Tuesday, July 15, 2008

By Paul Ofria, Silkworms Sports Information Department

Greenwood Stymies Silkworms, 6-1

Southington Native Perfect Through 5 2/3

MANCHESTER –  The moon was full and home plate umpire Barry Chasen’s strike zone was wide, but Nick Greenwood was near perfect in a 6-1 win over the sputtering Silkworms Tuesday night at Northwest Park.

The right-hander from Southington retired the first 17 Silkworms he faced and struck out nine over seven innings. Greenwood threw 84 pitches and did not walk a batter. Ryan Piacentini (Portland, ME/Trinity College) became the first Silkworm base runner when he punched Greenwood’s 61st pitch up the middle with two-out in the sixth.

“I thought in the first inning he might have been the best stuff he had all summer,” Vermont manager John Russo said of Greenwood, who improved to 3-3 on the season. “He was real exited to pitch in his hometown. He had a lot of family members here – he’s been exited for about two weeks and it brought out his best stuff tonight.”

Greenwood was making his sixth start and ninth appearance of the summer for the two-time defending NECBL Champions. The URI Junior to-be has now struck out 41 batters in 37 2/3 innings while only walking nine. His ERA dropped from 3.23 down to 2.90.

“You’ve got to tip your hat to him,” Silkworm manager Al Leyva said of Greenwood. “He was keeping us off-balance all night.”

The Silkworms (11-18) have now lost four straight and six of their last seven, including three straight at home and seven of their last eight at home since a 4-0 win over Keene on June 20. Vermont (15-13) recovered from a 2-6 start, winning 12 of its last 19, including a dramatic, come from behind walk-off win in the tenth inning Monday night against Newport.

Matt Grosso (Notre Dame/Marlborough, CT), who was named to the NECBL All-Star team on Monday, drove in the lone Silkworm run with a double in the eighth, knocking in Joe Cotter (Pottstown, PA/Villanova), who led off the inning with a double. The Silkworms had just four base runners off three Vermont pitchers – three hits and a walk to Grosso, who was the only Silkworm to reach base twice.

“I didn’t even know if I was going to getting at-bats this summer,” Grosso said a day after receiving the All-star nod. “I thought I might be sitting on the bench with five at-bats all summer. Just even playing is a huge thing for me. I didn’t know what it would take to be an all-star – I didn’t even know there was an all-star team until about a week ago.”

Grosso leads the team in hitting (.325), hits  (37), doubles (10), slugging (.405), total bases (45) and is now tied with Zach Hudson (Nashville, Tennessee/Middle Tennessee State) for the team lead in RBI with 12.

“It’s such a really big honor for me because I had no idea what to expect coming into the summer,” Grosso, who was injured during the 2007 college season and had to sit out this past season after transferring to Notre dame from University of Maine, said.

Manchester used five relief pitchers after starter Jamil Acosta (Downey CA/Rio Hondo Community College) (0-1) gave up four runs (three earned) over the first three innings. Acosta, making his first start after a pair of relief appearances since joining the team last week, stranded three runners in first two innings, but the Mountaineers made him throw 31 of his 72 pitches in the third while scoring four times on four hits and a walk.

None of the four hits were particularly well hit, including a bloop triple that took an odd hop away from Cotter in right field and a pop fly double that found its way between three fielders in short left field.

Nick Noblit (Westfield, MA/AIC), Ryan McGrath (Newtown, CT/Wake Forrest), Mike Anarumo (Levittown, NY/Le Moyne College), Andrew Janiga (Ellignton/Trinity College) and J.J. Potrikus( N Syracuse, NY/SUNY Cortland) shut Vermont down, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits over the final six innings.

Vermont outfielder Scott Schauer made his pitching debut in the ninth for VT and retired the final two batters after issuing a one-out walk to Grosso.

All-Stars Announced

In addition to Grosso, who will start for the South Division in the 15th Annual NECBL All-Star in Torrington on Sunday, July 20th, pitcher Brian Pendergast (Unionville, CT/Manhattan College) (1-5, 3.56) was also named to represent the Silkworms. Sanford Mainer shortstop Matt Nandin, who played for the Silkworms in 2007, will start for the North Division squad.

Silkworms Add Three

The Silkworms added three local players to their roster – infielder Tony Trubia (Tolland/Western New England), catcher Anthony Cipolla (Glastonbury/Keene State) and outfielder Mark Mikowski (Haddam/UVM). Trubia’s brother Dan played for the Silkworms in 2000 and 2001 while Cipolla’s brother Frank was a three-year Silkworm (2003-‘05). Trubia and Cipolla, who were playing in the Greater Hartford Twilight League for Vernon and Glastonbury respectively, both made their NECBL debuts Tuesday.

Game Notes: The Silkworms finished a stretch of 18 consecutive game days with a rainout in Vermont on Sunday. The team went 5-11 with two rainouts from June 26th to July 13th before a scheduled off day on Monday. Sunday’s rainout will be made up on July 31st at Recreation Field in Montpelier at 6:30 pm….Vermont first baseman Ethan Paquette drew three consecutive two-out walks, adding 20 pitches to the Silkworm staff total…Silkworms play-by-play man Mike Lord was selected to call the All-Star game. Lord is in his first year with the Silkworms after spending after spending the past five years with the Middletown/Hoyoke Giants…Attendance was 525 for a game played in 2:40.

Injured catcher Chris Affinito left the team, but remains on the roster. The Silkworms have also lost pitchers Brandon Otto and Jeremiah Bayer and infielder J. P. Polchinski to injuries.