Win Evades Orange Post 127 Despite Strong Pitching

During its last two games, Orange Post 127 has received magnificent pitching performances from Dane Simone and Grayson Amoroso—but lost each game by an identical score of 1-0. On Tuesday night, Simone allowed Hamden Post 88 only two hits, struck out five, and the only run he allowed came home on a wild pitch.

Post 127 was back at Brinley Field to take on Milford Post 196 and in a virtual carbon copy contest, Amoroso also gave up only two hits, whiffed 11, and also lost 1-0 when a base runner he had hit with a pitch, came around to score the game’s only run. Orange has now gone 17 innings without crossing home plate and saw its record dip to 5-6.

After admitting that his batters are looking at too many first and second pitch strikes and quickly falling behind in the count, Post 127 Coach Bob Mirto said, “Yes, we are taking too many strikes. We constantly talk about being selective and hitting good pitches that are in the strike zone, but we aren’t doing it.”

In an exact duplicate of the Hamden contest, Post 127 had two batters lead off with walks and other get an inning-opening base hit and get left on base against Milford (now 5-3) . Pitcher Taylor Biagioni hurled six innings of shutout baseball, allowing only four hits while walking two and fanning five. After Biagioni served up a seventh inning lead off single to Adam Kyasky, Milford Coach Cliff Bugyi brought in his ace, Brian O’Keefe to hurl the seventh inning, slam the door on Orange, and save Biagoni’s win. O’Keefe had come within one out of throwing a perfect game against Post 127 on Sunday in Milford. With this win, the Sixers complete a sweep of the three game summer series with their closest rival.

With one out in the top of the third inning, Amoroso (now 1-2)  hit Kyle Ferri (Milford’s No. 9 hitter) with a pitch.  He quickly stole second base and came on to score the game’s only run when Kyle Winter drilled a base hit up the middle.

Amoroso had pitched into and out of a jam the previous inning. Max Nowicki waved at and missed a third strike but the ball skipped past Post 127 catcher Jim Martino. Nowicki raced down to first based on the passed ball, advanced to a second base on a wild pitch, and then stole third base with only one out. He was left stranded 60 feet away from scoring as Amoroso struck out Matt Ferraiolo and retired Joe Zanghi on a tapper back to the box.

In the top of the fifth inning, Milford shortstop Christian Baglini drew a two-out walk, stole second, and was balked over to third bases, but got no father as Amoroso retired Winters on an inning-ending infield roller.

“Last night, we got beat on a wild pitch. Tonight, we lose because we missed a sign in a crucial situation. These little mistakes have been hurting us all summer. Wee seem to be able to find ways to throw games away. Our own mental mistakes are killing us,” Mirto said.

Kyasky led off the bottom of the second inning with a free pass and with 1 out, was doubled around to third base by Sean Butler. With two runners in scoring position and only one out, Biagioni fired third strikes past Naill Demondo and Keenan Roche.

Brian Speer led off the bottom of the fourth with a base hit, worked his way over to third base on a pair of infield outs but was left stranded by Butler’s inning-ending infield out.

Orange is now off to Providence, RI play in the fourth annual Firecracker Invitational Tournament. Following their busy holiday weekend of baseball, the Mirtomen return home on Tuesday to host North Haven Post 76 in a 7 p.m. contest at Brinley field.