Amity Baseball Beats Sheehan at Home, 5-2

Amity opened the Housatonic Division portion of its baseball schedule Monday by defeating Sheehan 5-2 at Janenda Field in Woodbridge. While Mark Esposito is primarily the Spartan third baseman and late inning closer, Coach Sal Coppola selected him to be the starter against the defending 2010 CIAC Class L champs. That decision paid off in spades as Esposito (who will attend Marshall University in the fall) turned in a dominating three hit performance in which he did not allow an earned run or hand out a free pass but did strike out seven Titans to record his first win of the spring.

“I used three pitches today—my 4-seamer fast ball, my curve, and my change. I’m usually a reliever but I was a starter as a kid, so mentally I know how to prepare for each role. I really don’t think about which I prefer doing, but when I do start, I try not to throw as many fastballs as I do as a reliever. As a starter, I try to pace myself,” Esposito said. 

The hosts wasted no time in jumping on Sheehan hurler Jim Davitt. Vin Siena led off the bottom of the first inning with a hopper to shortstop Bill Horobin and his throw pulled first baseman Ryan Terragan off the base. Nick Baviello’s double over the head of center fielder Ethan Agnello, followed by Esposito getting hit by a pitch, quickly loaded the bases with no outs. Ted Ballou rifled a two-run single past third base and down the left field line. After Keith Klebart’s sacrifice bunt, Brian Speer’s fly ball drove in Esposito with the Spartans’ third run. Adam Kyasky’s two-out single into right center field plated Ballou and staked Esposito to a 4-0 lead.

A throwing error by Siena put John Woodatch on base at the outset of the third inning. Horobin followed with a single down the right field line and both runners advanced a base on Terragan’s infield roller. Mark Brennan’s sacrifice fly to center field drove in Woodatch with the Titan’s first run. Brian Murphy’s base hit sent Horobin home with Sheehan’s second run.

Derek Agnella led off the top of the fourth and reached base on an error charged to Amity first baseman Sean Butler but was quickly erased when Mike Colontonio banged into a double play.

While Esposito was mowing down Titans, Davitt was doing the same to the Spartans. After serving up a second inning single to Siena, Davitt retired the next 11 batters in a row. Ballou broke that hitless spell by leading off the bottom of the sixth with an infield single. After moving over to second base on Klebart’s ground ball to Woodatch, the Titan third baseman, he came home on Kyasky’s run-scoring base hit into left field.

According to Coppola, “We did a good job today, beating a good team that threw a good pitcher at us. It’s a really good win as it came against a divisional opponent. It was fortunate that we put up four runs in the first inning. Once we got the big lead, we started letting him command our at-bats by looking at too many first pitch fastball strikes. Once he got ahead of our batters, he began to work the corners and junk ball us to death.”

He added, “I always say that when you pitch well, you stay in the game. We’re still feeling out our pitching rotation and thought about starting E.J. (Ashworeth), but I finally decided to go with Espo.  He threw a big-time game and did not give up a walk or an earned run. He had to be throwing in the upper 80’s and really shut them down. His hard curve breaks late and in on the fists of right-handed batters. Not many high school kids can hit that pitch.”

Coppola lauded Ballou for his two base hits, two runs, and pair of RBI, but he also noted that the Spartan defense committed three errors and gave up two unearned runs.

Both teams are now 4-2.