Hits falling, lifting Naps.

Byline: Kevin O'Malley

WORCESTER - After failing to score in a pair of games against St. Peter-Marian last weekend at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Holy Name has quickly rebounded with back-to-back wins, beating Nashoba Regional on Wednesday and Central Mass. Conference rival St. John's, 11-3, last night at Tivnan Field.

"It was a nice bounce-back win against Nashoba, which allowed us to have some momentum going into this game," Holy Name coach Dan McGowan said. "You can very easily have some hangover from two tough games up in Canada. We hit the ball hard up north, but right at guys. Wednesday and today, they started to fall, which was nice to see, because you hate to see your guys working hard and not reaping the benefits."

Sophomore Billy Johnson earned the win with six solid innings and a ton of run support, which the Naps were lacking in Canada.

"Billy Johnson pitched six great innings," McGowan said. "His pitch count was a little high. He didn't have his best stuff. He is, without a doubt, a battler. He doesn't have to have his best stuff to go out there and win."

After St. John's took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a single by John Andreoli driving in Joe Petry, the Naps responded with a three-run, two-out rally in the bottom of the inning. Jake Sanderski and Dylan Flynn got things started with two-out, back-to-back doubles to tie it. Consecutive errors allowed Flynn to come around and score, and Aaron Fossas followed with a single that drove in Billy McGuirk.

Kevin Greene made it 4-1 for Holy Name with a solo home run to straightaway center field in the bottom of the second.

Andreoli brought the Pioneers back within a run with a two-run blast over the Tivnan Field sign in right-center field in the top of the third.

Holy Name chased St. John's starter Peter Chunis in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with no outs. Erik Chesna came on in relief and kept the Pioneers in the game, allowing only one inherited runner to score.

Dan Zinkus drove in a pair of runs for the Guardians in the fourth with a two-run single to right-center. After Johnson stranded three Pioneers runners in the top of the fifth, Sanderski plated another run in the bottom of the inning with a single to left that made the score 8-3.

"We have no excuse, no excuse whatsoever," St. John's coach Charlie Eppinger said. "The other team scored more runs."

Holy Name tacked on three more in the bottom of the sixth with run-scoring singles by Taylor Kapulka, Billy Desrosier and Greene.

NAME: ST. JOHN'S HIGH SCHOOL; HOLY NAME HIGH SCHOOL