Skippers Advance To Finals With Comeback Victory

The top-seeded North Kingstown Skippers have performed up to their billing and will have an opportunity to claim a state championship next week at McCoy Stadium. Despite trailing 3-0 in game two of their series with Middletown High School, they rallied back and won it 6-4 in extra innings.

"We have worked hard all year and they showed grit out there," said North Kingstown head coach Kevin Gormley.

Through two-and-a-half innings of play, there was no score in the game as both starting pitchers gave stellar performances. Islanders captain Armand Rugel pitched eight innings, recorded 13 strikeouts, allowed five hits and three runs – ending the night with a whopping 149 pitches. Skippers pitcher junior James Riley-Garnett played seven-and-two-thirds innings with five strikeouts, six hits and three runs allowed, on 128 pitches.

"Rugel has been a great pitcher all year long," Islanders skipper Eric Godin said.

Middletown lit up the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third as Rugel drove in two runs on a triple to right field. Senior Cameron Eggeman's RBI bloop single pushed the Islanders lead to 3-0. However, they would not score again until the bottom of the ninth.

The Skippers cut into their deficit in the top of the fifth. Lead-off hitter Pat O'Connor single to right field plated two. O'Connor was caught stealing, which ended the inning.

Sophomore Chris Hess, who belted two homers in , tied the game at three in the top of the sixth with an RBI single to right field. Rugel recovered, striking out three batters in a row to end the inning.

"Rugel kept us off balance and was one of the toughest pitchers we’ve seen this year," Gormley said.

O'Connor got in scoring position in the top of the seventh, with a walk and stolen base, but was stranded at second base. After the Islanders failed to score in the bottom of the seventh, the game would head to extra innings.

Rugel finished his night in style, striking out two batters in a row to end the eighth inning. Each starter battled all night long and showed a lot of determination.

The Skippers offense came alive in the top of the ninth after Rugel exited the game, replacted by sophomore Stewart Braman in his first varsity appearance on the mound.

North Kingstown sophomore Austin Barry broke the tie with an RBI double to left field. An infield single by O'Connor drove in another run, upping the lead to 5-3. Captain Joseph Haley's sacrifice fly plated NK's sixth run.

Middletown refused to go down without a fight in the bottom of the ninth. Rugel singled to left field, his third hit of the night, following a walk to open the inning. A wild pitch by Skippers junior Alex Marzilli allowed the runners to advance to second and third with only one out.

After a walk loaded the bases with two outs, Braman notched an RBI single, cutting their deficit to 6-4. Marzilli was forced to battle to record the final out of the game, and end the Islanders season. The final batter fouled off several pitches and the count went full at 3-2. He struck him out, recording his second strikeout of the inning.

"Those kids did not want to die and did not want their season to end," Godin added. "We are proud with where the program is going the last several years," the coach added.

North Kingstown now advances to the state finals where they will play Cranston West at McCoy Stadium, which begin on Monday night.

"Cranston West is a hell of an opponent and we have a tremendous amount of respect for their coaches and players," said Gormley.