Friday July 25th , 2008

MacKenzie throws one-hitter as Dukes win 6-0 over Silkworms

By: Michael Radomski – Pittsfield Dukes Broadcaster

July 25, 2008
PITTSFIELD, Mass.– The Pittsfield Dukes defeated the Manchester Silkworms for the fifth time this season as Alex MacKenzie (Canisius) threw a one hitter in a 6-0 victory for Pittsfield.

The one-hitter is the second for the Dukes this season and the second against the Manchester Silkworms in 2008. The last time these two teams met, Adam Knight (Georgia State) and Jack Bender (Georgetown) combined to throw a one-hitter at Northwest Park in a 6-1 Pittsfield victory on July 17th.

MacKenzie started the night by retiring the first fifteen hitters he faced, carrying a perfect game into the 6th inning. For the first three innings, Silkworm starter James Kukucka (Vernon, CTEast CT State University) was perfect as well, retiring all nine batters that he faced.

The bottom of the fourth inning was a different story for Kukucka as he walked Craig Hertler (San Jose State) to leadoff the inning and Domenic DiRicco (Cornell) followed with a single to put two runners on with no one out. Chris Edmondson (Le Moyne) scored Hertler on an RBI single to give Pittsfield the 1-0 lead and an RBI fielder’s choice from Jason Krizan (Dallas Baptist) gave MacKenzie the 2-0 lead.

MacKenzie continued to deal as he set down the Silkworms in order for the fifth straight inning, picking up five strikeouts on his way to a season high of ten.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Dukes would give MacKenzie more breathing room. Pittsfield would send seven hitters to the plate in the inning as Kukucka allowed two more runs in the frame. A sacrifice fly from Hertler and an RBI single from DiRicco increased the Dukes’ lead to four.

With the 4-0 lead, MacKenzie went into the sixth inning after retiring the previous fifteen hitters but Ryan Piacentini (Portland, ME/Trinity College) hit a leadoff double to left center field to break up the perfect game. Later in the inning, Piacentini was caught off of second base as MacKenzie threw to shortstop Jason Martin (San Jose State) to catch the Silkworm second baseman. Manchester did not leave a runner on base in the game.

Kukucka left the game after five innings, allowing four runs (four earned) on five hits. J.J. Potrikus (N.Syracuse, NY/SUNY Cortland) relieved Kukucka but struggled in his only inning of work. Pittsfield sent eight hitters to the plate in the 6th inning as the Dukes would add another two runs to their lead.

MacKenzie retired the side in the seventh and eight innings as well as he faced the minimum 24 hitters over eight innings. In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Silkworms would turn to Ryan McGrath (Newtown, CT/Wake Forest) as the fourth reliever of the game, coming in for Jordan Wolfe (Huber heights, OH/Wright State) who threw a scoreless seventh.

McGrath was ahead of Billy Messer (Slippery Rock) in the count when the outfield lights went out, followed by the infield lights as well. The game entered a fifty-minute power outage delay while players from both teams conversed, danced, and played games on the field.

After a fifty-minute delay, umpires Patrick Sheehan and Ed Ladley met with both managers and ruled the game over. Kukucka drops to 1-1 on the season with the loss as Alex MacKenzie improves to 3-0 with the complete game shutout, allowing just one hit and striking out ten hitters in the game.

The Silkworms now stand at 14-22 on the season on the season and will host the Danbury Westerners tomorrow at Northwest Park at seven o’clock. Brian Pendergast (Unionville, CT/Manhattan College) is the probable starter for the Silkworms with a 1-6 record and 4.10 earned run average.

The Dukes improve to 21-12 on the season and stand a half game away from clinching their first ever playoff berth. A Manchester loss and a Torrington Twister loss against Newport, or a Pittsfield win would earn the spot. The Dukes will send Mike Woytek (Wright State) to the mound tomorrow night when Pittsfield hosts the North Adams SteepleCats in the Battle of the Berkshires at Wahconah Park. It will also be Fan Appreciation Night as Dukes Happy Hour will start at five o’clock with the band Quick Fox playing at Wahconah Park. The Dukes will also have a picnic for all of their sponsors at the park as well. Game time is set for seven o’clock.
 

Story courtesy of :

Michael J Radomski
Pittsfield Dukes Broadcaster
Quinnipiac’s WQAQ Co-Sports Director
Quinnipiac Play-by-Play Announcer for Bobcat Sports Network presented by WQAQ