Coventry Loses, 7-5 to North Providence in Babe Ruth 14’s

Tyler Walsh hit a spectacular inside-the-park three-run homer in the third inning for Coventry, but North Providence-Smithfield still prevailed, 7-5, in the winner’s bracket of the Rhode Island Babe Ruth 14-year-old All-Star State Tournament held at Cranston Stadium.

Brandon Kenyon started for Coventry and retired the first two batters in the first inning. Then six straight batters reached base. C.J. Dandeneau (3-for-3, two runs scored and one RBI), started a five-run rally on an infield hit despite a diving stab and just-too-late throw to first by Coventry shortstop, Max Marcotte. Following an RBI single by Tim Lombardi and a few walks, Nick Russo hit a two-run single and he’d score on a wild pitch, passed ball and error on a rundown.

Coventry had scored in the first on a single by Ryan Ledford, a two-base throwing error and a fielder’s choice grounder on a ball hit by Anthony Masseur. The team scored again in the second on walks to Nick Palumbo and Kenyon and an RBI fielder’s choice grounder by Steven Gallagher.

Dandeneau sometimes walked a tightrope after coming in to relieve lefty starter Nick Soares after the Walsh homer in the third. But with with two men on and just one out, the righthanded Dandeneau used a laser fastball and slow curve to stop Coventry with the bases loaded by striking out successive batters.

In the third inning, Soares walked and Dandeneau followed up with an RBI triple to right center. Another RBI single by Lombardi delivered Dandeneau.

Palumbo, who came in as a reliever in the third inning, held North Providence scoreless the rest of the way. In his four innings pitched, Palumbo allowed just three hits, struck out four and issued two walks.

Walsh almost stopped Dandeneau from getting his second infield hit in the fourth inning by stabbing a hard-hit one-hopper by the bag and almost throwing him out. Dandeneau, who walked in the sixth, finally was erased when later gunned down stealing.

Ledford led off the sixth with a double, but was caught in a rundown later. Coventry would also leave eight men on base.

Coventry had one last-gasp chance to stage a rally in the seventh, but on a Shawn Pacifico smash 265 feet down the right field line, the North Providence rightfielder made a spectacular diving catch for the first out. Dandeneau then bore down and retired the last two batters on strike outs.

Getting two hits for Coventry were Walsh with a single, homer and three RBI; Shaun Vigeant with two singles and Ledford with a single, a double and two runs scored.

“Brandon is an outstanding pitcher, but he had some command issues in the first few innings and got his pitch count up,” said manager Joe Vigeant. “Nick Palumbo had a heck of a game. We muscled our way back in to 5-2 and had the homer by Walsh. Dandeneau kept us off-balance with his offspeed pitches and spotted his fastball well.”

Coventry earlier had defeated South Kingstown, 11-1, in the first round of the playoffs.

“I still think we’re in pretty good shape the rest of the way,” said Vigeant, whose squad now must take the most difficult route from the loser’s bracket to win the title. “We have more depth than we had last year, especially in pitching.”

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