Prout Baseball Falls In Game 1 Of D-II Finals

PAWTUCKET – The Johnston High School Panthers racked up 14 hits and benefited from multiple errors by The Prout School on their way to an 11-7 victory in the first game of the Division II baseball finals at McCoy Stadium on June 6, t.

"They out-hit us, they played better defense, and they out-pitched us, so hey, hat's off to them," Prout coach Mike La Barbera said. "They're a good hitting team, and they showed it — they hit the ball real well."

Johnston's offense took a 5-1 lead after the first inning on the way to racking up 14 hits overall and chasing Prout starting pitcher senior Spencer Stall off the mound after two and two-thirds innings (nine runs on 10 hits and three walks).

Prout's Mike Fortin provided a Crusader score in the top of the first before the Panthers responded in the home half. Johnston sophomore Steve Perfetto hit a single through shortstop to score two runs and cap off the early rally.

The Panthers added four more runs in the second and third innings and took a 9-1 lead into the fourth, aided by four errors by the Crusader defense. Prout catcher Brendan Natal couldn't handle a Stall pitch with two out in the bottom of the third, allowing Johnston's Chris Pistacchio to score on the passed ball.

"We put the ball in play," Johnston coach Steve DeMeo explained in an interview after the game. "When you put the ball in play, it causes teams to make mistakes."

Johnston (23-2) dealt Prout (20-5) a scoreless top of the fourth, and the Crusaders responded by shutting the Panthers down in a 1-2-3 bottom half of the inning behind senior reliever Brendan Fogarty.

Natal put Prout on the board again in the fifth, bringing home senior Matt Dowd and Jack Lambrecht before Johnston starter Dylan Pingatore closed the door with a strikeout, leaving one Crusader stranded on base.

Pingatore pitched six complete innings, holding Prout to four runs on five hits and notching eight strikeouts.

"Ping kept us in the game as long as he possible could," DeMeo said. "I didn't follow Prout all year, but I can't imagine them striking out eight times."

The Panthers tacked on two more scores in the bottom of the sixth on a grounder by senior Danny DeSimone. It allowed senior captain Nick Loffredo to cross the plate. Senior Steve Almagno had a shot down the third base line that brought in sophomore Mike Pennacchia.

Freshman Joe Bongiovanni took the mound for Johnston in the top of the seventh and gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in 2/3 of an inning. Sophomore closer Steve Perfetto allowed one more run by Crusader senior Tom Schubert on a passed ball before striking out Lambrecht to end the contest.

"I remind everybody when we get to this level: 'The opponent you're playing is an extremely talented baseball team, and they want to beat you bad,'" La Barbera said. "You can see how bad they wanted to win today."

Prout Declines Postgame Handshake

After the final out, La Barbera waved off the postgame handshake, with Johnston assembling on the first base line. Several Johnston parents still in the stands jeered La Barbera as he approached the Johnston dugout on his way off the field.

La Barbera tried to explain his actions to the parents — to no avail — and paused to speak with DeMeo.

"Some of your parents are getting on me for not shaking hands," La Barbera told DeMeo. "We thought 'It's a series,' so we didn't shake. I apologize to you."

"That's fine — and don't listen to my parents," DeMeo replied.

The two teams are scheduled to play Game 2 at McCoy Stadium on June 8 at 3:30 p.m.

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