Weds, July 16, 2008

ByDon Leypoldt, Silkworms Sports Information Dept

Holyoke, MA- The aphorism says “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”  The Manchester Silkworms opted to serve it ugly on a beautiful warm night at Holyoke in a 6-5 win over the host Blue Sox that was truly a team effort.

Eight of the nine Silkworm starters collected hits while four Manchester pitchers combined to toss six straight shutout innings and ice the win.  The two teams’ collective nine errors made this 3 hour and 50 minute marathon the Game that Defense Forgot.

When the Silkies hosted the Blue Sox on June 27th, Matt O’Brien (Holy Cross/Hingham, MA) pitched very well and left with a 3-0 lead.  Holyoke then scored seven unanswered runs to win 7-3.  Tonight, Manchester rallied from four down to score five unanswered runs and beat the Blue Sox, ending their four game losing streak.

Starter O’Brien had a shaky beginning.  His four free passes in the first three innings, teamed with three errors and four singles spotted Holyoke a 5-1 lead at the end of three.  But the big lefty settled down to force crucial ground balls and hold Holyoke scoreless the rest of the way.  O’Brien pitched through the fifth inning, the first time in five games that a Silkworm starter had done so.

You can’t spell Holyoke without an “E” and the Blue Sox committed four of them in the first five innings contributing to three Silkworm runs.  Second baseman Ryan Piacentini (Trinity/Portland, ME) broke the shutout in the third.  He scored from the hot corner when his college teammate- Holyoke catcher Sean Killeen- airmailed a throw to second base trying unsuccessfully to nab stealing left fielder Matt Grosso (Notre Dame/Marlborough, CT).  Both Worms reached on singles.

Newcomer catcher Anthony Cipolla (Keene St/Glastonbury, CT) made his third ever Silkworm plate appearance significant in the next frame by singling in DH Mark Micowski (Vermont/Haddam, CT).  Micowski had also advanced an extra base on a steal attempt when second baseman Peter Fatse slipped and couldn’t handle Killeen’s throw.

Hustling right fielder Joe Cotter (Villanova/Bryn Mawr, PA) took an extra two bases on a leadoff single in the fifth when his defensive counterpart Adam Dimino bobbled the safety.  He scored on Grosso’s sacrifice fly.  Center fielder Mike Gallic (Marist/Tolland, CT) added to the fifth by singling, stealing second for the fourth of five Worm base swipes of the game and coming home on Micowski’s RBI single.

Shortstop A.J. Rusbarsky (Seton Hall/ Freehold, NJ) doubled home third baseman Sean O’Hara (Harvard/ Gloucester, MA) in the sixth to tie the game.  Grosso doubled and plated Rusbarsky for the Golden Domer’s second RBI of the game and more importantly, the 6-5 lead.

Andrew Janiga (Trinity/Ellington, CT) did a stellar job out of the bullpen, inheriting and quashing a Holyoke rally in the sixth.  Janiga pitched a strong 2.1 innings but allowed two eighth inning base runners before yielding to closer J.J. Potrikus (Cortland/North Syracuse, NY).  Potrikus fooled his first batter, Holyoke’s leading hitter Corey Jones, but the tricky topspin on the ball found its way to an infield single and suddenly the bags were full of Sox.  Shevis Shema then lined a 1-2 shot to Piacentini, whose great grab preserved the goose-egg on the scoreboard.

The ninth frame did not lack for drama.  Lead off hitter Jim Wood boarded on a Rusbarsky error.  A steal and a ground out got pinch runner Alex Wyche to third when Potrikus dramatically struck out Jeremy Nowak and forced Fatse to fly out to Gallic to end the game.

The Silkworms next game is Thursday, July 17th, when they host the Pittsfield Dukes at Northwest Park.  It is game one of a five game home stand for the Silkies.  Northwest Park is located off of Tolland Turnpike.  First pitch is at 7 p.m.

Coming into Tonight: Matt Grosso has a five game hitting streak, during which he has hit three doubles--- Ryan Piacentini has a .429 slugging percentage over his last five games--- Jeff Cammans is hitting .300 over his last six games--- Joe Cotter is hitting .278 with a double and a steal over his last five games--- J.J. Potrikus has a 1.13 ERA in his last six outings—Nick Noblit has a 0.00 ERA in his five relief innings--- Silkworm hitters have walked just 14 times in their last seven games--- The Holyoke Blue Sox had the lowest fielding percentage in the NECBL at .945.