Skippers Top Rebels In 8th

North Kingstown High senior Pat O’Connor scored just ahead of the throw home from South Kingstown High junior Brendan O’Donnell to give the Skippers a 6-5 win in eight innings Monday at Lischio Field.

“Pat is just one of these grinders. He’s a dirt dog, whatever you want to call him, but he’s a high energy guy and right now he brings so much to us offensively, defensively and leadership-wise,” North Head Coach Kevin Gormely said. “He’s one of our fastest guys. They’ve got Harrison Barlow on the mound who throws 85-87, so if you get three hits in a row you’ve got to roll.”

After senior Andrew Berlinsky grounded out to South pitcher senior Harrison Barlow to start the inning, O’Connor and senior Cody Barner hit back-to-back singles to give North runners at first and second in a 5-5 game.

Senior Joe Haley then blooped a single to left field, and O’Connor was able to score from second despite a very good throw from O’Donnell in left. 

“It was nuts, that was a good hit by Joey,” junior Jared Habershaw said.  “It was a good piece of hitting by him too, to right, an opposite field shot.”

O’Donnell, who came in as a defensive replacement for junior Sean Healy, also made a fantastic diving catch in the bottom of the sixth inning to preserve a one-run South lead.

“It was a hell of a catch, it was a great catch, but I mean that happens and that’s baseball,” Gormley said

The Rebels led nearly the entire game, getting to North starter Billy Young early en route to five runs in the first two innings.

“He’s been a big part of this program. He’s been a big part of this year throwing a no-hitter and beating Hendricken, but he just didn’t have it today and sometimes that happens,” Gormley said.

The Skippers hung right with the Rebels offensively early on, scoring four runs of their own in the first two innings and setting up a potentially high scoring slugfest.

“I thought it was going to be one of those type of games [high scoring], but then the defense picked it up,” South head coach Jim Sauro said.  “There wasn’t much defense the first two innings, but then the defense started throwing the glove around.”

In the third inning, however, pitchers on both sides began to establish themselves.  South starter senior Alex Coppa settled in after a rocky start, and sophomore reliever Jay Montanaro quieted the Rebels bats for the second time this season.

“That win is 95 percent his, because we were flat, we were down, and all he did was keep battling,” Gormley said. 

Neither team was able to put a crooked number on the board in the next four innings, as Coppa allowed just three hits and no runs in the third through sixth innings after allowing four runs on five hits in the first two innings.

As good as Coppa was, Montanaro was flat out better, throwing six and one-third innings of one-hit ball in relief of Young.

“I just get pretty amped up when we play them, it’s a rivalry game. I think they’re third in our division so it’s a huge game for us,” Montanaro said. 

Despite Montanaro’s performance, it appeared as if it would be all for naught as the Rebels maintained their one-run advantage heading into the bottom of the seventh.

South appeared to have North exactly where they wanted them, leading by one run in the bottom of the seventh with ace pitcher Barlow on the bump.

“That’s it, that’s where you want to be,” Sauro said.  “That’s exactly how we wrote it up.”

Barlow got himself into trouble right away though, walking senior Mike Sherburne to lead off the inning.

Sophomore Chris Hess was then able to advance Sherburne to second on a ball back to the pitcher, and Habershaw followed with a single to plate Sherburne and tie the game.

Barlow was able to get out of the inning, but his counterpart was already dealing at this point and Montanaro sat down the heart of the Rebel’s lineup in order in the top of the eighth. 

The Skippers (11-2 Division-I South, 14-2 overall) keep pace with division-leading East Greenwich High with the win, and will be back in action Wednesday when they take on Coventry High Wednesday at 3:45 p.m. at Coventry High School.

“We’ve got five games left, and our focus as it has been all year is we know that we can’t just assume anything,” Gormley said.  “Right now our focus is on Coventry, and it’s always tough to win on the road in the Southern division.”

South Kingstown (8-5 D-I South, 11-5 overall) will have a showdown with Middletown High (8-5 D-I South) in its next game Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Gaudet Middle School.

“You just want to be ready for the tournament at the end of May, that’s all,” Sauro said.