PEABODY — The Peabody baseball team did all of the little things Friday afternoon, and that’s what made the difference as the Tanners battled to a walk-off 2-1 victory in nine innings over Danvers at Donohue Field.
The game-winning sequence was a quick one for Peabody, as Brendan Smith hit a one-out triple in the bottom of the ninth to get into scoring position. That set the stage for Jacob Palhares, who dropped a picture-perfect bunt down the first base line for the walk-off RBI single to win the game.
While the small-ball at the end of the game was textbook, it was the pitching — on both sides — that stole the show in this game. For Peabody, senior ace Justin Powers went 8 2/3 innings and allowed one run on four hits with eight strikeouts. He had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning before it was broken up on an infield single. Cam Connolly picked up the win after going the final 1/3 of an inning and striking out one.
But Danvers got just as impressive of a performance from its ace Joe Zamejtis, as the junior went eight innings and allowed two runs on three hits with 12 strikeouts.
On the offensive side of things for Peabody, Palhares (1-for-4) and Giovanni Guglielmo (1-for-3) each had one RBI — with both runs getting driven in via bunt singles. Smith went 1-for-3 with that triple to set up the winning run, while Powers also went 1-for-3 in the win.
For the Falcons, Tyler O’Neill went 1-for-3 with the lone RBI on the day. Michael Moroney and Zack Hamel each went 1-for-4 in the loss, while Caleb White went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
The score remained tied at 0-0 heading into the third inning, but not before Danvers put up a serious threat in the top of the second. A walk and two hit batters loaded up the bases with two out for White, who ripped a hard grounder that nearly went for a base hit. But Peabody shortstop Mike Krouse made a diving play to knock the ball down and then threw it to third base for the force out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the third, Peabody finally got on the board. It started when Joe Raymond drew a walk, then an errant pickoff throw from Zamejtis sent Raymond all the way to third. Next up was Guglielmo, who dropped a squeeze bunt for an RBI single to bring Raymond home and make it a 1-0 game.
Danvers put up another threat in the top of the sixth, when Moroney and Hamel both singled to get a pair of runners on base. But Powers worked his way through it, eventually ending the inning with a strikeout and keeping the Tanners ahead.
But in the seventh, the Falcons finally cashed in. White was hit by a pitch with one out, then he stole second to get into scoring position. That set things up for O’Neill, who knocked an RBI single into left field to tie things up at 1-1.
The two teams battled through a scoreless eighth inning before Smith’s triple set up the game-winning play for Peabody in the bottom of the ninth.
Danvers (9-6) is off until Wednesday (6:30) when it hosts Masconomet.
Peabody (8-6) travels to Gloucester Monday (4:30).