Coventry's Westcott Pizza Falls 5-4 to Narragansett's Spartan Trap in RIIABL Playoffs

A solo homer by Bob Venditto in the top of the 10th inning catapulted Spartan Trap of Narragansett past Westcott Pizza of Coventry, 5-4, to clinch their best-of-five series (3-1) in a Rhode Island Independent Amateur Baseball League championship semifinals game held on Sunday night at Paine Field in Coventry. (Only wooden bats are used in the league.)

In the last of the ninth, Westcott catcher Pat Freeman almost won the two-and-a-half hour tug-of-war affair in dramatic, two-out walk-off fashion, hitting a high and deep fly ball to right. But Spartan outfielder Will Dawson leaned back and stretched high over the short right field fence to pull the ball in and rob the Coventry batter of a game-clinching homer.

Venditto also closed the game in relief in the 10th, though it wasn’t easy. He hit Travis Smith with a pitch but retired two other Westcott batters on grounders and another on a strikeout.

Spartan Trap, the #4 seed which finished in a tie for third at 19-7, plays later this week in the finals against #2 Premium Tile of Westerly, host of the first two games of the best-of-seven series state championship series at Cimilore Field. Spartan Trap has now appeared in the last three RIIABL finals, winning the state title in 2009.

“Most of us have grown up playing ball together since we were young,” said Spartan Trap player-manager Evan Hanson, who opened the scoring with a two-run single in the second inning. “We have persevered through a lot and are a group of gamers. What we live for is this time of the year and we’ll arrange to take time off from our jobs to be here. Most players either played for Narragansett High School or South Kingstown High School.”

Spartan starter Dan Johnson of Wakefield, a relief pitcher for URI the past two seasons, went three innings and allowed two hits and two runs, both unearned.

Westcott pitcher Andrew Flynn, who pitched the entire game, helped his own cause in the second inning with a one-run single, driving in Nate Shaw who had reached on an error. But Johnson escaped further harm by stranding two runners with a strikeout.

Westcott tied the game in the third without a hit, capitalizing on two walks and two passed balls as Freeman, the first batter to walk, streaked home on a free pass.

Spartan Trap loaded the bases in the fourth on singles by Venditto and Sam Johnson sandwiched around an infield error. Westcott centerfielder Steve Alden then caught a fly ball hit by Jimmy Dean and zipped a laser throw to catcher Pat Freeman who caught it on one bounce at home plate and quickly sweep-tagged the runner for a double play. An error allowed Hanson to score to make it 3-2, but Flynn got the next batter to ground out to short.

Westcott tied the score again in the fourth off Dawson, who replaced Johnson on the mound. Travis Smith hit a bloop double that landed on the right field line and Doug Hopper followed with a two-out RBI double, though was easily gunned trying to stretch it to a triple.

Flynn allowed just seven hits and two walks, both in the seventh inning when a sacrifice bunt and two errors also contributed to the only run scored by the Narragansett squad. Jim Malachowski then put Spartan briefly ahead on a deep sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Hanson.

Dawson hit Alden and walked Flynn to start the bottom of the seventh. Then Venditto was brought in to face Hopper, who spoiled a series of pitches with foul balls until a wild pitch allowed Alden to knot the score at 4-4.

In the climatic 10th, Venditto clubbed a ball ten feet over the left field fence and into the netting for the eventual game-clincher. Venditto returned to the mound in the bottom of the 10th^.  After hitting Smith, he closed out the game by retiring two batters on grounders and another with a strikeout.

Westcott, the #6 seed, made it to the semifinals for the second time in three years of its existence in the RIIABL. Their record during the regular season was 17-9, sixth in the league and had advanced to the semifinals for the third time in their third year in the RIABL.

“I felt good on the mound,” said Andrew Flynn of his performance, revealing he had Tommy John surgery a few years ago. “It was the longest game I have ever pitched. We battled back, but we just couldn’t finish when we needed to.”

“It was a nice evenly matched game and were just inches from winning it,” said Westcott manager Jack Flynn of his club which had to come back to defeat Rockin’ Time Royals of Warwick twice in the best-of-three quarterfinals to advance. "Our defense was superb tonight and Andrew (his son) was right on and picked it up another notch."

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