Arnold, Blue Devils Outduel Ware to Claim League Title

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Noah Arnold scattered six hits in six scoreless innings, and Lucas Hamilton delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to send the Drury baseball team to a 1-0 win over Ware on Friday night to clinch a share of the Suburban West Championship.

 

Arnold struck out six and walked three before giving the ball to JJ Prenguber, who struck out a pair to pitch around a pair of baserunners in a scoreless seventh.

 

Pitching out of trouble was the name of the game for Arnold, who left the bases loaded in the first inning and left runners at third in the third and sixth on his way to the win.

 

“I don’t even worry about it,” Arnold said of the traffic on the basepaths behind him most of the night. “I just focus on me and [catcher] Julian [Feliciano]. He’s making great calls. We just kept attacking.”

 

Arnold helped clear some of the traffic by picking off a couple of runners at first base.

 

But Drury had to contend with its own baserunning troubles as well.

 

One Blue Devil was thrown out at third trying to stretch a leadoff double into a triple. Two others were picked off at first base in the third and at third base with one out in the fifth.

 

Finally, Drury, which produced nine hits, including three doubles, got the timely hit it needed in the sixth inning.

 

Prenguber (2-for-3) led off with a double to center field. And, after a passed ball put Prenguber on third, Hamilton followed with a single up the middle to drive in the game’s only run.

 

Jake McAllister went 2-for-2 with a double, and Connor Hinkell doubled on a night when seven different Blue Devils had a base hit.

 

They stranded five and saw three runners eliminated on the basepaths before getting the only two hits that counted in the win.

 

“I felt like we gave away some at-bats early, and we didn’t execute in a couple of scenarios, and we really kind of wanted that back,” Drury coach Rob Jutras said. “And, you know, some of that is just getting a little overextended and a little over-aggressive. But the key is we kept giving ourselves opportunities, and we broke through and got one.

 

“And that’s what we needed today.”

 

Meanwhile, Arnold held the visitors at bay long enough to get that lead.

 

“He worked himself out of jams all day long,” Jutras said. “He worked ahead. He gave us length, and he was absolutely dynamite. He was tough, he trusted his defense. And he led with that confidence and that demeanor that we love. He gave his team a ton of confidence.”

 

The victory gave the Blue Devils a tie for the league title with Wahconah.

 

After losing to Wahconah on opening day and starting the season 1-3, the Blue Devils have gone 12-1.

 

“We work so hard every day,” Arnold said. “We’ve barely ever taken a day off. It just feels good.”

 

Drury finishes the regular season on Saturday at Taconic. It opens Western Massachusetts Class C tournament play on Monday at home against Athol.