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June 15, 2007

Silkworms win in extra innings, hand Gulls first loss

NEWPORT - Matt Smedberg delivered a two-out double in the top of the 10th inning to drive in Eric Nieto with the game-winning run as Manchester defeated Newport 7-6 in New England Collegiate Baseball League action Friday.

After Newport reliever Mike Seander retired the first two batters of the 10th, Nieto was hit by a pitch. Nieto stole second base to get into scoring position before Smedberg drilled a double high off the centerfield fence to bring in the winning run. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the Silkworms (3-5) while also handing the Gulls (6-1) their first loss of the season.

What started as a pitcher's duel between Manchester's Giusseppi Granitto and Newport's Adam Wilk turned into a wild, back-and-forth affair once both teams went to the bullpen. After Wilk hurled six shutout innings for the Gulls and Granitto allowed just one run on four hits in six innings of his own, the bullpens combined to allow 12 runs over the final four innings. The game featured four lead changes, all of which came after the sixth inning.

Rob Hallberg (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings to earn the victory for the Silkworms. Seander (1-1) took the loss for Newport.

Trailing 2-1 heading to the bottom of the seventh, Newport exploded for five runs on five hits, one walk and one key error by Manchester to move ahead 6-2. The lead didn't hold up, as the Silkworms responded with a four-run rally of their own in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game 6-6 to set up extra innings.

Nieto, Smedberg, Casey Frawley, Ryan Lavarnway and Jay Schillaci each had two hits for Manchester. Smedberg drove in two runs, while Frawley, Schillaci and Matt Nandin each drove in one run.

Brandon May led the Newport offense with three hits, two RBI and a run scored. Matt Ianetta added two hits, one run scored and one RBI. Matt Vance and Brad French had one hit apiece, each extending their season-long hitting streaks to seven games.

Newport has a home-and-home series with North Adams over the next three days. The teams play at North Adams on Saturday (7 p.m.) before returning to Newport on Monday (6:35 p.m.). Manchester plays at Pittsfield on Saturday (7 p.m.).

Posted by Thom Cahir  at 11:05 PM to College Sports | Permalink

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