Scifo Dominant on the Hill as Wildcats Cruise Past Rockport

baseball coach Aldo Caira decided going into the season that catcher Dalton Rolli would split time behind the plate. Thanks to Rolli’s performance in recent contests, however, that isn’t an option anymore.

“Dalton’s been coming around,” said Caira. “He’s sharing the position, but I think he’s outright won it right now. There’s no way I can take his bat out of the lineup the way he’s swinging.”

Rolli laced three hits against Rockport and led the charge for the Wildcats on Tuesday as the local nine earned a 6-0 victory.

Vinny Scifo started on the mound and was sparkling as he tossed a complete game shutout and earned the win. It took Scifo just 69 pitches to polish off his seven-inning effort that ended with a weak ground out to second base.

“Our starting pitching has been outstanding,” said Caira, whose team is 4-4 on the year, 3-1 in league play. “We just haven’t been hitting the last couple of games. If the bats come alive, we’ll be a contender.”

Phil Lentini drew a bases loaded walk in the second inning for a 1-0 lead, Daniel Pendanza hit an RBI single in the next frame to push that edge to 2-0 and Rolli chipped in a run-scoring single in the fifth for a three-run cushion.

It was the fourth run of the game that Caira said is one of the most bizarre plays he’s seen as a coach.

With the bases loaded and no outs in the home half of the sixth, Pendanza smacked a hard-hit ground ball that the Rockport third baseman snagged. After with the ball in his glove, the third baseman stepped on the base while also tagging Michael Ciampa, the lead runner who had scampered back to third.

During the confusion, Ciampa trotted towards home thinking he was out before his coach instructed him to tag home plate. Ciampa obliged and was called safe.

Rockport believed they had turned a double play, kept a run off the board and left Wilmington with runners on first and second. But because Ciampa was tagged while standing on the base, he was safe at third and his run stuck.

Cole Peffer went on to hit a two-run single later in the frame to capitalize on the bizarre play and ice the game.

Caira said his team is showing signs of life after a slow start.

“They needed to get a little confidence,” said Caira. “We lost the first two games of the season by one run, and they started thinking maybe it isn’t going to be a good year. They now realize that if they can put the bat on the ball, we’ll be in every game.”