EPHS Division II State Baseball Champions!

2023 Team Champion

The Townies Zuriel vargas was a key component of the championship series

Tim Robitaille fires the championship game winning called third strike here for EP

Sophomores Robitaille, Rutkowski and Annicelli

Lorenz run was the only one needed in victory

Justin Rocha family with coach. Season dedicated to late Townie player Rocha, Class of 98

Jack McNight and Mom

Jack McKnight hitting

Jack McKnight and family

Jack McKnight fires the game winning third strike to put the Townies in the championship final

EP coach Bob Rodericks tells Robitaille, you're my guy in the last inning with runners in scoring position. Robitaille got the strikeout to win the game.

Dylan Annicelli closes out the win for EP

Dylan Annicelli was on fire during state playoffs for EP

Coach Rodericks with son Levi

Chico Santos races to third with a triple

Austin Martins of EP

Zuriel Vargas scores the winning run in the championship game for EP

Townie seniors L to R Austin Martns, Chico Santos, Zuriel Vargas and Jack McKnight

We win. Townies celebrate state championship win over East Greenwich

Team togetherness a key this yea

Shower for coach

A winning townie tradition continues. Team showered by EP fire department at EPHS post game celebration

Another Townie augograph seeker

Brian Rutkowski had a great series

Coach Bob Rodericks and Sergeant Steve Evans EPHS Class of 1998

Dylan Annicelli and plaque

Jack McKnight and coach Nick celebrate win

Posted Thursday, July 6, 2023 10:29 am

A GOOD SEASON:
Not many thought East Providence baseball had a great chance to win the title but by the end of the season they had earned a playoff spot and had really gelled as a team. The road to the championship game was long and at times hard fought, but the team stepped up at every opportunity to win. The Townies march through the playoffs began with a 9-1 win over Ponagansett. Next up Chariho nicked EP in an 11 inning 5-3 loss, but EP came back with a 6-1 win over Westerly. EP then faced Chariho again and this time prevailed with a 2-1 win to gain the final series against East Greenwich. The Avengers were slight favorites to take the title and it was an epic best of three Championship series at Rhode Island College.

THE ROAD TO THE PLAYOFFS:
EP jumped on the visitors with a three-run first inning and never trailed in their eventual 9-1 playoff win against Ponaganset High on Thursday, June 2nd. The game played at EPHS featured a one-hit pitching performance by Townie sophomore Tim Robitaille. Robitaille pitched six innings, allowing the one hit and just one run while striking out five. “It wasn’t Tim’s best performance on the season, but he stopped Ponagansett when he had to and was still very impressive,” said head coach Bobby Rodericks. “Tim knows how to win,” added Rodericks.

Dylan Annicelli pitched the final inning in relief for East Providence. The Townies managed 11 hits in an offensive attack which included 11 timely hits across the board. Chico Santos, Tim Robitaille, Austin Martins and Oliver Andrews each had two hits. Santos had a key double in the first inning scoring Steven Estrella as Estrella, Santos and Ziurel Vargas all scored. A key to the Townies win was the defensive play of the team.

NEXT CHALLENGE - CHARIHO:
EP lost their first playoff game in an 11-inning home loss to Chariho. Unlike their recent 9-1 win over Ponagansett in which Ep had 11 hits and played stellar defense, the Townies made a couple key errors and didn’t get a hit against Chariho until the 5th inning. Chariho jumped out to a 1st inning 2-0 lead. With two outs, Chariho’s Jack Stevens and Alan Carpenter got back-to-back singles and helped by two Townie errors, took the lead.

The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the 5th inning when Oliver Andrews led with a walk followed by a Brian Rutkowski perfectly placed bunt between pitcher and 1st base, for an infield hit. Nolan Lorenz also bunted and made it all the way to 2nd base after an errant throw to first. On the play, Andrews scored. Jack McKnight singled to score Rutkowski but Nolan Lorenz was thrown out trying to make it home on the hit. The score would remain tied at 2 until the top of the 10th inning when Chariho took a 5-3 lead and held on for the win.

