The competitiveness level of the Independent School League is so high that often times, it comes down to the final day of the regular season to decide a league champion. Such was the scenario on Friday. Belmont Hill was in control of its own destiny: Beat Buckingham, Browne & Nichols and win the ISL outright, or split it alongside two-time defending ISL title holder St. Sebastian’s and Roxbury Latin.
The Sextants didn’t feel like sharing, defeating the Knights, 4-1, for their 16th ISL title and fourth for nine-year head coach Mike Grant. Belmont Hill (15-6, 13-2 ISL), after winning three consecutive championships from 2012–2014, were second each of the last four years.
Against BB&N, Tufts University-bound Patrick Walsh, primarily a reliever, pitched a complete-game, three-hit gem with five strikeouts. The Knights threatened in the top of the seventh, putting two runners aboard with two out, but the senior righthander closed the game out with a strikeout.
“Pat is used to being put in tough situations,” said Grant. “He has been there all year for us. We had three games in four days, and a couple of injuries to our pitching staff. We really needed Pat to go out and compete for us and go long in the game and that’s what he did.”
