TOWNIE BASEBALL IN WALK-OFF WIN

TOWNIES GET EXCITING WALK-OFF WIN

EP Baseball Defeats Warwick 10-9 in the 9th

The Townies baseball team found themselves trailing a tough Warwick Vets team 5-1 going into the bottom of the 4th inning Wednesday at Pierce Field. When the 4th inning was over, East Providence had an 8-5 lead with 7 of 9 Townie batters scoring. Colin Costa and Keith Marquis each had 2 hits in the inning. Warwick climbed back and after 5 innings EP was up 8-7. But once again Warwick rallied and after a lead off error, bunt, 2 hit batsmen and a single, Vets took a 9-8 lead. Heading into the bottom of the 6th, after a lead off strike out, Nick DeBarros - 4 for 5 in the game - got a base hit and took third on an Alex Hurley single. Hurley promptly stole second and Colin Costa came through with an RBI ground out to tie the game at 9.

The game went into extra innings and stayed tied at 9 through 8 ½ innings. The Townies smashed three long fly balls in their half of the 8th with Nick DeBarros’ drive just missing a game winning home run by a few feet. Scott Mello (in relief of Alex Hurley) stopped Warwick on a fly ball to right field and two strikeouts sandwiched around an error to head into the bottom of the 9th. The townies Eric Greaves lined a hard out to left field and catcher Chris Lacata also flied out to left. With two outs Aaron Branco got on with a hard to handle grounder to short stop and then stole second to get into scoring position. With two outs and the game on the line, Scott Mello came to the plate. “I just wanted to make contact,” Mello would say after the game. “I knew we had a runner out there and I was just thinking- hit the ball somewhere.” Mello came through as he lined a hard single to the outfield scoring Branco with the walk-off winning run. The 10-9 extra innings win brought the Townies to a one and one record after having lost their first game to Hendricken earlier in the week. Nick DeBarros went 4 for 5 and after the game said “I’m just happy we won the game. It felt good and hopefully motivates us to get going,” said DeBarros. First year EP coach, Bob Rodericks was glad to have his first varsity win as the Townies new coach. “We’re all about team,” he said. “We used all the guys. Pinch runners, everybody, it was truly a team effort. Hurley and Mello were great (pitching). It was nice to end with that walk-off win.”