TAKING ON WESTERLY:
The team answered the 11-inning home loss to Chariho with a 6-1 decisive win over Westerly. Townies sophomore Tim Robitaille pitched 6 strong innings of shutout ball, scattering just four hits and striking out three. Westerly was stymied by Robitaille throughout his six innings and the Townie pitcher also contributed two key hits.

With two outs in the bottom of the third, Jack McKnight walked and reached 2nd base on a Steve Estrella base hit. McKnight and Estrella engineered a successful double steal and Chico Santos walked to load the bases for East Providence. Zuirel Vargas was hit by a pitch and McNight scored the first Townie run. Robitaille then lined a hit to center field scoring both Santos and Estrella as EP took a 3-0 lead heading into the fourth inning.

East Providence scored a run in the fourth after a leadoff infield single by Brian Rutkowski who then stole 2nd base. Estrella singled scoring Rutkowski for the fourth Townie run. Ep scored again in the fifth. With two outs, Nolan Lorenz, Rutkowski and Kyler Lorenz walked to load the bases. Nolan Lorenz scored when McKnight was hit by a pitch giving the Townies their 5th run. The Townies 6th and final run came in the bottom of the sixth when Chico Santos lined a double to deep center field and advanced to 3rd base on a sharp single to left field. Robitaille stole 2nd and on the play Santos scampered home with the 5th Townie run. Jack McNight came in to pitch the seventh inning and shut down Westerly after they scored a run. McKnight had two strike outs in the frame.

KEY CHARIHO REMATCH:
Although it was an easy 41-minute ride down Route 95s, the rural setting of Chariho’s baseball field seemed like a scene from the movie Field of Dreams. Just beyond the outfield across a two-lane country road, were acres of turf and cornfields. The Townies had a sense of serious purpose from the outset. They had to win this quarterfinal, or their season was over. Sophomore Dylan Annicelli was on the mound for EP and he didn’t disappoint. The lanky sophomore righty toughed out a complete game victory for East Providence. Annicelli had 7 strikeouts, including 4 big K’s over the last two innings, shutting down Chariho’s rally attempt. Annicelli didn’t walk anyone over his 7 innings of work. “Walks will come back to haunt a team,” said coach Rodericks. “Dylan did his job. He scattered nine hits across seven innings from an excellent opponent and toughed out a must win for the team,” added the coach. "Once again we had a well-balanced team win."

In the Chariho half of the first inning Lopes flied out to Steve Estrella in center field and Caden Babcock lined a base hit to right-center. However Babcock was erased from the bases when Annicelli quickly picked off the runner at first base.

East Providence erupted for four runs in the third after two were out. The first two batters were out on infield grounders and things changed. Steve Estrella and Chico Santos lined base hits followed by a Tim Robitaille RBI single, scoring Estrella with the first Townie run. Both Santos and Robitaille advanced on stolen bases. Brian Rutkowski walked to load the bases for Oliver Andrews. Andrews came through with a bases clearing double to give the Townies a 4-0 lead. The four runs would be enough for EP to gain the win although EP had some chances to add to their run total in the fifth inning with singles from Chico Santos and Brian Rutkowski but didn’t score. Annicelli answered the bell in the bottom of the seventh on fly ball outs to Santos, Lorenz and Estrella, sandwiched around a lone single, to end the game.

TOWNIES GAIN FINALS:
East Providence beat back feisty Chariho for the second time in three days in a crisply played 2-1 game at EPHS. The determined Townies jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Jack McNight led off the game with a line drive double to right field followed by a perfectly placed bunt by Steve Estrella for a base hit, moving McKnight to third. On a ground out by Chico Santos, McKnight made it home but on an overrun at third, Estrella was thrown out.

Chariho tied the game at 1 in the 3rd inning when the Chargers Babcock reached base on an error and advanced to 2nd on the same play. Stevens lined a hit to center field which scored Babcock to tie the game. Another Chariho single put runners on 2nd and 3rd but a key strikeout from Townie pitcher Tim Robitaille ended the inning.

The Townies scored their second run in their half of the 3rd. Tim Robitaille singled sharply to center field scoring McKnight from 2^nd base with the Townies second and ultimately winning run. The Townies one run lead would hold to the end.

