Seeded #3 in the Super 8 Tournament, Walpole Baseball defeated #6 Braintree 4-1 to advance them to the second round. This season marks the farthest Walpole Baseball has made it in the Super 8 Tournament in school history, surpassing last year’s run that ended in the first round.

“The win against Braintree was huge for us to get us going in the Super 8, especially considering we lost our first game last year,” junior John Brady said.

The Rebels started off strong loading the bases and forcing Braintree pitcher to walk in their first run. Soon after, Matt Donato hit a single, bringing another run home. The first inning ended with Walpole ahead 2-0, setting the precedent for the rest of the game.

“I think [the game] went exactly how we want every game to go. We knew we could beat them and everyone just did their job,” Donato said.

In the second, Northeastern commit pitcher Cam Schlittler held the Wamps scoreless for the second inning in a row and proved to be an important part of the Rebels’ defense early on.

“Obviously Cam is our guy we want on the bump,” Donato said. “He’s the best pitcher I’ve played with and he has a chance to be something really special.”

In the bottom of the third, Brady stepped up to the plate and hit a triple, bringing in Will Jarvis to pull the Rebels ahead 3-0.

“It was an awesome feeling to hit that triple to get the offense going again, and it provided more insurance for Cam to keep pumping on the mound,” Brady said.

The 4th inning went by without any action from either teams, but the Rebels scored yet another run in the bottom of the fifth to pull ahead even further. Braintree rallied in the top of the sixth and scored their first run of the game to bring the Wamps to a three run deficit. Shortstop Jack Magane cut the rally short after that one run with a double play.

“Jack turning the double play was a great momentum swing for us defensively,” Jarvis said.

The last three innings were hard fought by both sides, but both failed to find their way to home, and the game ended 4-1, Walpole. The Rebels’ win is a huge step for the team and the program as a whole, and they are looking to prove themselves after the first round loss last season. Last season, Walpole was the #8 seed, so moving up five spots in the standings and winning their first game gives the team great momentum moving forward.

The Rebels will face the #2 seed, St. John’s Prep, on Saturday, June 8 for the next round.

“[This win] will definitely help us out in a good way, as we can hope to keep winning every game with confidence,” Schlittler said.