Behind that cloud of dust is Souhegan's Blake Powers reaching third safely on a fielder's choice ahead of the tag by Hollis Brookline's Jorden Morelli during Monday's Division II clash in Amherst. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

AMHERST – The Hollis Brookline High School baseball team isn’t kidding around this season.

The Cavaliers feel like Division II contenders, and after Monday’s 4-1 win over defending champion Souhegan, they look like it too.

“They’re (Souhegan) a great team,” Cavs coach Alex Pratt said, his team now off to a 7-0 start. “Well-coached, always solid on defense, always put the ball in play, great pitching, great catcher, those are the teams you’ve got to beat.”

The Sabers (5-4) helped them out. HB scored an unearned run without the benefit of a hit in the top of the first, and then snapped a 1-1 tie thanks to a couple of Souhegan mistakes in the top of the seventh.

“They did what they were supposed to do, right,” Sabers coach Chris Metz said, his team leaving nine men on. “They capitalized on opportunities that they had, right. We didn’t capitalize with runners on second and third with one out, with a runner on third and one out, those things. They did what they were supposed to do. That’s the game of baseball…They got us today.”

With the game knotted at 1 in the top of the seventh, Matt Bergin led off the seventh off Sabers reliever Ethan Gaudet, who had closed the door the previous frame in relief of solid starter Alex Trudel, with his 50th career hit. Connor Gryniewicz had an infield hit, bringing Thomas Howie to the plate. He cranked a fly ball to deep center that looked catchable except for some confusion between center fielder Brody Smith and right fielder Blake Powers. The ball went off of a reaching Powers’ glove to plate the go-ahead run. Quinn Imbrogno (3 for 4) followed with a two-run single and that was that.

Trudel, who had wiggled out of a couple of jams thanks to his seven strikeouts, was lifted at 94 pitches with two on and two out in the sixth in favor of Gaudet.

“In these types of games, man, we’re playing strategy, ‘What’s he done, what’s he done, let’s give them a different look,'” Metz said. “Trudel pitched his butt off. In a game like that, there’s no other kid that I want on the mound than Ethan Gaudet. Things didn’t go his way today, but that’s the guy I want on the mound in that situation.”

The Sabers’ game tying run was scored by Jacob Bryam as the result of an errant throw to third after he had tagged up from second. HB flamethrowing starter Ian Sinclair was otherwise tough, as he allowed three hits and one unearned run,striking out seven and walking three.

He was lifted after giving up a leadoff walk to start the seventh, and reliever Ben George, with two on and two out, got dangerous Saber Joe Mayo to fly out to right to end the game. There’s a fence up now in the Souhegan outfield at Bill Dod Field, so getting Mayo out was no small feat.

“We had some errors that cost us, but Ian was able to pull it together and close the door sometimes,” Pratt said. “He had him at 100 at inning seven, and I told him you’ve got 20.But it was a four-ptch walk, and we’ve got (reliever) Ben George. I love that kid, he comes off the bench and kills it.”

Now both teams move on for the rest of the week before seeing each other again in Hollis next Monday.

Hollis Brookline’s Ian Sinclair delivers a pitch during Monday’s clash of Division II contenders in Amherst. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

“I think we know who we are,” Metz said. “They could have given up last Saturday after the Concord game (a tough 6-5 loss) and just mailed it in. But they keep coming out every day at practice battling and fighting … We had first and third in the bottom of the seventh. They keep fighting.”

And the Cavs know who they are. They won a lot of games last year with a young team but exited the tourney early, which often happens with youth. But now they seem to have have bounced back nicely, a year older and wiser.

“Definitely,” Pratt said. “We had some great seniors last year that helped us build the foundation to what we have now. … I’m very happy with the outcome. We were a little slow, but we’re playing Souhegan, that’s sometimes what happens.

“We played this one like it’s a playoff game. Every time you play Souhegan, it’s a playoff game.”

In another month, that’s what every game will be.