Salem High filled the air with well-struck fly balls during a first-round Class L baseball playoff game. Yet Timberlane gloves, similar to gravity, were a force SHS couldn’t avoid.

The ninth-seeded Owls played flawless defense, deflated a last-inning rally and knocked the eighth-seeded Blue Devils from the tournament with a 4-1 win at Michele Park on Thursday, June 4. Salem’s first 18 outs went as follows: a pair of strikeouts, two runners caught stealing and 14 fly ball, line drive or pop up outs.

It wasn’t until the locals chased Timberlane starter Matt Faia that the Owls recorded a ground ball out. The Blue Devils entered the last half of the seventh and final inning in a 4-0 hole, but Darren Brown lined a single to left to open the frame. Sam Fazzioli then leaned into a Faia offering, putting runners at first and second and raising the decibel level on Salem’s bench and among the crowd.

When Josh Treff followed with an RBI single to left, the tying run came to bat. Timberlane countered with its star hurler, P.J. Singster, who induced a grounder to shortstop, foul pop behind home plate and comebacker to eliminate Salem.

“They made the plays, four or five of them. There’s not much else we could’ve done,” said Salem’s head coach, Dan Keleher. “We did as well as we could (at the plate) to win this game – as far as our approach – but no regrets.”

Salem starter Jake Lambert struggled early and wasn’t helped by some tough luck: in the second inning, three infield singles and a bad-hop hit to left, along with a bases loaded walk and clean single, plated two Owls in the second.

An error and walk to open the top of the third forced Keleher to call on Nick Poore, who retired the next three Timberlane hitters, but not before another Owl scooted home. A bunt single plated the visitors’ final run in the fifth.

Time and again, Timberlane’s outfielders were tested. In every instance, they made the plays. The top of Salem’s lineup – Jordan Estevez, Matt Gioia and Josh Heil – was sent back to the bench after especially hard outs.

The Blue Devils, 11-9 entering the postseason, lose Heil, Lambert and Jerry Acosta to graduation. The entire team, said Keleher, earned his thanks for their efforts in 2009.

“You can’t be disappointed with their approach. Not every coach gets to have a group of kids like this,” he said. “I’m sorry the season is over.”