Babe Ruth Baseball: Coventry 14s Warwick Fall To Warwick

Brendan Rix had four hits and six RBI, and stroked a three-run, bases-loaded double to deep center in the fifth inning to lead Warwick past Coventry, 12-9, in a loser’s bracket game of the Rhode Island Babe Ruth 14-year-old All-Stars State Tournament held at Cranston Stadium on Tuesday night.

Warwick reliever Danny Greaves got off to a rough start in his four-inning stint, but the tall righty settled in afterward, retiring the side in the fifth and getting two Coventry batters on a groundout and another on a fly ball. He worked his way out of a jam in the seventh, forcing a two-out popup to end the game after a leadoff single, an error and a two-out walk loaded the bases.

“Danny (Greaves) has been pretty much lights out pitching for us," said Warwick manager Kurt Rix. “Our pitchers have allowed a lot of walks in the playoffs, but if we just keep the ball get in play, our defense have been making the plays behind them. And we have seven or eight guys who can really hit.”

The teams exchanged leads in the first four innings. In the first inning, Warwick scored two unearned runs following a walk, two-out error and a RBI single by Rix.

Coventry countered in the second with two runs on a Tyler Andrews single, a double by Max Marcotte just inside the first base bag, a wild pitch that scored a run and a groundout by Anthony Masseur.

Zack Bacon for Warwick drove in a run with a single in a long second inning interrupted by 10 minutes on a disputed call. After a leadoff walk to Brandon Provencher, a delayed balk call made at the same time Michael McCaffrey singled put two Warwick runners on.

“I still don’t know what the rule is,” said Coventry manager Joe Vigeant, who questioned the rare call, but after consultation with officials accepted the decision. Provencher would later cross home plate on the Bacon hit.

Coventry leapfrogged ahead, 4-3, in the bottom of the second, with two runs on one hit, recording both runs on a passed ball and balk, respectively.

A combination of three hits and two walks, highlighted by RBI singles by Rix and Michael McCaffrey, put Warwick ahead again, 5-4.

Coventry put six straight runners on to start the fourth. With two men on and no one out, Greaves issued a walk, an RBI single to Joe Vigeant (2-for-3), a two-run double to Tyler Walsh and a RBI single in a five-run outburst that put them ahead, 9-5.

Two walks and an error loaded the bases to start the fourth for Warwick. Vigeant at shortstop fielded a grounder, stepped on second base and threw to first for a double play, one run scoring. But an infield single by Rix trimmed the deficit to 9-7.

Coventry centerfielder Shawn Pacifico ended the fourth inning by flagging down and backhanding a ball hit by Greaves targeted for the deepest alley of the park over 380 feet away.

With Greaves holding firm, Warwick scored the final runs in the fifth. Pinch hitter Joe DiGiulio poked a single to center off Walsh in relief to drive in a run and Ryan Rotondo hit a sacrifice fly to right to tie the score. After an intentional walk to load the bases, Rix came through again with a blast to dead center that just missed being caught and cleared the bases.

Andrews and Pacifico also had two hits each for Coventry, which finished with a 2-2 record in the state playoffs.

“Max (Marcotte) was working on four days rest, but was all heart and soul and gave it all he got,” said Vigeant of his starting pitcher. “When we needed some defensive stops, we just didn’t have it. But I tip my hats to Warwick. They hit the ball very well from batters one through nine.”