The boys varsity baseball team was defeated 9-7 by the Natick Redhawks in their home opener on Monday, April 6.

After a calm first two innings that ended without a run, the Warriors put the first points on the board with a grand slam from junior Hugh Bolinger. Bolinger said this grand slam was a very special moment.

“This was the first home run I’ve ever hit in my life,” Bolinger said. “I thought it was gonna be a deep fly ball, but once I saw the center fielder turn his back and run backwards, I knew it was going out. It sucks we didn’t get the win, but definitely a great milestone.”

After going ahead by four with Bolinger’s grand slam, the Warriors saw their lead slip away as the Redhawks scored six runs in the third inning. The Warriors struggled against the Redhawks’ pitcher and veteran squad.

Head coach Brenden O’Connor said small mistakes cost the Warriors dearly.

“When things were going our way, we kind of shot ourselves in the foot,” O’Connor said. “A couple walks in a row kind of killed us today after our four-run offensive inning.”

Even after a run from the Warriors off a single from senior and captain Felix Ham to make it 6-5, the Warriors could not maintain any sort of momentum. The Redhawks gained another four runs, making it 9-5 going into the bottom of the sixth.

With their backs against the wall, the Warriors nearly mounted an astounding comeback, with two runs in the sixth and a near home run from Ham in the seventh. Even as they faced adversity, Bolinger said the team stayed motivated with the right spirit.

“ Energy was great the whole game and definitely kept us going and allowed us to kind of climb,” Bolinger said.

Looking ahead, the future seems to be filled with hope. According to O’Connor, their batting was much better today, and their attitude in the face of adversity was very promising.

“That pitcher is one of the best pitchers we’ll probably face this year,” O’Connor said. “We were pretty comfortable with him, so that is definitely promising for us.”

Ham said he wants to savor his last moments as a Warrior and play as much baseball as he can. Ham’s goal for the team this season is simple: win as much as possible and take the team to the playoffs.

“Time flies by fast, and I’m trying to get as much baseball as I can,” Ham said. “Try to win as many games as we can. Trying to make the playoffs, that’s the main goal.”