White Sox Look to Sweep

Senior League Action

Town Championship, Game 2

White Sox 9, Giants 5

The White Sox will look to sweep the Giants tonight at Spy Pond Field, as they held on for a 9-5 victory in Game 2.

The Giants actually out hit the White Sox in Game 2, but the White Sox made their on-bases mean something. This included a three-run bomb by John Vaglica that bounced off the top of John Lordan's car. The Sox were patient at bat earning 10 walks with five of them coming across to score, as the Giants pitching continued to struggle. 

John Smokovich pitched a complete game to get the win. Smokovich helped his own cause by being on base twice (1 hit) and scoring twice. Andrew Cunningham was on base three times and scored twice, Chip Daley scored once, Vaglica scored twice, and John Rideout had one hit, was on base three times and scored once. Tyler Hanlon hit a big double in the fifth, driving in two and later scoring himself.

The series has seen some strong defense, but one play in Game 2 could have been the web gem of the year. Matt Laurendeau was playing second and a hard hit ball was shot toward the middle. This was easily a hit and a game motivator for the Giants. Instead, Laurendeau dove to make the play (Dustin Pedroia like) and made the quick throw just in time to beat the speedy runner. Brian Caniff, while playing third, made a great bang-bang play in the seventh. While taking a grounder and stepping on third for one out and then gunning the throw to first to get the runner, Caniff helped close the Giants out.

Intermediate League Action

Playoffs

Rockies 4, Red Sox 2

The Rockies won a closely fought game with the Red Sox, 4-2, behind strong pitching by Henry Feinstein. Feinstein went the full seven innings and struck out 13.

The Rockies went ahead 1-0 in the fourth when Ryan Ahern walked, advanced on a wild pitch, and then scored on an RBI single by David O'Brien.

The Red Sox tied it in the fifth when Maloney, Wadman and Denaro all reached on errors, and took the lead in the sixth when Davey reached on a error and was driven in by Kuznetsov's double, his second of the game.

In the seventh the Rockies rallied for three against Maloney. O'Brien and Marcus Messuri started the inning with back-to-back singles, and after Kineen was retired Wells reached on an error. All three came eventually came in to score. Jarett Karp, who had walked, was caught in a run-down to end the inning.

Denaro led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, but was left stranded at third as Feinstein retired the next three in a row.

The Red Sox pitching allowed just three singles over the first six innings. Kuznetsov struck out four over three and Madden struck out five in his three.

A’s 12, Braves 4

Under the lights on a great night for baseball the A's took Game 1 from the Braves 12-4. For the A's the key was five innings of two-run baseball from rookie Ben Colety, who gave up only four hits and no walks. The Braves gave up eight hits and seven walks. The walks and timely hits gave the A's a couple of big innings, which put the game away.

For the Braves, the offense was led by McSweeney with two hits, Farrell, Vaccarello, McIsaac and Fantasia with a big RBI single. The A's were led by Gould with two hits, two walks and four runs scored. Singles by Lynch, Colety, DiFranco and Goldstein and a towering 3 RBI double by Yamaguchi, his second hit, helped the A's bring a bunch of runs across. The mere two walks by the A's and solid defense helped keep the Braves on their heels.

For the Braves it was McSweeney and Conti on the mound. For the A's it was Colety, Lynch and Goldstein, who ended the game with a 1-2-3 double play.