Sports
Junior LL Tourney: EG To Play Johnston In Finals
East Greenwich beat Glocester, 11-0, to earn a rematch with the host team Friday night.
East Greenwich earned a spot in the finals of the Junior Little League state tournament on July 27 with an 11-0 victory over Glocester at Johnston Memorial Park.
With the win, EG earned the right to a July 29 rematch against host team Johnston, who won the teams' first-round encounter by a score of 6-3.
"The bats got going in the third inning," Manager Bill Dean said. "We have a big game on Friday and our best pitcher is ready to go."
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Ross Dean's single to right brought home Joe Gasbarro to trigger EG's offense in the third. Later in the inning, Glocester shortstop Jim Greene's throw to home plate sailed wide, allowing Dean to tack on a score of his own.
Ross Smith's RBI double pushed across two runs and extended the lead to 5-0. Gasbarro had an RBI single and then Tim Warner's double to left field plated the seventh and eighth runs of the game. Warner scored the final run of the inning when EG successfully completed a double steal.
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Dean pitched four scoreless innings and only allowed two hits.
"We needed a good game from him, and he did exactly what we wanted," EG Manager Bill Dean said.
East Greenwich tacked on two more runs in the top of the 6th, pushing the lead to 11-0.
Gasbarro pitched two scoreless innings in relief, and officials called the game after six innings under the league's 10-run rule.
East Greenwich to reach the consolation round game against Glocester.
Following EG's loss to Johnston on July 23, Bill Dean said he was looking forward to the possible rematch.
"I think we can definitely compete — they're a good squad, but our guys have to play a mistake-free game," Dean said after the first-round game that saw his squad make three errors and give up six unearned runs. "I'd love to have another crack [at Johnston], because I think it could have a different outcome."
The finals game is scheduled to July 29 at 6 p.m. at Johnston Memorial Park. A Johnston win would give the host team the state title, while an East Greenwich victory would force a second game, scheduled for July 30 at noon.
