Norwich — Some players crumble under pressure batting with runners on base.

Not Brett Pill.

He enjoys the moment and sharpens his focus.

"Some guys get kind of nervous," Pill said. "They think, `Shoot, I don't want to mess this up.' I try to take the mentality that I've got a guy on and I can help the team win.

"I'm not really thinking about the failing part. I think about the positive."

With a productive Pill leading the charge, the Defenders are playoff bound after recently clinching the Eastern League's Northern Division regular season title. He singled and doubled in Wednesday's 1-0 shutout of New Hampshire at Dodd Stadium.

The night before, Pill set a single-season franchise record by driving in his 101st RBI on a groundout against New Hampshire. He also hit his 16th home run for his 102nd RBI.

Manager Steve Decker attributed Pill's ability to drive in runs to a combination of factors: remaining cool under pressure, strike zone discipline and table-setters like Mike McBryde, Brad Boyer and Brock Bond reaching base.

"It's a character issue," Decker said of athletes delivering in the clutch. "They don't panic. Their heart rate beats at a slower beat. Just like Tiger Woods under pressure in a major. His heartbeat is slower than everyone else so his muscles are able to relax and consistently do what you want them to do."

Does Decker see the same thing in Pill?

"Absolutely," Decker answered.

In his first season at the Class AA level, Pill's improved his numbers across the board from last season during which he batted .266 with nine home runs and 65 RBI at Class A San Jose.

In his best season as a professional, the Eastern League all-star took a .291 average into Wednesday's game, ranking first in the league in RBI, third in hits (145) and third in doubles (35). He's a candidate for league most valuable player honors. The winner will be announced Friday.

His RBI total is even more impressive considering he drove in just five runs in April.

"I didn't start off too well," Pill said. "With us winning, it kind of gets contagious. It seems like I always come up with a guys on base. With guys on with no outs, it's pretty easy to drive them in. You can hit a ground ball or pretty much do about anything.

"We've got a lot of good players. I've stayed more confident this whole season."

Pill, who turns 25 Tuesday, is learning to be patient on and off the field. He admits thoughts of a promotion in the San Francisco organization occasionally creep into his head.

"You hope if you do really well here you can move up," Pill said. "I figured I'd be here all year because they're pretty set in the big leagues. It's definitely hard to be patient. You want to know if you can do it up there."

Of course, one outstanding season is hardly a guarantee of future success. Take Donny Leon, the previous franchise RBI holder. After setting the mark with 100 RBI in 1999, he never reached higher than Class AAA.

A California native and member of the 2004 Cal State-Fullerton NCAA championship baseball team, Pill hopes this season will be a launching pad for his career, not a mountaintop.

"Hopefully, I can have a couple more seasons like that," said Pill, a 6-foot-4 first baseman. "The main thing is to keep them interested in you then you always have a job. … Hopefully, next year I'll get a chance to go to a big league camp game in spring training."

News and notes

• Starter Garrett Broshuis (5-4) earned the win, going six strong innings. Relievers Shane Kaufman and Matt Yourkin (eighth save) finished off New Hampshire (63-74). Jackson Williams' RBI double in the fourth accounted for the game's only run. … Bond finished second in the voting for Eastern League Rookie of the Year. Michael Taylor, a Reading outfielder, won the award. Akron's Mike Sarbaugh received manager of the year while Connecticut's Steve Decker finished second. … The Defenders (80-56) are closing in on the franchise record for wins — 83 in 2001.

g.keefe@theday.com