The Bishop Hendricken baseball team picked up a much-needed win on Tuesday night when it beat Westerly 7-1 to snap a three-game skid.

Hendricken pitcher Mason Crain was sharp on the mound, pitching a complete game and allowing just one hit and striking out four. Crain carried a no-hitter into the final inning.

Jack DePalma led the Hawks at the plate going 2-for-2 with two RBI while Brett Knight, Cam Daley and Frank Tillinghast all drove in runs as well.

The Hawks fell to Bishop Feehan, Cumberland and La Salle in the previous three games.

Hendricken led Feehan 5-1 through five innings, but Feehan put up six runs which would be enough to seal the deal. Daley drove in two runs in the win for the Hawks. Patrick Clemmey pitched four innings and allowed just one hit while striking out seven batters.

Cumberland picked up the 4-2 win the previous game. The Clippers led 4-0 in the seventh, and despite scoring a pair of runs, it would not be enough as Hendricken was unable to even the score. Crain and Parker Boyd drove in runs in the seventh and pitcher Dylan Poloski pitched a complete game, allowing no earned runs and striking out four batters.

La Salle entered the seventh inning of the rivalry matchup with an 11-1 lead last Friday night, but the Hendricken bats took off to score six runs with two outs to cut into the deficit. The Rams managed to escape the inning and pick up the upset win.

“It was important to build some momentum and to get some hits. We’ve been struggling lately so hopefully that gives us momentum,” said Hendricken coach Ed Holloway after the loss.

The Hawks have had a jammed schedule in the home stretch of the regular season. The team’s final nine games have been scheduled to be played across just 13 days.

The focus for Hendricken is to finish strong and secure a bye in the opening round of the postseason. The Hawks entered Wednesday with the top seed and have games against Waterford, Pilgrim and Xaverian remaining. 

“They’ve played a lot of games and still have a lot to go. We need to win games, we’re trying to get a bye. I mentioned to the team, ‘Do you think we’re tired?’ We’ve been going since March 4th. That’s one of my concerns, staying fresh because we don’t want to be tired in the playoffs. Hopefully we get some cushion with a bye and can pick things up after the holiday,” said Holloway.

The defending champs will enter the postseason with plenty of experience with guys like Crain, Tillinghast and Braeden Campbell in the fold. DePalma has also been surging as of late, as he also hit a home run and drove in three runs against the Rams.

“He’s a great kid, a great leader, loves playing the game of baseball and is intense. He’s one of the guys that we’ll need moving forward and into the playoffs,” said Holloway of DePalma.