Robitaille finished the game for EP, when after two outs Kyle McGovern of Chariho singled and was subsequently thrown out on a pickoff throw from Robitaille which put the runner in a run-down and he was tagged out to end the game. “I didn’t have my best stuff the last two games, but we stuck with it and never gave up. I felt good today,” said Robitaille.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES:
East Providence lost a nail-biter to East Greenwich, 3-2, in the opening game of the best of three series at RIC to East Greenwich 3-2 in eight innings. 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 seventh inning delay as umpires huddled to discuss an EP pitching change. The Townie pitching re-entry by a non-starter wasn’t allowed by rule, causing a pitching issue for EP.

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. 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.

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.

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 offline throw prevented a possible double play chance for the Townies. Next the bad hop grounder over third ended the game with an EG win.

GAME TWO MUST WIN:
Dylan Annicelli hurled a 3 hit shutout win with Jack McKnight getting the final out in one batter relief for EP. The Townies again faced elimination as they have all post-season. They played with a seeming calm confidence as they outhit East Greenwich 7-3 and took the 1-0 win to gain a berth in the Division II State Championship game. The players and coaches may have remained calm in the low scoring game, but the crowd was nervous as the Avengers had the bases loaded in the 7^th and last inning with a single, walk and a fielder’s choice. With a slim 1-0 lead, Dylan Annicelli reached his pitch limit and came out of the game to a standing ovation. The sophomore hurler pitched 6 and 2/3^rd innings of 3 hit shutout ball. Enter senior Captain Jack McKnight from his third base position. Offensively, McNight had two hits and a long fly ball out to center field on the day. McKnight entered the game in a stressful moment with two outs and the tying run at third base. If McKnight didn’t show any nervousness, his Mom did. Kathy McKnight left her seat behind home plate and went to the side saying, “I can’t watch this.” But after McKnight battled East Greenwich’s Cade Thomas to a 2-2 count, two outs and bases loaded, Mom was yelling encouragement to the team. “You’ve got this,” she said. Jack McKnight then fired a called third strike by Thomas for the Townie win as the Townie fans jumped to their feet.

The crisply played game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning. Kyler Lorenz led off the frame with a single. McKnight was up next and showed bunt, but the pitch got by the catcher and Lorenz made it all the way to third base in a gutsy base-running move. McKnight flied out to center and Lorenz was held at third by coach Bob Rodericks on the medium depth fly out. Steve Estrella then lined out to center deep enough to score Lorenz for the eventual game winning run. Each time the Avengers had runners in scoring position, Annicelli would stop the momentum with great pitching and Townie fielders made catches in a well-played defensive game.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP:
The final winner-take-all game was before another packed stadium at RIC. The Townies scored their only run in the fourth inning. Chico Santos led off with a line drive double to left field. Tim Robitaille then lined out to left center and on a diving catch by Ryan Sheeran, Santos was doubled off second base. Zuriel Vargas then reached base on a hard grounder to third that wasn’t played and got to second on a hit batsman to Oliver Andrews. Nolan Lorenz followed with a single up the middle to score Vargas who hustled home from second base. That run would be enough for starter and complete game winner Robitaille. The Townies had a good scoring chance in the fifth but left the bases loaded after a couple of hits and another hit batsman but didn’t score.

The Townies played key defense when it was needed the most. The outfield made a couple of diving catches and effortlessly caught everything hit their way. Sophomore catcher Brian Rutkowski had six runners thrown out attempting to steal bases during the three games. “Brian really helped us from behind the plate,” smiled Robitaille after the game.

The seventh and final inning was exciting but stressed filled as Robitaille finished the game. The first two EG batters got solid hits and runners were on second and third with no outs. It appeared Robitaille may be tiring but coach Rodericks kept his starter in the game, urging him to “just pitch your game, strike at a time.” With no outs, just a good single could have brought in the winning run for the Avengers. Robitaille got the next two batters to pop out and then with a two and two count on Sheeran, the Townie ace fired a called third strike for the pressure packed Townie win. The Townie mission was complete, a championship in hand.

Photos for the sports update were provided by Katie Velino santos, Andrea Annicelli, Lorri Provencher, Paul Tumidajski and Bob Rodericks.