Weds, July 9, 2008

Piacentini Blast Lifts Worms in 11th

Silkworms Deal All-Americans their Sixth Straight Loss

by Paul Ofria/Silkworm Sports Information Dept Staff

LOWELL, MA –  Ryan Piacentini (Portland, ME/Trinity College) hit a two-run homer to break a 2-2 tie in the 11th and  J.J. Potrikus( N Syracuse, NY/SUNY Cortland) got the final three outs as the Silkworms beat the All-Americans 4-3 Wednesday night at Stoklosa Alumni Field in Lowell.

Manchester starter James Kukucka (Vernon, CT/Eastern Connecticut) left with a 2-1 lead after six innings, but Lowell (8-16) tied it up on a Tony Plagman solo homer leading off the seventh. Plagman would factor twice more in the Silkworms first extra inning game of the year – he struck out with the bases loaded and two-out in both the eighth and tenth innings.

Kukucka retired he first six batters he faced and allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out three. Tyler Hyde (St. Louis, MO/ Middle Tennessee State) picked up his first NECBL win in his first relief appearance of the summer after making five starts.

Sean O’ Hara (Gloucester, MA/Harvard) led off the Silkworm 11th with a single and was sacrificed to second by Jeff Cammans (Jamestown, RI/URI), which became moot when Piacentini, who came into the game with a .163 average and just two extra base hits in 61 plate appearances, hit the eventual gam- winning homer. Lowell scored a run in the bottom of the 11th on a sacrifice fly, but Potrikus was able to secure the final out on a grounder back to the mound to earn his fourth save.

Kukucka was helped by a nice defensive play by Zach Hudson (Nashville, Tennessee/Middle Tennessee State) who tracked down a Mike Baillargen fading liner with two-on and two out to end a Lowell threat in the third.

Manchester (11-14) had a pair of hits in each of their first four innings and broke a 20-inning scoreless streak in the second. O’Hara led off the inning with a double and scored on a Cammans single.

Manchester added another run in the third when Joe Cotter (Pottstown, PA/Villanova) drove in A.J. Rusbarsky (Freehold, NJ/Seton Hall) with an RBI single. Lowell scored its first run without the benefit of a hit in the sixth. Pitcher Ryan McGrath (Newtown, CT/Wake Forrest), making his first start of the summer in the field, made a throwing error from third base on a grounder by leadoff hitter Steve Daniels, who took two bases on the play. Daniels scored on Mike Baillargen sacrifice fly to right field. McGrath batted ninth and walked in his first two trips to the plate.

Jordon Wolfe (Huber Heights, OH/Wright State) came on in the seventh for Kukucka and watched the first pitch he threw to Tony Plagman go over the fence down the right field line, tying the game at 2-2.

Wolfe left the potential winning run on third in the eighth when Daniels led off with a single, then stole second. After a fly out to right and another to second, Wolfe intentionally walked Kevin Rivers. Pat O’Conner walked on five pitches to load the bases, then Wolfe reared back to strike out the left-handed hitting Plagman to end the threat.

Wolfe gave way to Hyde in the tenth after three innings of shutout relief following the Plagman homer. Hyde got into trouble quickly, putting runners at first and second. But he was helped by a double play started by Cotter in center field, catching Daniels off second on a fly out to center field, then struck out Plagman after nearly hitting Pat O’Conner with pitches twice.

Manchester grounded into inning-ending double plays in the second and fifth innings. Cammans and Rusbarsky had three hits apiece.

(11-14)  Manchester                   011             000            000        0 2           4     14      2

(8-16) Lowell                             000             001            100        0 1           2        5       0    

M: James Kukucka, Jordon Wolfe (7) Tyler Hyde (10) J. J.Potrikus and Mike Bourdon. L: Dan Lozeau, Matt Fontaine (8) Dan Godefroi (11) and Matt Colantoni. HR – Plagman, Piacentini. W -  Hyde (1-1)  L - Godefroi  (0-2)  S – Potrikus (4)