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Smithfield tops Lincoln, heads to district finals |
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Thursday, 17 July 2008 |
By ERIC BENEVIDES
Sports writer
SMITHFIELD -- Lincoln has had a long history of defeating Smithfield in the District IV playoffs, but on Tuesday night, Smithfield turned the tables on its longtime foes by eliminating them in the semifinals.
Nate Balcom's two-run single to right field keyed a four-run rally in the bottom of the second inning, and Derrick Poleseno and Bob Macera teamed up to pitch a five-hitter to help Smithfield record a 9-4 triumph before a large gathering at Whipple Park and advance to tonight's championship game.
Smithfield will contest Cumberland American, a 5-4 winner over North Smithfield in its semifinal-round game last night, for the district banner and a spot in the state tournament in a 7:30 p.m. showdown at Garvin Field.
By ERIC BENEVIDES
Sports writer
SMITHFIELD -- Lincoln has had a long history of defeating Smithfield in the District IV playoffs, but on Tuesday night, Smithfield turned the tables on its longtime foes by eliminating them in the semifinals.
Nate Balcom's two-run single to right field keyed a four-run rally in the bottom of the second inning, and Derrick Poleseno and Bob Macera teamed up to pitch a five-hitter to help Smithfield record a 9-4 triumph before a large gathering at Whipple Park and advance to tonight's championship game.
Smithfield will contest Cumberland American, a 5-4 winner over North Smithfield in its semifinal-round game last night, for the district banner and a spot in the state tournament in a 7:30 p.m. showdown at Garvin Field.
"I'm really proud of this team," added Smithfield manager Jim Connell moments after receiving a congratulatory hug from Lincoln manager Charlie Hien. "These kids have worked hard, our coaches have worked hard, and we deserve this. I wish we had a day off before the (championship) game, but we'll be ready to play and we'll do our best."
Lincoln, which has been no stranger to District IV championship games in the history of its marvelous program, certainly did its best to down Smithfield, but were unable to fully recover from its hosts' second-inning rally.
"I just have to say, 'Thank you,' to the kids," remarked Hien. "All the effort that they put in -- I put them through a lot this summer -- and all the coaching staff -- we had a blast coaching these kids -- they gave us everything and I thank all of them.
"It's a tough loss, but you just have to give the credit to Smithfield. They played a fantastic ballgame. They were just a bit better than us pitching, a bit better than us hitting, and a bit better than us playing defense."
Poleseno, who reached his pitch count after just 3 2/3 innings of work, picked up the win by striking out five and allowing three hits and five walks. Macera started the game as Poleseno's catcher, but he came on to blank his opponent the rest of the way, whiffing three and inducing a pair of double-play grounders in the final two innings.
After Poleseno issued a pair of walks with one out in the first inning, but escaped any damage with an infield fly and a strikeout, Smithfield went to work in its half of the inning off losing pitcher Doug Harrison.
With two gone and Poleseno on second via a fielder's choice grounder and a passed ball, David Parillo ripped a single to right (and just out of the reach of first baseman Tyler Duquette) to drive in Poleseno.
Parillo then stole second base to move into scoring position, and when the late throw to the bag soared into the outfield, he was able to get up and advance to third. After Macera worked a walk, Harrison uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Parillo to score Smithfield's second run.
But Lincoln battled back in the second and claimed its only lead of the night. A leadoff ground-rule double to left by John Guarino and one-out walks to Griffin Hevey and Corey DiPaolo loaded the bases for Jon McCourt, who laced a ground single to right to drive home Guarino and move each runner 60 feet.
Jeff Sheehan then tapped a slow grounder to Parillo at shortstop. Parillo raced in to scoop up the ball and fire it to the plate, but Hevey was just able to beat the throw.
Harrison then helped his cause with another run-scoring fielder's choice, as Parillo gloved his sharp grounder in the hole and fired a strike to third to nab DiPaolo, who got a late jump off second.
That set the stage for Smithfield's big rally in its half of the frame. The hosts went around their lineup, collected four of their seven hits in this uprising, and knocked Harrison from the game.
Harrison only last two batters and didn't retire either of them, and after he walked Jake Sendley and surrendered a base hit to right by Matt Walker, he was replaced on the mound by Jeff Sheehan.
But Sheehan didn't fare any better. He walked Jim Whitehead to load the bases for Balcom, who fisted the first pitch he saw into right field for his run-scoring hit that gave Smithfield the lead for good.
One out and two walks later, Smithfield struck again when Parillo singled up the middle to knock in another run. Macera then made it a 6-3 game by plating a run with a sharp grounder to first that Duquette gloved with a nice backhanded grab.
After Poleseno and Sheehan tossed zeroes in the third, Lincoln cut its deficit to a pair in the fourth, when with one gone, Sheehan lofted a 3-2 pitch from Polesano over the fence in center for a home run.
Polesano lasted one more batter and struck him out, and Connell immediately replaced him with Macera, who also didn't allow a runner to reach second in his 2 1/3 innings on the hill.
Macera then drove in his second run of the game in the bottom of the inning with a two-out double that found the gap in left-center and drove in Parillo, who reached base on a fielder's choice and picked up his second steal of the night.
Smithfield's final two runs came in the fifth, when a pair of infield errors to the first two batters set the tables for Nick Silva's sacrifice fly to deep center and Balcom's run-scoring single to center.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 02 August 2008 )
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