Dukes sweep doubleheader,
move into tie for first place
Michael Radomski
( TORRINGTON, Conn.) – With
a doubleheader sweep of the Torrington Twisters, the Pittsfield
Dukes have moved back into first place in a virtual tie with the
Newport Gulls. The Dukes defeated the Twisters 3-2 in the first game
and 7-0 in the second game of the doubleheader to move back atop the
Southern Division.
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.
