By STEVE MAZZONE

Sports writer

PAWTUCKET — Prior to this season, Saint Raphael Academy coach Tom Sorrentine felt the two areas that would be the strengths of his squad were pitching and defense.

By STEVE MAZZONE
Sports writer
So far, the pitching has held up its end of the bargain. But defensively, the Saints have been having some trouble. In their the first two Division I-North games of the spring, errors were a primary reason SRA dropped a pair of decisions to Cumberland and Lincoln.
It appeared to be more of the same on Monday afternoon against visiting Smithfield. Just an inning and a half into the contest, the Saints found themselves behind by two runs with both scores unearned.
Thankfully for Sorrentine and his crew that trend didn’t continue. Instead, it was the Sentinels that couldn’t hold on to the ball, committing five errors. Combine that with a strong outing from lefthander Doug Hopper and the Saints earned a satisfying 8-3 victory at Vets Park.
“I thought we were going to be good on defense and we’ve given away a lot of runs,” said Sorrentine, whose squad upped its record to 3-2 in the division. Smithfield fell to 2-3.   “We gave them the first two which set the table for them…Pitching and defense is our game. We scrap out whatever hits we can get.”
On this particular day, SRA finished with seven hits for the afternoon with Hopper helping to his cause with a pair of singles and an RBI. The senior ace also hurled a complete game, six-hitter with six strikeouts.
“He got better as the game went on,” Sorrentine said. “He wasn’t really popping the ball the first few innings.”
The game began with a great defensive stab by Saints’ shortstop Brandon Decesare, who robbed leadoff Joe Landi of at least a single. Landi smacked the first offering from Hopper into the gap, but Decesare turned the potential hit into an out with a brilliant diving catch.  Smithfield managed to score in the inning, courtesy of the Saints’ first of three errors. Ed Laroche followed Landi with a double and then starting pitcher John Kasmanian was issued a walk. On a steal attempt, Laroche was plated on a throwing error by catcher John Robbins that sailed into the outfield.
Smithfield took a 2-0 advantage in the top of the second – an inning in which Saints committed two errors. The frame began with Andrew Tessier reaching base after his hit was mishandled by DeCesare.  Tom DeCristafaro followed with a walk and Tim Jamieson also earned a freebie when his hard shot was bobbled by DeCesare. Saints managed to get DeCristafaro and Jamieson out when both were caught stealing on a pair of throws from Robbins.
SRA had just one hit in the bottom of the second off Kasmanian, but still left the frame with a 3-2 lead, thanks to a trio of errors by Smithfield. With Hopper (single) and Votta (walk) on first and second, Matt Tougas bashed a deep fly ball that was dropped by rightfielder Anthony Tacelli – a two-run error that allowed Hopper and Votta to cross the plate. Tougas then came home when Robbin’s hit escaped the glove of Landi.
SRA took a 4-2 lead in the third on another unearned run when Drew Given (fielder’s choice) was eventually plated on a error by first baseman Julian Manzo.
With Hopper motoring along in the game, SRA was able to put the game out of reach in the sixth with four runs. Nick Gaj belted a two-run single and Hopper also drove in a run with a single. Gaj came home on Smithfield’s fifth error when the Sentinels were preparing for a bunt attempt on Given’s at-bat.
His hit was picked up by Kasmanain, who had no one to throw to after Manzo also came in to field the ball.
“That was a bunt-coverage mishap,” first-year SHS head coach Steve Quattrini said. “The second baseman was actually supposed to be covering first on that type of coverage. It was just a lax. He was playing out of position…It was a lax on his part and something we got to address tomorrow. We got a couple of injuries, so things like that I expect to happen.”
Except for a little trouble in the first and seventh inning - a frame that Smithfield sent seven players to the batter’s box and had an RBI single from Ian Brissette - Hopper was on the mark. He retired the side in the third through fifth innings and kept the Sentinels off balance with a steady stream of fastballs and curveballs.
Along with their seven hits, the Saints were a perfect 3-for-3 on steal attempts.
“Hopper had a big day on the mound and he hit the ball pretty well,” Sorrentine said. “We did a good job running the bases and we are hitting the ball a little better. Last year, Kasmanian ended up beating us up in Smithfield, so he’s a really good pitcher. We did a decent job hitting the ball against him.”
SRA returns to action with an away contest against Tiverton, part of a grueling four-game stretch that also includes a pair of home tilts against East Providence (Friday) and Woonsocket (Saturday).
“It’s a four-game week for us,” Sorrentine said. “It’s going to be real tough.”
Smithfield host Rogers on Wednesday and travels to Barrington on Friday. Quattrini has confidence his squad will rebound from the setback. The Sentinels already have half as many victories as the 2007 squad, which compiled a record of 4-14.
“Compared to last year, the kids are upbeat,” he said. “We got some good, young leadership with (sophomores) Eric Laroche and Joe Landi. Both have played outstanding this year along with John Kasmanian. We got a strong core of players, everybody is upbeat and the kids are working hard. I think the biggest difference from last year, they know they can win.”
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Smithfield   110 000 1 – 3 6 5
St. Raphael  031 040 x – 8 7 3
John Kasmanian, Tim Jamieson (6) and Eric Laroche. Doug Hopper and John Robbins. 2B – S, Laroche. 3B – SRA, Votta.