Sports Roundup: Boys Lax & Baseball Earn Home Victories
David Creed •
This Whaler sports roundup includes updates on the boys lacrosse and baseball teams after they secured home victories on Wednesday, as well as an update on the boys tennis team and the softball team.
Boys Lax Beats Monomoy
The boys lacrosse team, ranked #5 in the latest MIAA Div. 4 power rankings, welcomed the Monomoy Sharks, who are currently the #30 seed and a potential opponent in round one of the state tournament. Nantucket made a convincing statement with a 15-1 victory and eight different goal scorers.
Miles Beaudette and David Cirillo led the team offensively with three goals each. Beaudette also added two assists. Arann Hanlon, Noah Stringer, and Jake Johnson each scored two goals. Andrick Mooney added one goal and two assists, Canton Jenkinson, newly named captain of the Whalers, tallied one goal and one assist. Tim Sullivan also scored one goal.
Jake Grant added three assists and senior Sujal Mali got the start in goal for senior day – finishing with eight saves.
Nantucket is now 10-5 and will be in action again on Saturday, May 24th at 12:15 p.m. when they travel to Martha’s Vineyard for a road matchup.
Baseball Beats Cape Tech
The Whaler baseball team was able to beat the Cape Cod Regional Tech High School Crusaders 6-5 Wednesday afternoon. The win kept Nantucket’s playoff hopes alive as it improved their record to 8-10 this year with two games remaining against Martha’s Vineyard.
If Nantucket can win both games, they would qualify for the state tournament with a .500 record of 10-10.
The score of Wednesday’s game was 5-5 entering the bottom of the sixth inning. After Eli MacIver reached on an error by the Crusader’s shortstop, and then advanced to second base on a passed ball with Henry Tejada up at the plate.
The Whaler’s slugger was able to send MacIver home after ripping a single up the middle to make it 6-5. Ronald Del Rosario Gomez was up next and appeared to possibly have a line drive single up the middle, but the Crusader’s pitcher made an incredible catch while falling down to avoid a hard hit ball before doubling up Tejada before he could get back to first base on what seemed to be a sure base hit.
Tejada was able to close the game out in the top of the seventh by striking out the side in a one-two-three inning.
Nantucket will travel to play Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday, May 24th at 12:30 p.m. and then host the Vineyard on Monday, May 26th at 1:30 p.m.
Boys Tennis Loses To Cape Cod Academy, Softball Loses To Falmouth
The boys tennis team lost to Cape Cod Academy Wednesday afternoon 4-1, with the lone winner on Nantucket’s side of things being first single Nik Krastev, who won his match in three sets. He won set one 6-4, lost set two 2-6, and then won set three 6-1.
Second single Boyan Kalpazanov lost his match but nearly won after losing set one narrowly 5-7 and then set two 4-6.
The first doubles pairing of Forbes Keating and Thomas Schroeder also came close to a victory for the Whalers after winning the first set 6-0. They nearly pulled out the second set but lost 5-7 and then proceeded to lose set three 3-6.
The Whaler’s regular season is over. They finished with a 5-10 record but came in as the #18 seed in the latest Div. 4 bracket, so a tournament berth is all but assured.
As for the softball team, they lost to the Falmouth Clippers 7-5 on Wednesday. It has been a frustrating season for the Whalers in terms of wins and losses as they have now lost six games by three or fewer runs. They have a 5-12 record and given their current place within the state tournament power rankings (#47) and not being able to finish the season with a .500 record or better since they have just three games remaining, they will not make the state tournament.
They will host Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday, May 24th at 11:30 a.m. and then host O’Bryant for a doubleheader on Monday, May 26th at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
SCHEDULE AHEAD:
Friday, May 23rd:
The girls lacrosse team will host St. John Paul II at 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 24th:
The girls lacrosse team will be at home playing Martha’s Vineyard at 11:30 a.m.
The softball team will be at home playing Martha’s Vineyard at 11:30 a.m.
The boys lacrosse team will be on the road playing Martha’s Vineyard at 12:15 p.m.
The baseball team will be on the road playing Martha’s Vineyard at 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 25th:
No games are currently scheduled on this date.
Monday, May 26th:
The softball team will host O’Bryant for a doubleheader at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
The baseball team will host Martha’s Vineyard for a 1:30 p.m. game
Below are some photos taken by Chris Tran from Wednesday’s baseball and boys lacrosse matches, as well as some photos take by David Creed from Wednesday's boys tennis match.
