By Lorenzo Recupero
Nearly half way through the season, the Crimson Tide are sitting below .500 in the standings but showing 100 percent of their progress.
The team recently put together their first win streak with back-to-back victories against Malden (9-7) and Winthrop (10-1) before conceding a 3-2 decision against Danvers on April 28.
The three-game sample of work was enough for head coach Joe Lento Jr. to see the ‘process’ is taking place and paying dividends for the future of his team.
“Our record isn’t showing it, but we are playing better baseball right now,” said Lento of his team’s 3-6 record (as of 4/31). “We have been making sure we get good experience in games for our younger players and the little things are starting to stick out,” said Lento, who acknowledged his youthful roster is making strides in all the small ways.
“Things like bunt coverages, getting out of jams, timely hitting, and productive outs that move runners along, more of those sorts of little things are starting to happen more often and it’s a great sign for our team now and hopefully in the future,” he said.
Coach Lento didn’t leave out that collective pitching has kept his team in near every game this season.
Behind senior pitcher Jason Hennessey, Evan Mallard, and junior Anthony McLain, who posted the first two wins of his career this season, the Crimson Tide are in good shape on the mound, according to Lento.
It’s helped the team to have the junior duo of Greg Reed and Luis Conception on the field as well. In the team’s most decisive win over Winthrop,where they posted 10 earned runs, the two juniors combined for seven hits while boosting the team.
“The middle of our order with guys like Reed and Concepcion has been delivering,” said Lento. “They are helping us get guys on base and keep us in games, and that’s a really good sign.”