Red Raiders Open State Tournament with Victory

Say hey, Willie, say hey.

Barnstable High's senior righty Willie Nastasi went the distance yesterday afternoon in front of the most fans Hyannis has seen this season, and notched a 6-1 victory over visiting Catholic Memorial. Memorial finishes the season at 12-9, and Barnstable (15-4) advances to Tuesday, June 5 in the MIAA Division 1 South Sectionals to face Boston College High School (15-5) or Framingham (11-7).

The game will be played at Barnstable High School on Tuesday, June 5 at 4 pm. All tournament games are nine innings.

Nastasi went all nine innings for the Red and White, throwing 110 pitches in a performance that stifled the Catholic Memorial bats. He struck out seven, scattered five hits, walked one and hit one batsman. His sole run allowed was a lead off triple off the base of the right field wall on the game's first pitch, then a sacrfice fly to plate the runner.

Barnstable tied the game at 1-1 on starting lefty Pat Hurley, a junior, when Ty Adams reached on a fielder's choice, moved to third base on a Dylan Morris (2-3, RBI) opposite-field single, then came home on a wild pitch on ball four to Danny Walsh.

The Red Raiders broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning when Denny Beynor walked to lead things off, Luke Besse followed with a walk and Adams laid down a gorgeous bunt single he beat out to load the bases. The winning run came home when Morris was hit by a pitch to plate Beynor and made the score 2-1.

Besse scored to make it 3-1 on a double play ball. Mark Brodd belted a two-out double to drive in Adams and made it 4-1, then Brodd came home on an Everett Walsh single that made it 5-1.

Barnstable tacked on an extra run in the bottom of the sixth when Besse reached on an error then scored when Adams hit a routine fly ball and it was dropped by the right fielder. 

Other Red Raiders who notched hits included Sam Holway, Derek Estes and Dan Walsh who went 2-3.