CHRIS DETTORRE turns a double play in the 2nd inning with his Highlife holding onto a 4-3 lead on Friday night at Moulton. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — The Twi League playoffs are fast approaching. The postseason bracket, which includes the top four of the six teams in the league, will be set by this time next week with the last regular season game scheduled for this Thursday.
That made Friday’s game officially part of the home stretch for two playoff hopefuls: The Unknowns and the Highlife. With both teams tied at eight points apiece and identical 4-5 records, it wasn’t quite a win-and-your’e-in scenario, but it was close. The Unknowns held on in a wild 7-6 game that featured plenty of hits and excitement.
With that, the Orange moved to 10 points, tied for third in the Twi with the Loafers while the Highlife were left on the outside looking in with two games left.
There were plenty of hits to go around on Friday night with the two teams combining for 21 (11 for the Unknowns, 10 for the Life).
That offense led to some high-pressure situations, none more so than in the top of the 7th when the Life loaded the bases with one out, trailing 7-6. Unknowns pitcher Brett Maloney wasn’t rattled, striking out Chris Dettorre for the second out and getting Kevin Canty to ground out to end it.
In an entertaining contest on a beautiful night at Moulton, there were four ties and four lead changes.
The Unknowns turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead after one inning. The Life reclaimed the lead at 4-3 after two and the Orange evened it up at 4-4 in the 4th. The Highlife took a 6-4 advantage in the 5th before a clutch, three-run 5th for the Unknowns would ultimately close up the scoring.
Luke Martin (2-for-3, 3 RBIs) and Bryan Butt (3-for-3, RBI) led the way for the Orange bats. Brandon Panarese was the other Unknown with multiple hits, collecting two singles.
Leading the way for the Highlife offense was Anthony Cecere (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) and Eric DiTonno (2-for-3, 2 RBIs).
The Life got to Unknowns starter Adam Chanley early. Derek Dettorre led off with a base hit and DiTonno later came through with a clutch RBI single to make it 1-0 before Chanley limited the damage, a theme that continued for him throughout.
Maloney started a one-out rally in the bottom half with a walk and an infield single from Scott Elwell eventually put runners at 2nd and 3rd after a bad throw went out of play.
The Unknowns coaching staff thought Maloney should be awarded home plate which set off quite a disagreement. It’s a tricky rule in baseball, one not often argued because there are rare circumstances in which two bags are awarded based on where runners were at the time of the errant throw. With Maloney already to second on the throw to first, the Orange argued that two bases would equal home. However, the rule on this play, which is typically most common, is that when a grounder is fielded and thrown on the first play, the bases are awarded where runners are at the time of pitch, not the error, which automatically puts the runner at first over to third.
Did you get all that? Because none of it mattered.
Geoff Eriksen walked to load the bags and knock out starter DiTonno who flipped the ball to new pitcher Canty. A fielder’s choice from Kevin Murray scored Maloney and set up the first of many long fly balls hit through the Memorial Elms on this night, as Martin cranked a two-RBI double to left to make it 3-1.
The Life responded well in the top of the 2nd. Chris Dettorre led off with a single to right and scored on the next play when Canty grounded out on a great play by Eriksen at short. A heads up Dettorre never stopped running, racing for third and forcing a bad throw to the bag, allowing him to scamper home and make it 3-2.
Nick Dettorre started the rally back up with a walk and Mark DiNocco singled. After Chanley got Derek Dettorre to ground out, Cecere stepped up and hit a bomb to center resulting in a two-RBI double and reclaiming the lead for the Life at 4-3. Chanley limited damage again with a strikeout.
The Life had a fine defensive play to get out of a 1-out bases loaded jam in the bottom of the 2nd when DiTonno fielded an Elwell grounder and threw to Chris Dettorre at second who made a quick turn to Anthony Caracciolo at first for an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
Chanley worked around a Cliff Silva triple in the 3rd by getting his third groundout of the inning. Butt made a great scoop at first to save a run.
Canty returned the favor in the bottom half pitching around a one-out Murray double by striking out Martin and getting Chris Power to ground out.
The Life couldn’t add to their lead in the 4th as Chanley had his only 1,2,3 inning of the night.
Butt hit a triple to lead off the bottom of the 4th and Sean Alexander did a job with an RBI ground out to tie it. Panarese singled but Canty got Maloney to pop up and Elwell to fly out to keep things even.
The Life grabbed two in the top of the 5th. Derek Dettorre walked and Cecere and Caracciolo singled to load the bases with no outs. DiTonno was hit by a pitch for an RBI and a fielder’s choice hit by Mark Sullivan scored another to make it 6-4. A wild pitch put runners at 2nd and 3rd. Cliff Silva tagged a liner to first but Tom Caron made a great stab to save a couple runs and Chanley got out of it again with another ground out.
The bottom of the 5th was the most important half inning of the season to date for the Unknowns. They got a little help from the Highlife defense to start the inning. Eriksen singled after a borderline error in right. It was a tough play and probably a hit. Murray reached on an error at short and Martin hit another fly to right. A glove got on the ball again, but it was another challenging play that the Life couldn’t make as a run scored and set up 2nd and 3rd with no outs and the Life up 6-5. Power grounded out but got a run home to tie it and Butt lined an opposite field RBI single for what would end up being the game-winning hit. Canty continued to battle, getting Caron to pop up before Sullivan caught Butt trying to steal second with a nice throw down.
Brett Maloney (2 IP, 0ER, 1H, 5K 4BB) walked a leadoff Canty in the 6th but turned up the heat and struck out the side.
The top of the 7th was a fitting wild ride to end this one.
Caracciolo walked and DiTonno singled him to third as the Life eyed another tie and lead change. Maloney came back by getting Sullivan to strike out looking. Silva walked to load the bases with one out before Maloney fished up with his fifth K and a fielder’s choice from Eriksen at short to Elwell at second.
The Unknowns will look to build on their playoff resume when they host the Loafers tonight, 5:45 p.m. at Moulton. The Highlife will be rooting for the Question Marks in that one. If the Loafers lose, the Highlife could pull even with them when the two meet tomorrow night, 5:45 p.m. at Walsh Field. Both teams have identical run differentials at plus-four which is usually the tiebreaker for the playoffs.
