Having brought home the hardware in Easton three weeks ago and in Attleboro last week, the Rockets arrived in Plainville for the King Philip Classic looking to complete the trifecta. With a record of 16-1-2 coming into the tournament, the Rockets had good reason to feel confident.
But six other teams in the bracket still stood staunchly in their way, including hometown favorite Plainville American, who, with a much shorter commute, could afford to hit the snooze bar a few more times than the Rockets on their way to an 8:00 AM Saturday morning sunrise special.
Rockets' starter Aidan McGaugh was wide awake, though, and his fastball was lively as ever. He retired Plainville in order in the top of the first and never looked back, going the distance for the Rockets in a complete game win. He gave up only 1 run, unearned, and scattered four hits over six innings. The Rockets helped him out in the top of the second, when a sharp ground ball got by McGaugh. Shortstop Steven Donovan got to it, fired to Drew Siegenthaler at second for one and on to Will Dorion at first for the double play. Offensively, the Rockets got good production from Will Dorion, who was 2-for-2 with a triple, Tom Berkley, who was 2-for-3 with a double, and Jack Morgan, 2-for-2 with a walk.
MVP honors went to McGaugh for his dominant effort on the mound. 10-1 was the final.
Later Saturday, in Game 2 of the seeding round, the Rockets drew Norton National. Back-to-back doubles off the bat of Will Dorion and Steven Donovan put the Rockets on the board 1-0 in the first. In the second, Jack Morgan tripled, and Aidan McGaugh was two feet short of going yard when he crushed a 1-0 fastball and bounced it off the center field fence. After a slim 3-0 Rockets lead through two, a huge 11-run third would blow the game wide open and ultimately prove to be too much for Norton to overcome. Eric Gage got things going in the third with a line drive to right for a single. He stole second, and then third, crossed the plate on a passed ball, and set off an avalanche of Needham runs. Sean Green singled into left field, Jack Morgan singled on a shot to right, Matthew Dougherty singled on a line drive to center, and Timmy Hasenfus, who joined the Rockets to provide some additional offensive firepower and some help behind the plate for the tournament, sent a bomb to deep center field to score Morgan on a sac fly. The show would go on. William Popper roped one to center for a single, Tom Berkley singled on a shot up the middle, Eric Gage, batting for the second time in the inning, singled to left, and Sean Greene doubled on a shot all the way back to the fence in left center.
Just as impressive as the offensive production was the Rockets' effort on the mound. William Popper and Eric Gage combined for the first Rockets' no-hitter of the season. Popper went the first two innings, striking out 5 of 7 batters faced. Gage pitched two innings in relief, retiring 6 of 8 batters faced, and closing out the Rockets' 14-0 victory.
Gage earned the MVP for his fine work on the mound, his 2-for-2 effort at the plate, and his domination, once again, of the base paths with 2 stolen bases in 2 attempts.
The Rockets would finish Saturday's seeding round in first place and earn a quarterfinal bye. This would translate to a later semifinal game on Sunday and much needed sleep for the Rockets.
As fate would have it, the Rockets drew Norton National once again in the semifinals. And another lights-out pitching performance would propel Needham past Norton, this time by Sean Greene, who turned in an amazing 1-hit, 35-pitch complete-game shutout. Greene was absolutely brilliant, striking out 4 and retiring 12 of 12 batters faced--the one batter reaching base became a double-play victim.
The Rockets' offense was led by Steven Donovan, who was 2-for-3 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI, Timmy Hasenfus, who was 2-for-3 with an RBI, Drew Siegenthaler, who was 2-for-2 with 2 RBI, and Will Dorion, who in the fourth inning cranked a 2-1 fastball deep to right field, way back... Way back... Gone! Never any doubt. The 2-run blast was the first of his career, but only the first of many, many more that we will see from him.
Sean Greene earned MVP for his outstanding effort on the hill for the Rockets.
So, with mascots in place, the Rockets took the field to see if they could pull off a third tournament title. They would face a tough North Attleboro team that finished the seeding round in third place and battled through the quarterfinals and semis to earn a shot at the title.
William Popper was set to start for the Rockets. Fresh off his no-hitter the day before, Popper was ready to pick up right where he left off. In the top of the first, he got one to ground to short and then fanned two to retire the side in order.
The Rockets notched four in the bottom of the first. Will Dorion singled, Steven Donovan tripled on a rip up the right field line, Matthew Dougherty singled to right, and Will Popper singled to center. 4-0, Rockets, after one.
Popper kept North Attleboro off the board again in the second, and Needham was ready to add to the lead in their half.
Tom Berkley stepped in to lead it off for the Rockets and sent the first pitch he saw into left field for a single. He came around to score on an Eric Gage shot up the middle for a single. Sean Greene singled to center, Will Dorion singled to left, and the hit parade was on. Jack Morgan ripped one up the middle for a single, Aidan McGaugh sent one into left field for a single, and the Rockets would tack on four more. 8-0, Needham after two.
Popper worked out of a jam to escape the third with no damage and log a fifth straight scoreless inning pitched.
Bottom three... Tom Berkley lined one to left for a single and Eric Gage tripled on a missile to deep left field. Berkley scored. Gage would score on a passed ball to make it 10-0, Rockets.
North Attleboro, however, would come roaring back. In the top of the fourth, they strung together four big hits and put up four runs of their own. 10-4, after three and a half.
A big fourth for North did not slow Rockets down at all. With two outs, Steven Donovan sparked a rally cranking a shot on a line to right for a single. Jack Morgan singled to right, Aidan McGaugh walked, Matthew Dougherty singled on a rip to left, William Popper sent one into center field for a single, and the Rockets chalked three more, 13-4.
Rockets closer Will Dorion shut the lights out in the top of the fifth and paved the way for the Rockets to put an end to the game in the bottom half. Pounding the zone, he got one to ground to short, another to ground to second, and out number three to ground to third.
In the bottom of what would be the final inning, the Rockets earned the game-winner on the base paths. Sean Greene worked the count full and then took ball four to put himself on with one out. He advanced to second on a walk issued to Drew Siegenthaler. Greene stole third when Eric Gage attempted a steal of the plate, and then he came around to score on a passed ball to put the Rockets up by 10 runs and close the curtains on a dramatic finale.
The Needham Rockets have a great deal to be proud of with their third tournament championship. An outstanding effort from each and all 11 players. Everybody contributed at key moments during the run. Just good baseball, and it's fun to watch.
No rest for the Rockets, though, as they return to SYBL action on Tuesday vs Wellesley for their final regular season game. The playoffs will begin next weekend.
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