Orange Beats West Haven With Unlikely Pitcher

In his starting debut as a pitcher,  Amity's Brian Speer tossed a 3-1 complete game seven-hit victory over West Haven Post 71 on Monday night.

During his four years at Amity, Brian Speer played a lot of baseball (and some football too) but never pitched an inning. Primarily a left fielder or a third baseman, Speer (who is off to Western New England College in the fall) did hurl a few scattered innings as a relief pitcher last summer. Following consecutive week-end double headers against Milford (which Orange lost 9-0 and 3-2) and Post 88 of Hamden (which Orange won 6-5 and 5-4) Coach Bob Mirto had run out of experienced pitchers. In desperation, he turned to Speer, who came though with  the victory.

According to Speer, “I did pitch a few innings in relief last summer, but I haven’t been a starting pitcher since I played Little League.  I knew I could be successful if I continually threw strikes. I was able to do that for five innings but was a little shaky during the last two innings. Throughout the game, I just threw my fast ball as hard as I could on every pitch. During the off-season I developed a new pitching motion and put a hitch into my delivery because it helped me throw strikes.”

Post 127 wasted no time jumping on West Haven hurler Alex Soto for a pair of scores in the top of the first inning. With one out, Mark Boland (the winning pitcher in Sunday’s 5-4 win over Hamden) was walked. Nick Baviello then lashed a three base smash down the right field foul line that easily drove home Boland. Baviello tagged and also scored on Grayson Amoroso’s sacrifice fly ball to left field.

West Haven had runners on base in every inning but was unable to score until the bottom of the sixth inning. A big key to preserving Speer’s shut out was Orange catcher Jim Martino throwing out 3 Post 71 base runners who were trying to steal second base. The biggest foiled theft came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Mike Marcello spanked a shot up the middle but was soon gunned down by Martino. After Marcello was erased, J.P. Withington was hit by a pitch, Don Brennan singled, and Wes Gambardella, depriving Post 71 of a sure run had Marcello not been thrown out by Martino. With the bases loaded and two outs, Speer struck out Don Chambrelli.

In the top of the sixth, speedy Brian Kernan led off by beating out a bunt that he rolled down the third base line. After swiping second base, Kernan (who just completed his freshman year at Northeastern University) moved over to third on a Soto wild pitch. Following Speer’s free pass, Kernan stunned the entire Post 71 team by racing down the third base line and successfully stealing home.

“Stealing home is as much fun as anything you can do on a baseball field,” Mirto said.

He added, “I’m not surprised by what Brian did tonight. He’s a tough kid and his fast ball has some pop. He has been a big key for us ever since he starting playing for us. Getting two runs in the first inning was huge for us and we could have gotten more than two runs.”

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Matt Gagne hammered a double over Kernan’s head in dead center field. After Brennan walked, Wes Gambardella stroked a bases-loading base hit. Chambrelli dropped down a perfectly placed squeeze bunt that enabled Gagne to race across home plate. With two outs and both the tying and go-ahead runs on base, Eric Flores skied to center field, leaving all three teammates stranded.

Mirto questioned the sensibility West Haven decision to give up an out to set up one run while they were down three runs.

“I still don’t understand that move,” he said. “Our catcher, Jim Martino, has been working with (former Amity catcher) Mike Moras (who is currently catching for the Bridgeport Bluefish following a stint in the New York Mets farm system).

In addition to allowing only one run on seven hits, Speer walked 2 and also hit two batters. Soto also tossed a complete game and was charged with the loss. He allowed three runs (all earned runs) on six hits while whiffing five and walking two.

Tyler Gambardella led off the bottom of the seventh with a single but was immediately cut down by Martino as he tried to steal second base. West Haven Coach John Velardi raced onto the field to argue that call. After a headed discussion with the umpire, Velardi was thrown out of the game. With that ejection, he must now serve a  2-game suspension. He singled twice for the 4-5 losers. Marcello singled and doubled while Gagne also whacked a 2-bagger and scored a run.

Boland (who is off to Salve Regina College in the fall) led the winners with tw0 base hits and also scored a run.

Noting that his team was 5-4 and riding the crest of its 3 game winning streak, Mirto quoted former Yankee Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra, saying, “Whoda thunk it.”