Windsor Locks Upends Enfield In Battle of the Raiders

The last time NCCC baseball powers Windsor Locks and Enfield met, Locks prevailed in a 3-1 pitchers' duel near the sands of Delray Beach, Fla.

The two teams locked horns again Friday in a contest that did not count in the league standings, and an entirely different type of game was played. The pitching staffs combined to issue 13 walks and hit six batters, and when the smoke cleared, Locks had emerged with a 10-5 victory in Enfield.

Michael Spath was the winning pitcher, despite allowing nine walks. Brian Oddo finished with two scoreless innings.

"Spath is my sixth pitcher; he has a knuckleball and I wanted to see what he could do against a fastball-hitting team," Windsor Locks coach Dave Farr said.

Enfield starter John Cerrato took the loss, giving up seven hits and five runs in 2 2/3 innings, and at one point hitting three consecutive Locks batters.

Tyler DeMarco opened the game with a triple for Locks, then Spath and Chuck Vogt were hit by pitches to load the bases. Cerrato then plunked Casey Vogt, bringing in DeMarco with the game's first run.

Locks scored again in the second on a triple by Pat Roy and a single by DeMarco, who later scored on an infield error. The margin became 5-0 in the third, on an RBI groundout by Oddo and a run-scoring double by Roy.

In the fourth, Locks padded its lead to 8-0. Josh Poissant blasted a two-run triple to left field, and Mike Gentile knocked him in with a single to center.

Enfield finally got to Spath with three runs in the fourth. A bases-loaded walk to Aric Gates brought in Dan Critz, Matt Nicewicz scored on a fielder's choice grounder by Joe Turcotte, and a sacrifice fly by Avery Boissy knocked home Ian McDonald.

Poissant laid down a squeeze bunt in the sixth to score Chuck Vogt, but Enfield came back with two of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Gates came home on a long triple by Tony Romano, who then scored on a wild pitch.

Oddo scored the final run in the seventh, crossing the plate on a fielder's choice grounder by Spath.

Sal Spadaro was a bright spot for Enfield, pitching 2 1/3 innings of effective relief. "Sal's been doing a good job in relief, coming in and holding ship," Enfield coach Jay Gaucher said.

DeMarco, Poissant and Roy each had two hits for Locks, while Justin Thomas was 3-for-3 for Enfield.

With the game not counting in the NCCC standings, the two teams remain tied for first place in the conference. Windsor Locks (12-3 overall) plays at Canton Monday at 4 p.m., while Enfield (11-3) travels to Ellington the same day at 3:45 p.m.