Waltham 11, Cambridge 0: Hawks earn first GBL title

Waltham High is doing a good job leaving a lasting mark on the Greater Boston League on its way out the door this spring.

In the school's final season in the league before heading to the Dual County League next fall, Waltham won the girls track title and boys lacrosse co-championship earlier this spring before yesterday making it a triple triumph as the baseball team clinched the first GBL title in program history.

The Hawks entered the game tied with Cambridge for first place in the loss column in the league and left little doubt from early on which team was title worthy in an 11-0 victory.

``I told the kids before the game this was our chance to make history,'' said Waltham coach Steve LaForest, whose squad improved to 13-5 overall and finished the GBL season at 9-3. ``These kids deserve it. They've worked hard and are a great bunch.''

Against one of the top pitchers in the GBL, the Hawks jumped all over the Falcons (7-4 GBL) early with a run in the first and five more in the second. After allowing two baserunners without a hit in the top of the first, Waltham senior Steve Hopkins got out of the jam unscathed and senior catcher Chaz Agrillo backed him up with a rocket RBI double in the bottom of the frame.

``We came in the came confident,'' said Agrillo, who had four hits on the day (2 doubles, 2 singles). ``All we need is confidence. We have a lot of big hitters, big players. We have been around baseball a lot. We all played in Little Nippers together. We have team chemistry out the roof and I am just glad we got this win.''

``Chaz has been pressing a little bit,'' LaForest said. ``But today he relaxed and let his swing take care of itself and came up big. Getting that run in the first inning after they had two guys on and didn't score turned the game around and put the momentum in our favor.''

The Hawks then piled on in the second with five two-out runs as the Cambridge defense scuffled. Junior P.J. Bandini singled and two strikeouts followed. Then Will Whittemore followed with an infield single and junior Kenny Whittier whacked a rocket triple to plate two. Sophomore Ivan Colon reached on an infield single, Hopkins reached on an error that plated a run and then Agrillo reached on an infield single, with Hopkins scoring on a second error in the frame.

``When we play well, we put the ball in play and make the other team make plays,'' LaForest said. ``We have a lot of team speed that puts pressure on the defense to make plays. They didn't make as many as they did the first time we played them.''

In that game, the Hawks let a 3-1 lead slip away late in a 4-3 defeat on the road. Staked to the lead, Hopkins made sure the rematch was decided long before the final frames as he pitched a two-hitter and managed to work out of jams with runners in scoring position in the final four frames.

The Hawks added two runs to their lead in the fourth inning when Agrillo singled, senior Don Hopkins singled and Bandini singled in Agrillo. Hopkins then scored when he and Bandini executed a double steal.

Waltham capped the scoring in the sixth as Whittemore reached on a bloop single and Whittier plated him with his second extra-base hit of the day - a double.

``From the leadoff spot, he's been awesome all year,'' LaForest said of Whittier. ``He hits the ball with power. He gets on base. He steals bases.''

The hits didn't stop there, however, as Steve Hopkins blasted an RBI triple, scoring Whittier, and Agrillo followed with his second double of the game to bring in Hopkins.

``We just swing and hope for the best,'' Agrillo said. ``Everyone made contact and the balls just fell our way.''

Hopkins then got a big hand from his brother in the top of the sixth as Don Hopkins made a diving stop on a ball up the middle and fired to first, where Bandini picked the throw for the out. After loading the bases on an error and two walks, he got a ground out to end the inning.

Cambridge had two more baserunners in the seventh, but an out at third on a ball hit to center field and a groundout to shortstop sealed the title.

The Hawks finish the regular season with a non-league games at home against Xaverian Brothers of Westwood (tomorrow, 3:45 p.m.) and Lowell (Thursday, 6 p.m.) before turning their attention to the postseason.