Baseball: Portsmouth Wins Against Cranston West, 7-2

Pitcher Anthony Serina breathed some life into his Division I South struggling squad, scattering eight hits and walloping a two-run homer to carry the Patriots (3-8) past Cranston West in a division crossover game on Friday.

For Cranston West (7-5), whom Rob Malo coach described afterwards after being “flat” the entire game, it sent them reeling to their third loss in four games, an unfamiliar position for a team whose worst regular-season record the past four years has been 17-3.

Portsmouth, next to last in their division and likely to be eliminated from the Division I playoffs without a strong finish, had 12 hits overall and four players with two hits each: the first three batters- Michael Sandfort, Tim Mello and Serina, and then catcher Ryan Wordell.

In the third, the visitors scored all the runs they’d need. Sandfort singled and Mello hit a blooper that fell in to keep runners at first and second. But a wild pitch by Falcon starter Richard Reo was followed by a passed ball for an easy first run. A sacrifice fly by Ryan Wordell drove in Mello. Robbie Wordell singled before Will Harrigan drove in the third run on a single.

Thereafter,  Serina buckled down to keep the Falcons hitless the final three innings. It didn’t hurt that the visitor's bats had awoken and as a bonus, the Patriots fielders snuffed out two Falcon runners, one each in the first two innings.

In the first inning, Steve Stravato singled, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. Matt Pagano flew out to left and on a perfect throw by leftfielder Michael Sandfort nipped Stravato at home.

In the second, Alex Moretti singled and then took a lead at first. A throw by Serina to check the Falcon runner at first base missed getting him at first, but he separated himself from the bag as he sat up and was tagged out.

Serina faltered just once — in the third, when the Falcons scored their only two runs after the first two batters were retired. Matt Pagano stroked a long double off the outfield fence and Jeff Diehl promptly singled him in despite a close play at the plate. Then Mike Hayden singled as the Falcons scored their second and last run on a throwing error.

The Patriots righthanded hurler did not allow a hit in the final three innings. In the fifth, with a man on, it was decided to intentionally walk Diehl. The move worked perfectly as a high-bounding ball was grabbed by Harrigan, flipped to second baseman Robbie Wordell, who then fired the ball to first baseman Aaron Towers for the inning-ending double play.

Portsmouth put more distance between them and the Falcons with a three-run sixth, highlighted by the Serina four-bagger over the left-field wall.

Adam Osojnicki added an RBI single in the seventh while Serina got the ever-dangerous Diehl on a foul pop out on the first base side to end the game

 “We are having trouble getting ahead of hitters and that seems to be our drawback right now,” said Malo. “We are always fighting to get ahead of a batter and then force to throw in a pitcher who we might not want to put out there and they are coming up with hits and ways to move them on the bases like today.”

Both squads have a busy week ahead. The Falcons, in third place in Div. One Central , have their work cut out for them, according to Malo. “There is a one number one seeding at stake left after the first three division leaders and right now we are two games behind East Greenwich and South Kingstown,” he said.

“I am proud of the kids,” said Patriots head coach Ron Westmoreland. “Anthony pitched a great game and didn’t give a lot up with two strikes on them. We continue to make some base running and a couple of defensive miscues like we have before, but it didn’t hurt us as much. We had some good situational batting moving guys along and a sacrifice and I am hoping that beating a good team like Cranston West will give us some momentum moving along because we have been really struggling.”

Portsmouth is scheduled to play at Tiverton on Monday and then host East Greenwich and Chairho, respectively, on Wednesday and Thursday

Next week on Mon., Wed., and Friday, Cranston West hosts Warwick Vets and Toll Gate before traveling to Barrington.

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