Townies lose nail-biter in extra innings. Rutkowski stars for EP in loss. Game two Sunday 4:30 pm

East Providence High School lost “a crazy game” to East Greenwich High, 3-2 in eight innings. The teams played game one of a best-of-three Division II Championship Series at Rhode Island College on Thursday, before a packed stadium on a perfect day for baseball. The game was evenly played until East Greenwich scored the winning run-in extra innings. A bounding ball by Grogan O'Brien, bad-hopped over Townie third baseman Jack McKnight scoring the Avengers Michael Ucci to win the game. It was a confusing game for fans who were waiting during a 10 minute or so 7th inning delay as umpires huddled to discuss an EP pitching change. EG objected to a Townie pitching re-entry by a non-starter and informed the umpires that the game was being played under protest. However, that protest was negated when they eventually won the game.

East Providence scored first with a run in the third inning. After two were out, Chico Santos lashed a single to left field and stole second base. Tim Robitaille walked and clutch hitter of late, Oliver Andrews, smashed a double to center which scored Santos. That was all EP could manage that inning.

In the bottom of the third, EG scored to tie the game. Alex DeTomasis led off with a single to right field followed by a walk and an intentional walk to load the bases. A Robitaille wild pitch enabled EG to tie the game. Robitaille and EP then stopped EG from any more scoring in the third.

EG would take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth on a walk and a triple to deep right field scoring Robert Brooks. An earlier strikeout and two fly ball outs would stop any more damage.

The Townies would fight back and tie the score at 2 in the top of the sixth. Robitaille led off the inning with a single but after extending his lead at first, was picked off by the EG pitcher to the groan of the large group of Townie fans in attendance. After a strikeout, EP catcher Rutkowski walked and then stole second-base on a pass ball. Nolan Lorenz then fouled off a few pitches before slapping a single through the hole at shortstop to bring in Rutkowski with the tying run.

Then the game got interesting and confusing to many. Both teams made pitching changes in the seventh inning due to pitch count restrictions. Dylan Annicelli came in to pitch for EP and quickly got two strikeouts. A two-out EG single by Ryan Marcantonio was erased when Townie catcher Brian Rutkowski fired a strike to second base snuffing out the EG attempted steal. It was Rutkowski’s second throw-out of an Avenger steal attempt.

In the Townies half of the eighth, Zuriel Vargas pinch hit for EP relief pitcher Annicelli. Vargas was hit by a pitch and Oliver Andrews put down a perfect sacrifice bunt to put Tyler Quadros (who pinch-ran for Vargas) in scoring position. Rutkowski was intentionally walked but a strikeout and fly ball to center ended the inning without a run.

In the controversial bottom of the eighth, Annicelli returned to the mound as a re-entry but was ruled unable to do so because he was not a game starter and had also been pinched-hit for. Austin Martins was pressed into action on the mound for EP. An infield error, a fielder’s choice and a couple of intentional walks loaded the EG bases. The walks were necessary to set up a force play on a ground ball. Ryan Fay whacked a hard hit ball back to the mound. Martins made a great stop and threw the ball high to catcher Rutkowski who, unable to get the force at home, made a superb lunging tag of the runner’s leg for the out. However, the off line throw prevented a possible double play chance for the Townies. Next the bad hop grounder over third ended the game with an EG win.

The two teams were scheduled to play again this Saturday, but that game was rescheduled to 4:30 pm on Sunday due to inclement weather predictions. If needed, a third and final game will be played on Monday, June 19th at a time to be determined. All games are played at Rhode Island College, 600 Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Providence.

Photo credits: Katie Velino Santos, Andrea Annicelli, Bob Rodericks