Boys’ Baseball Defeats Strong Cushing Team

Big Red stepped up at the plate and on at the field in their game against Cushing Academy this Saturday, winning 6-3 on Cushing’s home turf.

Pitcher and senior Steve Cerrone threw another great game this week and gave up only a few hits during the seven innings he spent on the mound. Despite Cushing’s two home runs in the third inning, Cerrone kept his cool and pushed through to help Exeter snag the win.

Cushing was a strong team, but they failed to overthrow PEA’s momentum. Senior Peter Whallon said that while Cushing was “good all around,” they were not as cohesive as Exeter’s team. “[They failed] to be as complete a team as Exeter,” he said. “We were just more solid in all aspects, especially in the field and pitching.”

“We were just more solid in all aspects, especially in the field and pitching.”

Senior Chip Dawe said that because of Cushing’s exceptional pitching, Exeter’s batting had to be especially strong. “Exeter hit really well,” he said. “We found ways to overcome some good pitching with clutch hits.”

In addition to Cerrone’s strong performance on the hill, upper Collin Shapiro had an impressive day at second base and at the plate. Shapiro made several diving plays in the field that warranted his teammate’s praise, but his strongest performance of the day was with a bat in his hands. Shapiro shut down Cushing’s home run momentum with a three-run home run of his own in the third inning.

Shapiro is consistently one of PEA’s leading batters, but this week the top scorer was lower Sam Stone. Stone impressed his teammates with a great day at the plate, logging three hits out of his three times at bat. He hit a triple that split the left and center fielders, a double that flew between the center and right fielders and a single that skidded along the ground up the middle. Upper Greg Shapiro credited Stone as an integral part of the team’s win. “He stepped up big time,” he said.

Stone was just a home run away from completing “the cycle,” which occurs when a player hits a single, double, triple and home run in one game.

Collin said that Exeter played well as a whole, but also mentioned Stone as a standout player. “Yesterday we hit the ball when we needed to and played good defense the entire game,” he said. “[Stone] had a great day at the plate yesterday and he was really big for us.”

Collin said that Exeter can continue to focus on the small aspects of their game to tighten their play.

Coming out of yet another win, the boys’ momentum continues to grow. Their record now sits at 7-1. This Saturday at 1 p.m., They will face Deerfield at home. Deerfield has had a tough season this far with a record of 1-4, and if PEA continues to play at the level they have been, they should be able to bring home another win.