Luppi, Redmen Oust Marblehead, 6-2

When Tewksbury High pitcher Matt Luppi arrives at the University of Connecticut this fall to begin his career with the Division 1 Huskies, he's going to have to learn how to pitch on the big stage.

If Thursday's state tournament win over Marblhead was any indication, that won't be a problem for Luppi.

The senior right hander picked the perfect time to come up with one of the best pitching performances of his career, scattering six hits and striking out seven as the Redmen eliminated Marblehead, 6-2, to advance to the second round of the MIAA Division 2 North Sectional baseball tournament.

"It was one of the best starts of his career," said TMHS baseball coach Ron Drouin of Luppi. "He was everything he was supposed to be. He was never in trouble. He was in total command."

Luppi allowed a single run in the first inning but shut down the host Magicians over the next four as his team built a 6-1 lead. He walked just two batters and allowed only one earned run in the complete-game win.

""He threw it good," Drouin said. "His velocity was in the 82-85 (mile per hour) range and he had command of his curve ball. The look in his eye and his body language was much, much better."

Luppi helped his own cause at the plate with two hits, including a solo home run, and two runs scored. Luppi led off the second inning with a single, then advanced when Joe Hulme reached on a dropped third strike. Sophomore infielder Cam Oliveira cracked a two-run single to give Tewksbury the lead, and Oliveira later scored on Brad Gahagan's suicide squeeze bunt to make it 3-1 after two innings.

Senior catcher Rob Wallace led off with a single in the third inning and later scored on a ground out to make it 4-1.

Luppi slammed his home run into a strong head wind in the fourth to increase his cushion to 5-1, and senior outfielder Chris Andella drove in junior shortstop Eric Heider with an RBI single in the fifth to cap Tewksbury's scoring. Heider had led off the inning with a double.

Marblehead scored an unearned run in the sixth, but by then the game was squarely in the hands of Luppi and the Redmen.

"We played well," Drouin said. "We handled all our chances in the infield, we hit the ball well, we bunted, we stole bases. That's the way we play, we put pressure on people."

And having your ace step up his game when it counts doesn't hurt either.

"This the last chance I'm ever gonna get to play in the (state)  tournament so I wanted to leave it all on the field and not say  'what if,'" Luppi said.  "That extra motivation helped carry me.

"I was getting all my pitches over for strikes," Luppi added. "When you can keep people off balance and you have a little extra on your fastball, it's a lot more
fun that when you're stuggling and grinding."

The victory was Tewksbury's first state tournament win since the Redmen beat Wilmington, 5-2 in the opening round of the 2008 state tournament. TMHS has now won five of its last six games and the Redmen appear to be playing their best baseball at the right time of the year.

"We've got a little swagger going right now," Drouin said. "We're playing with a bit of an edge. We doing some great things and if we can continue to do those things we can be a dangerous team."

Tewksbury will play again on Monday afternoon against the winner of tonight's game between No. 3 seed Danvers and No. 14 seed Belmont. If Danvers wins, Monday's game will be in Danvers. If Belmont wins, Tewksbury would host the second round game.

For Luppi, Monday can't come fast enough.

"We had a little slump in the middle of the season but we've got it going right now," Luppi said. "Winning is contagious, so I hope it stays like that."