Last modified: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 2:19 AM EDT Foxboro second baseman Brian Kronmiller, covering first base on a bunt, gets run into by Plymouth North’s Mike Higgins in the second inning Monday night. The ball was knocked away from Kronmiller and Plymouth North scored its first, and what proved to be the game-winning, run of the game. (Staff photo by Tom Maguire) Plymouth North ousts Warriors in classic game BY PETER GOBIS SUN CHRONICLE STAFF BRAINTREE - The pre-requisites for optimal performance, perhaps even a championship - pitching and defense - were present. But, Joe Flynn took the bats out of the hands of the Foxboro High Warriors. The hard-throwing Plymouth North High senior right-handed pitcher handcuffed the Warriors with a four-hit, nine strikeout outing, not just for his 10th mound victory of the season, but for the MIAA Division 2-South Sectional Tournament title. Foxboro's Brian Swanton was nearly as masterful on the mound, allotting six hits, while totaling eight K's and the Warrior defense was errorless. "It was a matter of stringing a few hits together and we just couldn't," related Foxboro High coach Glen Conlon, whose Warriors suffered a 2-0 setback to the defending MIAA Division 2 state champion Eagles at Braintree High Monday night. In winning their 11th consecutive postseason game - or not since Foxboro beat them in the quarterfinal round of the 2007 MIAA Tournament - the Eagles notched an opportunistic go-ahead, game-winning run in the second inning and then used a pair of hits in the sixth inning to add another tally. However, Foxboro was unable to dent Flynn's armor - having a runner thrown out at third base in the first inning; leaving a pair of baserunners stranded in the fourth inning; loading the bases in the fifth inning; having the leadoff batter on base in the sixth inning. "We couldn't drive a hit when we needed it," said Foxboro High senior shortstop Mike Farrell. "He (Flynn) had a hard fastball, a good curveball. We knew that we were still in it." Flynn retired the first 10 Warrior batters he faced - that is with the aid of a 9-4-5 relay which cut down senior catcher Nick Thrasher attempting to stretch a two-out double into right center field in the first inning into a triple. When Flynn got himself into a jam, he worked himself out of it. "He didn't have his control early, but he's a warrior," said Plymouth North coach Dwayne Follette of the Franklin Pierce College-bound Flynn. "He pitched out of trouble, he just wins." Flynn retired the Foxboro side in order in the second (on 11 pitches, with one strikeout), third (on seven pitches, with one strikeout) and in the seventh inning (on 10 pitches, with two strikeouts). However, only once - when Thrasher stroked his second hit of the game - a single into centerfield in the sixth inning, did Foxboro ever have a leadoff batter on base. "His curveball looked like a fastball and then it dropped," explained Foxboro senior centerfielder Joe Clagg of trying to tee off on fastballs. "Against that kid, we knew that we would have to play a hell of a game - and we did. But, we just didn't have any baserunners." At least not enough. In the fourth inning, Farrell drew a one-out walk on a 3-and-2 pitch and Thrasher also reached base on another base on balls. However, Flynn retired the next two Foxboro batters with four-pitch strikeouts. Foxboro faced merely a one-run deficit and were one hit away from solving Flynn in the fifth inning with a dramatic two-out rally. Brian Kronmiller kept the Warriors alive with a two-out, two-strike single into right field. Sophomore Steve Fitzmaurice kept the threat going, stroking a single out of his No. 9 spot in the order into left field. And Clagg joined them on the basepaths when the leadoff Warrior batter drew the third walk that Flynn would issue. However, Flynn met the challenged and adroitly protected the one-run lead by striking out Farrell, the No. 2 batter in Foxboro order, on four pitches. Even in facing a two-run deficit in the sixth inning, Foxboro refused to fold. Thrasher reached base for the third time with his base hit. However, Flynn fielded a ground ball to notch the first out for Plymouth North, then got the next two batters on a flyball to right field and a ground ball to end the bid. "We wanted to jump on his fastball, but we were a little too late," added Conlon, Foxboro only once having a runner at third base. "The other thing was that he was ahead of the count, he didn't get behind on too many hitters." Neither did Swanton, who deserved a better fate. "That was the best that I've seen a kid mix it up," said Follette in praise of the Babson College-bound Swanton. "He threw great pitches, he did a great job on us - he gave us all we can handle." Unfortunately for Swanton and the Warriors, Plymouth North sophomore catcher and No. 4 batter Matt Walsh is a prime-time player, figuring in both Eagle runs. "That was kind of a cheap run, but we needed it," said Follette of Plymouth North's game-winning run in the second inning. Walsh smacked a leadoff double into right-centerfield. Mike Higgins, the Eagles' very next batter, sacrificed Walsh over. But, on the throw to first base, Kronmiller, Foxboro's second baseman, and Higgins collided at the bag. Even though the first out was taken, Kronmiller tumbled to the ground and Walsh, alertly, scampered around third base to score. "That was a tough break for them, the kid got there late, then he got run over," said Follette. "It was a big play." Then in the sixth inning, Walsh again submarined the Warriors. Tom MacInness stroked a one-out single into left field and stole second base. Then with two outs, Walsh drilled a curveball for an RBI-single into center field. "This team has shown tremendous composure," added Follette of his No. 20 seeded Eagles, who limped into the postseason having graduated a dozen players from its 2008 title team with just 11 wins. Plymouth North had runners on base in all but the first and seventh innings against Swanton, having the leadoff runner on base in the second, third and fifth innings. Twice Swanton stranded Eagles at third base too. In the third after Zach Prifti had a leadoff single and moved along to third on a pair of infield outs, Swanton retired MacInness, the Eagles' No. 2 batter, on strikes. In the fourth inning, Walsh singled off Swanton's glove, then advanced into scoring position on a ground ball and a passed ball. But Swanton once again reared back and got the next batter with a strikeout to end the frame. And in the fifth, after Phil Cash clubbed a leadoff single into left field, Thrasher, the Foxboro catcher, gunned him down on a throw to Farrell, covering second base on the attempted steal. "Give Butch (Swanton), they've been putting up runs (36) all over the place," added Conlon of the Eagles' first four MIAA Tournament wins. "He saved his best, but the other kid (Flynn), his curveball was dazzling and his fastball topped out at 90 (mph). "And yet, we're only a run down in the fifth inning with the bases loaded. We needed that one hit. They were just a little bit better." Plymouth North 010 001 0-2 6 0 Foxboro 000 000 0-0 4 0 Flynn and Walsh; Swanton and Thrasher; W-Flynn (10-1). L-Swanton (6-4).