Dukes sweep doubleheader, move into tie for first place
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In Game 1, the Pittsfield Dukes were the home team based upon both teams being rained out in a doubleheader on July 18th at Wahconah Park. In the top of the first inning, Dukes starter Jake Sabol (Central Michigan) retired the first two hitters but then got into a jam. With two runners on and two out, Chase Austin (Elon) hit a fly ball to left field that Dukes outfielder Jason Krizan (Dallas Baptist) lost in the sun, as the ball fell to the grass and two runs scored on the play.
Twister starter Josh Smith (Lipscomb) was given the 2-0 early lead to work with and set down the Dukes in order in the first. He would get into trouble in the second inning, after retiring the first two hitters. Jake Rosenbeck (Buffalo) and Kevin Clements (Manchester CC) reached on back to back singles, but Smith struck out Domenic DiRicco (Cornell) looking to end the threat.
Up two runs, the Twisters would rally in the fourth inning trying to extend the lead. With two runners on and one out, Sabol induced Jonathan Cluff (BYU) to ground out, and first baseman Matt Adams (Slippery Rock) snared a liner from Alejandro Crisostamo (St. Augustine College) to end the inning. Adams made an acrobatic leap on the ball to keep Austin from scoring on the play.
In the bottom of the fifth, Jason Martin (San Jose State) hit a pop-up to shallow left field and the ball dropped out of the reach of shortstop Joe De Pinto (USC) for a one out double. Craig Hertler (San Jose State) then singled home Martin to bring Pittsfield within a run. Two batters later, Chris Edmondson (Le Moyne) hit an RBI single to center field to tie the game up at two.
Sabol set down the Twisters in order in the top of the sixth inning and sent the Dukes offense right back to the plate. In the bottom half, Matt Adams would lead off with a solo home run to right center field to propel the Dukes to a 3-2 lead. Pittsfield would also leave two runners on base as Smith left with a one-run deficit.
Closer Zach Anderson (Buffalo) entered the game in the seventh inning hoping to shut the door. With one out, Crisostamo reached on an infield single, but was later caught stealing trying to advance to second base. Austin Christensen (Chandler Gilbert) drew a walk, and Corey Shimada (Utah) would reach on an error from Craig Hertler in the right side hole to prolong the inning. With the tying run on second, and the potential go-ahead runner at first, Anderson got De Pinto to fly out to center field to end the ballgame.
Pittsfield would go on to win the first game 3-2 over Torrington and move into a virtual tie for first place in the Southern Division. Jake Sabol took the win for Pittsfield going six innings allowing just three hits, two runs (both unearned) and picking up four strikeouts in the Pittsfield victory. Josh Smith took the loss for the Twisters after going 6 innings, and allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits. The right hander also struck out seven hitters in the game. Torrington dropped a game and a half back behind the Manchester Silkworms for the fourth and final playoff spot in the South with the loss and looked to rebound in the second game.
It would be all Pittsfield Dukes in the second game of the doubleheader. In the third inning, Pittsfield would crack the scoreboard with a leadoff home run from Jason Martin to left field off of Twister starter Andrew Triggs (USC).
Martin’s first home run of the season would be all the run support Kyle Vazquez (Franklin Pierce) would need. Vazquez went six innings for Pittsfield, holding Torrington scoreless and striking out eight Twisters in the process. He only allowed three hits and two walks on his way to earning his fourth win of the season.
In the fourth inning, Pittsfield would add to the lead as the Dukes sent eight hitters to the plate. With the bases loaded, and one run home, Martin would draw a walk to give Pittsfield the 3-0 lead.
A Matt Adams RBI double in the 5th inning increased the lead to four runs, as Pittsfield would put another two runs on the board in the sixth.
With a 6-0 lead in the seventh, a Jason Martin RBI single, his second hit of the game and third run batted in would put Pittsfield ahead by seven.
In the bottom of the seventh, Jack Bender (Georgetown) would come in to relieve Vazquez and retire the first two hitters before walking the next three. With the bases loaded, Bender struck out Bryson Rahier (San Jose State) to end the game.
With the doubleheader sweep, the Pittsfield Dukes (24-15) move into a first place tie with the Newport Gulls who won their game on Tuesday night against the Manchester Silkworms. The Gulls are off on Wednesday while the Pittsfield Dukes will have their third straight doubleheader, a two game matchup at the North Adams SteepleCats beginning at seven o’clock. Pittsfield will start Luke Mazzanti (San Jose State) in game one and Mike Massery (American International) in game two.
The Torrington Twisters now stand at 13-25 and rest two games behind the Silkworms for the final playoff spot. Torrington will host the Danbury Westerners at three o’clock and the Keene Swamp Bats at seven at Fuessenich Park. Torrington needs to win out and have the Silkworms lose their remaining games to force a one-game playoff.
Fans can listen to all Pittsfield Dukes games on the NECBL Broadcast Network by going to the site at http://www.teamline.cc/sportpage?teamcode=6301&eventcode=5
GAME NOTES: At the end of the day, Pittsfield leads Newport by five thousandths of percentage point in the Southern Division standings. The last game of the season for the Gulls will be a doubleheader hosting Pittsfield on Thursday at 6:30. The Dukes are also one game ahead in the loss column…Dukes catcher Kevin Clements celebrated his twentieth birthday by starting both games behind the plate for Pittsfield.
Clements caught 13 of the 14 innings and went 2 for 6 extending his hitting streak to five games…Dukes shortstop Jake Rosenbeck (Buffalo) went three for three in the first game against Josh Smith and then went one for three in the second game of the doubleheader. …Twister second baseman Corey Shimada (Utah) went 0 for 6 in the doubleheader and is now 0 for his last 14 at bats…Torrington 1B/OF Jaren Matthews (Rutgers) is now 4 for his last 21 for the Twisters following a 1 for 6 performance in the double dip….The start from Andrew Triggs was the fourth for him this season in the series against the Torrington Twisters. He has started exactly half of his games against the Dukes and two of them have resulted in losses.
New England Collegiate Baseball League
Results for Tuesday, July 29th
For more detailed results and statistics, please visit www.necbl.com. or www.necbl.com/nutshell.htm.
Lowell 5, North Shore 2
North Shore 1, Lowell 0
Vermont 7, Sanford 6
Sanford 7, Vermont 1
Manchester 5, Danbury 1
Danbury 3, Manchester 2
Pittsfield 3, Torrington 2
Pittsfield 7, Torrington 0
Keene 7, Holyoke 5
Newport 8, North Adams 4
Schedule for Wednesday, July 30th
Holyoke Lowell @ Vermont 6:30pm
Danbury @ Torrington 3pm
Keene @ Torrington 7pm
Pittsfield @ North Adams (DH) 4pm
North Shore @ Holyoke (DH) 4pm
