Saturday, July 12, 2008

ByBob Molta, Silkworms Sports Information Department

NORTH ADAMS’ BOYCE KEEPS MANCHESTER IN TAILSPIN

All-Star Game’s starting pitcher subdues floundering Silkworms, 12-1

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Tim Boyce of North Adams has been selected as the starting pitcher for the Southern Division a week from Sunday in the annual NECBL All-Star Game. Saturday night – for the second time this year -- Boyce showed the Manchester Silkworms why.

The right-handed Boyce buzzed through the Silkworm lineup for the second time this year, this time gaining credit for his league-leading fifth win (against a loss) and lowering his ERA to 1.02 as the SteepleCats routed the Silkworms by a score of 12-1 in front of 1,174 fans at Joe Wolfe Field.

The win is the fifth straight and seventh in its last eight for North Adams (13-14), which solidified its hold on third place in the division as it stretched its lead over fourth-place Torrington to two full games. Manchester (11-17) has dropped seven of nine and falls a season-worst six games under .500. Since shutting out Keene three weeks ago for their sixth win in their first ten games,  the Silkworms have lost 13 of 18.  Miraculously, with 14 regular-season games remaining, the Silkworms remain only a half-game off the pace for the fourth and final divisional playoff spot.

Although Boyce has proven himself as the premier pitcher in the Southern Division this year, Manchester righty Brian Pendergast’s (Unionville, CT/Manhattan) recent accomplishments (three hits in 8 1/3 innings five days ago against league batting leader Newport) stacked up neatly with those of Boyce.

The potential duel never materialized. Pendergast was chased from the game after surrendering six hits and four walks through the first two innings, needing a remarkable 70 pitches to retire six batters. An infield throwing error made three of the runs charged to Pendergast in North Adams’ five-run first inning unearned, but it was obvious early that this would not be Manchester’s night.

Boyce never gave up more than one hit in an inning until the sixth. By the time Sean O’Hara (Gloucester, MA/Harvard) and Michael Gallic (Tolland, CT/Marist)  reached the Swansea, Mass. native for back-to-back safeties with two out, Manchester was mired in a 9-0 hole.

In two starts against Manchester this year, Boyce has not allowed an earned run nor a walk, going the first six innings each time. In a no-decision on the first weekend of the season, Boyce gave up five hits and was charged with one unearned run in North Adams’ 3-2 loss to the Silkworms. In 12 innings against Manchester, Boyce has fanned 12 and has been nicked for only 11 hits.

For the SteepleCats, leadoff hitter John Malloy extended his hitting streak to 12 with a first-inning single, No. 3 hitter Paul Hoilman drove in his league-leading 25th run with a single in the second, and cleanup hitter Cody Stanley had four hits – including a double and triple -- and drove in four runs. In his North Adams debut, shortstop Jonathan Smith had two hits from the No. 8 slot, clearing the bases with a two-out single (yes, a single) in the first inning.

Pitching out of the bullpen for the sixth straight time on the road, southpaw Jordan Wolfe (Huber Heights, OH/Wright State) continued to impress. Wolfe, whose first appearance came nine games into the season, allowed only five hits over a season-high five innings after taking over for Pendergast to start the third. He was charged with four runs (three earned) while fanning three and walking two. Wolfe retired eight straight at one point. In his last six outings, Wolfe has never allowed more hits than innings pitched.

Facing its second-worst shutout in franchise history, Manchester scraped together a run in its final at-bat on a hit, walk, wild pitch and ground ball.

North Adams’ second straight win over Manchester this month evens the season series at two-apiece. The final two games between the clubs are scheduled for July 18 and July 21 at Northwest Park (the July 21 game is a makeup from a June 14 rainout).

Manchester faces 2007 NECBL champion Vermont (13-13) in home-and-home games Sunday at Montpelier and Tuesday at Northwest Park in the only meetings between the franchises in the regular season. Like the Silkworms in the South, the Mountainers are floundering near the bottom of the North Division. They are currently one game out of fourth place. And like Manchester, Vermont hopes to apply a late-season push that will land them in the NECBL playoffs, which get underway with divisional semifinal games in three weeks.

For the second straight game, Manchester will face its opponent’s staff ace in Vermont and Clemson lefty Casey Harman (4-0, 0.00 ERA in 29.0 innings) Sunday at Recreation Field.  Harman will be opposed by Manchester  lefty Jamil Acosta (Downey, CA/Rio Hondo), who is scheduled to make his first start after two bullpen appearances.

North Adams SteepleCats 12, Manchester Silkworms 1

Manchester (11-17)                 000      000      001      --           1          8        4
North Adams (13-14)               522      002      01x      --         12         13        0

Brian Pendergast (1-5), Jordan Wolfe (3), Andrew Janiga (9) and Mike Bourdon. Tim Boyce (5-1), Dan Benz (7), Michael Meintel (8), Sean Parker (9) and Cody Stanley. 2B-Matt Grosso (M), Stanley, Ryan Semeniuk (N); 3B-Stanley (N).