JOHN HALSEY of the Brewers tags out Matt Russo at the plate in the 2nd inning during game two of the Twi League’s first round matchup between the Brewers and Loafers. Despite a 12-11 lead for the Brew Crew after six and a half, there were still plenty of great defensive plays. The completion of game two will be tomorrow night with a deciding game three to follow if necessary. (Dan Pawlowski Photos)
Published in the August 7, 2018 edition.
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — Six and a half wasn’t enough.
A three-run rally in the top of the 7th inning by the Brewers turned an 11-9 deficit into a 12-11 lead over the Loafers last night. It was the sixth lead change in an epic battle of tug-and-war during game two of the three game series in the first round of the Twi League playoffs. The game was postponed as Moulton Field ran out of daylight. The bottom of the 7th will be played on Wednesday. If the Brewers hold on, the two teams will play a survive-and-advance game three following the completion of game two, with the winner making it to the finals.
The Loafers won game one on Sunday 6-0.
Game two was a runaway train from the start with a combined eight runs scored in the first inning.
The Brewers played with a strong sense of urgency in the top of the first, plating three runs against the Loafers’ Joe Romano. John Zagaria led off with a double and scored on a base hit from Matt Fiore. John Halsey walked and Anthony Carbone scored both runners with a single.
It didn’t take long for the Loafers to chase the lead down against Brewers’ starting pitcher Tom Leahy.
THE BREWERS kept their season alive for at least one more half inning during an epic game two that featured six lead changes. Pictured, Tim Hurley (left) and Mike Fiore celebrate with their teammates after Drew Betts scored both with a base hit in the top of the 5th to tie the game at 8-8.(Dan Pawlowski Photo)
Three consecutive singles to start the inning resulted in the Loaf’s first run with Matt Russo getting the initial RBI. After a fielders’ choice and a single from Sal Mendonca loaded them back up, Connor O’Brien scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-2. James Beaton stepped up and roped a two-RBI double to give the Loafers a 4-3 lead.
Joe Galli dropped in a single and Gavin Softic hit an RBI single. Jared Pavey came back up for his second at-bat of the inning. He beat out a 4-6-3 double play, scoring Galli, but a slide from Softic on shortstop Matt Fiore was deemed interference so what seemed like another run was brought back, officially giving the Loafers a 5-3 lead after one hectic inning.
Both teams were shut out in the 2nd inning. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for the Brewers in the top of the 2nd, but Romano got Matt Fiore to pop up and picked up a big strikeout on Halsey to end the inning.
Matt Fiore made the defensive play of the day at short in the bottom of the 2nd, sprinting back on a flare to center by O’Brien and making a beautiful over the shoulder grab for the first out.
Russo hit a single and Taylor Robinson smoked a double down the left field line. Mendonca hit a grounder back to Leahy who looked off Russo at third and got the out at first. Russo took off for home plate and was gunned down by Zagaria with Halsey making the play behind the plate.
The Brewers regained the lead in the top of the 3rd. Carbone lead off with an absolute bomb to left center but what looked like a surefire triple turned into a double as the Brewer masher pulled up rounding first base with what looked like a pulled hamstring. Carbone was replaced by Timmy Hurley and and didn’t return.
A Mike Fiore base hit scored Hurley from second to make it 5-4. That ended the day for Romano who was replaced by recent Wakefield High graduate Jordan Fauci. Fauci walked Drew Betts and struck out Mike Greer, matching him up with Leahy. Fauci brushed back his former WHS coach with a high and tight fastball on the first pitch but the master got the better of the apprentice in this matchup as a base hit loaded the bags for Brian DiRuzza who walked to tie the game.
The second controversy of the game happened when Zack Thomas lofted a pop up to the shallow outfield. It was ruled an infield fly as it dropped to the grass. Fiore scored on the play but confusion on the call caused DiRuzza to be tagged out going to second. It meant another wacky double play to end an inning but this time the run counted and the Brewers were up 6-5 after two and a half.
While giving up plenty of hits, Leahy continued to battle on the mound during a hot night. The Loafers tied things up in the bottom of the 3rd as Justin Sensabaugh hit a single and later scored on a wild pitch.
Fauci sat down the Brewers in order in the top of the 4th and the Loafers regained the lead in the bottom of the 4th. Singles from Robinson, Mendonca and Beaton loaded the bases for Sensabaugh who hit a two-RBI base hit for an 8-6 lead.
The Brew crew struck back in the top of the 5th, with Hurley putting together a great at-bat and reaching on a walk. Mike Fiore hit a single and stole second, setting the table for Drew Betts whose two-RBI base knock made it 8-8. Betts stole second and later took third on a groundout. Leahy hit a chopper to Softic at third who had to rush a throw that sailed past Russo and gave the Brewers a 9-8 lead.
The Loafers made their run in the bottom of the 6th, looking to end the series with a knockout blow. Robinson, Mendonca and Beaton continued their great days with singles to tie it at 9 and finally knock Leahy out of the game as Matt Fiore came in to pitch. Sensabaugh was hit by another pitch to load the bases and Galli hit a sac fly to make it 10-9. An infield RBI single from Softic gave the Loaf a two-run lead. Fiore got out of it with a strikeout and a fielder’s choice.
So, with the daylight quickly running out, the Brewers stared down an 11-9 deficit with their season on the line against the Loafers’ hard-throwing Robinson and forgot to blink. With one out, Betts legged out an infield single and Mike Greer put together a nice at-bat that ended with a walk. Leahy had a similar at-bat to walk and load the bases. Robinson buckled down with the bases loaded to get DiRuzza looking.
Two outs, final inning, bases loaded and down by two, the Brewers’ number nine hitter, Zach Thomas looked at another ball four which made it 11-10.
The Loafers made a pitching change, halting the momentum and putting the pressure on the umps who have the final say in determining when the game gets called due to darkness.
O’Brien came in to face Zagaria and an amped up Brewer bench who both forced yet another walk to tie the game at 11. Matt Fiore then sent one to the hole in short and “Zags” beat the throw to second, scoring Leahy for a 12-11 lead. The final out was a Halsey fly out to Russo in left. The umps determined that the bottom of the 7th wouldn’t happen on this night, setting up a massive Wednesday night at Moulton.
The Expos and Highlife will play game two tonight in the league’s other first round series. The Highlife took Sunday’s game one with a resounding 13-1 victory. The two first round matchups are the exact same as last year with the Loafers and Highlife each winning their respective series in 2017.
