Saugus Continues Surge Toward Playoff Berth

Thought the Saugus High baseball team was finished?

Guess again.

The streaking Centurions scored four runs in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie and upend Foothill League-leading Burroughs, 6-2, Friday at Burroughs, keeping alive their hopes for postseason play. The win moves Saugus (14-9, 4-6 in league play) one game behind third-place Canyon (9-13, 5-5) for the league’s No. 3 and final playoff berth.

Saugus will earn the spot if it wins its remaining two games against Burbank and Canyon. The Centurions have won four straight after opening league play with six consecutive losses.

Coach Doug Worley could not be happier.

“I’m just so proud of these guys,” Worley said. “Everybody was thinking we were a joke. Things just kept getting worse and worse and you wonder, ‘What can you do?’

“But they always kept their pride and played hard. Now it’s easy. Now we have a lot to play for.”

So does Burroughs.

The Indians defeated Hart, 4-3, in eight innings Tuesday to take over the league lead. Despite the loss, they are still in first at 13-10, 7-3. Burroughs is one game ahead of Hart, which lost to Burbank, 1-0. Burroughs is trying to claim what is believed to be its first baseball title in school history.

“Destiny is still on our side,” Burroughs Coach Terry Scott said. “I’d much rather be in our position than where the other guys are.”

Saugus scored four runs in the seventh on three hits, three hit batters and a walk. The Centurions took the lead for good when Danny Cato drove in Chad New from third base with a single.

Bobby Cowan (4-6), who has been victimized by shoddy defense and bad luck, pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win. Holland Cowger (5-3) took the loss.

Saugus leadoff hitter Todd Brethour sparked the team by going two for three with two runs. Jeff Brown was one for three with two runs batted in.

The Centurions took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Brethour singled and scored when Cowger walked Brown with the bases loaded. Cowger opened the game wildly, walking two and hitting a batter in the inning.

He worked out of the jam one batter later when Darren Hoevel was tagged out at second on a fielder’s choice.

Burroughs went ahead, 2-1, in the bottom of the first when Gary Johnson and Karl Castro scored on Troy Wilson’s double. The Centurions’ Scott Himes tied the score in the second when he scored from second base on an error by left fielder Josh Cartee.