Las Vegas before heading to Minnesota.
