Monday, July 28, 2008

GULLS WALK AWAY FROM SILKIES

By Don Leypoldt/Manchester Silkworms Sports Information

Newport RI- We’ve got Trouble.  Right here in Silk City.  With a capital “T” and that rhymes with “C” and that stands for “Control.”

The host Newport Gulls took advantage of 12 free passes handed out via the largesse of Manchester pitchers en route to a 6-3 victory.  The Gulls- who had walked an NECBL season high 15 times in the first game of their split double header today- had drawing bases on balls down pat by the time the Silkworms rolled into Cardines Field.   

Manchester scratched an unearned run off of Gull starter Tom Costigan in the fourth.  Center fielder Michael Gallic (Marist/Tolland, CT) scored from second when Newport shortstop Cody Grisham took right fielder Jeff Cammans’ (Rhode Island/Jamestown R.I.) sharp grounder off of his leg and airmailed the throw to first.  Gallic’s second inning single was the Silkworms’ only hit through the first five innings.

But the Silkies’ silver lining would come.  After undergoing a 23 inning span in which they scratched out just five hits, Manchester surpassed that total in a ten at bat span starting in the sixth inning. Cammans led off the seventh with a single and scored on catcher Mike Bourdon’s (Fairfield/Simsbury, CT) sacrifice fly.  First baseman J.D. Broderick (West Virginia State/Carmel, NY) also crossed the plate that frame when second baseman Ryan Piacentini (Trinity/Portland, ME) intentionally got into a pickle.    

Lefty Jamil Acosta (Rio Hondo College/Downey, CA) drew the unfortunate starting assignment of facing the NECBL’s Murderer’s Row, and he lasted only 1.2 innings.  In their 2-3-4-5 slots, the Gulls boasted the All Star Game MVP in Mike Melillo, the league’s leading hitter (.438) in Mike Tamsin, the NECBL’s leading home run (8) and RBI (38) producer in Alex Gregory and Kyle Conley, whose 7 dingers and 34 RBI barely trail his league-leading teammate.  Melillo and Conley inflicted the early damage as both had RBI doubles in the first inning; Melillo added a sacrifice fly as part of a two run second frame.

Despite this fire power, speedy lead off man Kyle Rhoad was the bee in Manchester’s bonnet tonight.  He smacked three hits, stole three bases, scored two runs and drove in a third before the game ended.

Andrew Janiga (Trinity/Ellington, CT) and J.J. Potrikus (Cortland/N. Syracuse, NY) both threw 1.2 inning shutout relief stints; Janiga fanned all five of his outs and looked especially strong.  The two held the Gulls to just one hit but the six free passes they surrendered built some tension around their goose-eggs.  Mike Anarumo (LeMoyne/Levittown, NY) followed and allowed two unearned runs in his two innings of work.  Not until the eighth inning, when submariner Ryan McGrath (Wake Forest/Newtown, CT) threw a perfect frame, did the Gulls have a 1-2-3 inning.  Newport left 13 Gulls on base tonight.        

The vast number of league-wide wash outs this season caused the NECBL to cobble together an unorthodox schedule for their last week of regulation.  Newport already completed a suspended game by beating Lowell 9-2 this afternoon.  With Torrington’s 1-0 defeat of Pittsfield, the Twisters improved to 13-23 and are now one game behind the Silkworms for the fourth and final playoff spot.

The Silkworms’ next game is tomorrow night, July 29th, at home in Northwest Park when they host a double header with the Danbury Westerners.  Both contests will be seven innings.  First pitch of game one is 4:30 p.m, with game two to immediately follow.  Northwest Park is located off of Tolland Turnpike.

Coming into tonight- Due to rainouts, days off and strong performances by starters, Silkworm relievers have thrown just 6 innings since July 20th---In their last six games Manchester starters have a 3.11 ERA and have held hitters to just a .239 average against.--- Over his last 39 innings, Brian Pendergast has held hitters to a .193 average against--- The Silkworms have had 4 errorless games in their last seven after having only four  in their first 30--- James Kukucka has a 1.05 WHIP over his last four starts--- Jordan Wolfe has lowered his ERA by nearly 3 ½ runs since July 5th---A.J. Rusbarsky has hit .318 over his last six games--- Joe Cotter has raised his batting average 30 points in the last 13 games.