Providence Baseball: Some Numbers Don't Tell the Story

When a high school baseball team gives its opponent 10 baserunners via bases on balls, coaches generally are reaching for the Maalox.

Combine those walks with a couple wild pitches, three errors and a runner picked off on a failed sacrifice bunt attempt and the coach is penciling in Just For Men Hair Coloring on his grocery list.

Providence wasn't at its best during Monday's 7-3 Catholic League Blue victory over St. Laurence, but thanks to its top four hitters combining to go 12-for-15, and starting pitcher Matt Trowbridge battling through 122 pitches in 4.2 innings, the Celtic were not only able to win, but to win rather comfortably after jumping ahead to a 7-1 lead.

"We've played great defense all year and the errors, those are just something we have to get back to working on," Providence coach Mark Smith said. "Matt's a very good pitcher and he lost it a little bit, but he knows how to get out of jams. I mean, look how dominant he can be even with all those walks. He only gave up two runs."

Smith admitted that the game meant a lot to Trowbridge and it showed in his effort.

"He wanted to take the team on his shoulders, and I'm very proud of his effort," Smith said. "A very gutty performance."

Trowbridge  yielded three hits and stuck out eight, but he walked nine. He also may have turned the game around in the third inning.

St. Laurence had runners on second and third base with nobody out but Trowbridge got a strikeout, turned a comebacker into an out at home and then ended the inning by cleanly fielding another comebacker and making the toss to first base.

"I thought the third inning was huge," St. Laurence coach Pete Lotus said. "It was  a situation where we had to push across one, and hopefully two, but we didn't and then we follow that by allowing them a couple runs."

While the top of the order was able to get to St. Laurence starter Mike Chimera with their bats, the Celtics  also were able to bother Chimera with their speed on the base paths, swiping six bases in eight attempts.

"We knew coming in that the wind blowing in would make the throws from the catcher die," Providence second baseman Kevin DeFilippis said. "So, that was the game plan, and we took advantage on changeups and curves in the dirt and ran as much as we could."

Jumping ahead 2-0 also helped as the Celtics were coming off a loss for the first time this season.

"(Dan) Potempa's hit in the first inning was a huge ice breaker for us and then I think Sammy (Travis) hitting the three-run home run really loosened us up," Smith said.

It may have even allowed Smith to put the Maalox away.