Newport
In a contest that featured moments of solid pitching, big defensive plays and clutch hits, it might have been the stolen base that was the key factor. Newport was 6-for-6 in pilfering second base, and four of the five runs Newport scored came after thefts.
That fact did not escape either coach. Both Newport’s Jon Hamel and Mascoma’s Guy Serviss cited stolen bases as vital.
Serviss, who is retiring after this season, said his pitchers probably could have helped his catchers.
“I don’t think we threw to first once,” Serviss said.
Hamel said there were some “rainbow” throws to second.
McNamara admitted that he was running out of energy on a day that was cold and rainy.
“Boy, was I glad to see that last out,” said the senior, who threw 113 pitches. He walked six, struck out six and gave up eight hits.
The game was 3-3 through five innings before the Newport bench played a big role in pushing across two runs in the sixth off Mascoma’s Deron Tetreault, who was working in relief of starter Derek French.
Dom Russell got the inning started by singling and promptly stealing second. Pinch hitter Tory Robertson dribbled a comebacker, but the throw to first sailed high, and Russell galloped home with the fourth Newport run as Robertson trotted to second. A groundout moved Robertson to third, from where he scored on pinch hitter J. T. Blaine’s base knock for the eventual game-winning run.
Mascoma made a good go of it in the seventh. Leadoff hitter Ethan Breuckner singled and stole second. McNamara then got a pop-up and infield out, but the game was far from over as French singled in Breuckner and Mark Olsen walked, with French moving to third on a wild pitch during the free pass.
“I kept telling the batters that their pitcher was running on empty,” Serviss said. “I could tell by the way his arm was hanging down.”
Still, McNamara had enough to get a ground ball for a force out to end the game.
“I didn’t have much left,” McNamara admitted.
It was the second game for both teams, and the second pretty good effort from Mascoma without anything to show for it. The Royals dropped a 6-3 game to Monadnock on Monday in their opener.
“We did some good things today,” Serviss said. “We had a couple of costly bloops on defense, but we also made some good defensive plays. Our pitching was good enough to win, and we got some timely hits.”
With only 12 of the 22 teams in Division III set to make the postseason, Hamel thought Newport’s first win was essential.
“Every win is going to be important,” he said. “I’m glad we didn’t let this one get away. This is a tough division.”
Despite the conditions, both teams started out smacking the ball.
With one down in the Mascoma first, John Raymond walked and singles from Brueckner and Wyatt Wheeler followed to deliver Raymond. In the Newport first, Kyle Fish walked, stole second and scored on McNamara’s base hit. McNamara later scored on a wild pitch.
Mascoma tallied twice in the fifth as Breuckner walked, went to third on a Wheeler single and came home on a wild pitch.
Wheeler later scored the second run of the inning on Newport’s only error in the game.
The Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Fish was once again instrumental as he singled, stole second and scored when a fly ball was dropped in the outfield.
French pitched 4⅔ innings for the Royals. Tetreault came on with a 2-0 count on cleanup hitter Cody Turgeon in the fifth and a runner on third, eventually fanning Turgeon.
Newport is scheduled to play Fall Mountain at home today. Mascoma is off until next week, when it will play three games, starting with Fall Mountain on Monday.