Photos, Video: Hingham Baseball Falls to Milton

After not playing a game in over a week, the No. 3 ranked Hingham High School Baseball team came out flat Monday, losing 12-4 to No. 11 Milton in the second round of the MIAA South Division 2 State Tournament.

With the win, Milton will now advance to the Division 2 South Sectional semifinals to play Somerset on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Adams Field in Quincy.

“I think we had an advantage because I hate when you have a bye,” said Milton Coach Ted Curley. “Hingham hasn’t played for so long.  They’re an excellent team and can crush the ball… we just happen to jump out early.”

Milton, hot off a first round victory over Oliver Ames , came out swinging and took an early 3-0 lead in the second inning and did not look back.  In the sixth inning, the Wildcats piled on eight additional runs to end Hingham’s dreams of capturing a State Championship.

“We just gave them too many extra outs.” said Hingham Head Coach Bob Rodgers.  “[Milton] hit the ball so well. When you give the quality of hitters second chances you are going to be asking for trouble.”

Hingham’s sophomore starting pitcher Evan Flanagan who has dominated opponents all season, struggled early.    After loading the bases in the second inning with one out, Flanagan gave up an RBI single to Milton second baseman Paul Curran. The next batter was Milton centerfielder Matt Regan who hit a sac fly to left field to score a second run.  Flanagan then walked in a run, to give Milton the early 3-0 lead.

But the Harbormen bounced right back.  Third baseman Eddie Bowler scored on a throwing error in the second, and second baseman Jake Magner scored on an RBI ground out by Sean Greene in the third.

Flanagan also bounced back not allowing any runs in the third and fourth inning.

In the third, Hingham’s senior shorts stop David  Hogan made the best defensive play of the game, taking a  Connor Regan bouncing ground ball deep into the shortstop hole, and then making the out with a leaping cannon-throw to first.

The Wildcats only led 3-2 going into the fifth inning until Milton senior  slugger Willie Archibald hit a monster solo home run.

 “He’s definitely our number one,” Curley said of Archibald who will play ball at Tufts next season. “Willie’s something special.”

Archibald’s home run was only just the beginning of Milton’s offensive explosion.  The Wildcats had 13 batters come to the plate in the sixth inning and piled on eight runs off Flanagan and relief pitcher Hogan to knock the Harbormen out of the tournament. 

Milton’s monster-sixth inning was highlighted by Matt Regan’s two run double with the bases loaded to start the rally.

“Matt Regan had the big hit,” said Curley. “He hit a nice piece and that was huge. That really got the pressure off us because it was really a tight game at that point.”

Flanagan took the loss, allowing seven hits, walking five and striking out three in five-plus innings of work.

“Evan’s done the job for us all year and he did great today,” said  Rodgers. “The final score won’t say it,  but he did a good job overall on what we asked him to do today.”

A day after he graduated from High School, Milton pitcher Rob O’Neil pitched into the sixth inning, allowing four hits and striking out four and walking six to earn the win. O’Neill also hit two singles in the sixth inning to help his own cause.

“My pitcher really kept his composure out there, he was tough,” said Curley.  “He is a kid who doesn’t get flustered.  His fastball was getting hit hard and his curveball really baled him out.”

After O’Neil struggled to make outs in the sixth inning, Coach Curley brought out senior Mike DeMille who closed out the game. Milton has now won two consecutive games on the road to start the tournament.

“Being underdogs gives us momentum and power over these teams,” Archibald said.

For Hingham, senior Captain Alex Pompeo  pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning.  Magner had an RBI single in the sixth inning and senior leftfielder Rob Madden also had two hits in his very last game as a Harborman.

With the loss, it was an end of an era in Hingham as Rodgers coached his last game with the team.  After three years as head coach of the Harbormen, Rodgers will leave to fulfill the role of Athletic Director for Whitman-Hanson Regional High School, where he also teaches Media and coaches basketball.

“I couldn’t ask for a better group of kids,” Rodger said.  “They were just a tight knit group all year and the character just doesn’t’ get any better.”