Portsmouth Crowned Champs In Exciting Battle

WEST WARWICK -- The scene at McCarthy Field Thursday afternoon had the feel of a championship baseball game. Parents and students sat on the edge of their seats as each out raised the heart rate of every fan in attendance.

Second-seeded Portsmouth Middle School (14-0) captured this year’s middle school baseball title by defeating fourth-seeded Feinstein Middle School (13-1), 7-5, behind timely hitting and keen eyes at the plate.

Patriots head coach Kevin Weaver commended his team’s effort and said that he simply wanted to sit back and watch as the players began their celebration after the final out.

“I just enjoyed the moment, I just watched the players,” Weaver said. “I felt good for them. They had worked hard all year and it was a moment that I just wanted to watch and enjoy.”

Feinstein jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when catcher Nick Merritt lined a double to left-center field, scoring Kevin Sutyla and Tyler Walsh, who both walked to get on base.

The Falcons, however, would struggle at the mound as five walks were surrendered in the first. Portsmouth tied the game 2-2 without having to put the ball in play. Three more walks for Patriot batters, accompanied by an RBI groundout by Ben McGuire and a couple of Falcon errors, gave Portsmouth a 5-2 advantage after two innings.

“I didn’t have to tell them to be patient (at the plate),” Weaver said. “They know that just because that’s what I’ve always told them all year.”

Feinstein head coach Justin Howman also felt that the walks played a significant role in the team’s loss.

“It starts with throwing strikes,” Howman said. “I’ve said all along that you tell your pitcher to pitch to contact. They (Portsmouth) had five runs before they had a hit.”

Feinstein’s bats quickly got the Falcons back into the game. An RBI double by Walsh, an RBI groundout for Merritt and a wild pitch to score Walsh knotted the game at five.

Feinstein had the opportunity to take the lead in the fifth inning, the first two Falcons reaches base and next three batters were retired. Portsmouth would take the lead for good when a throw to home plate on a ground ball to the shortstop was overthrown scored John Toppa.

Regardless, Howman was satisfied with how the season turned out.

“It was still a great season, win or lose,” Howman said. “It’s been a successful season. You always want to come out on top but Portsmouth was the better team today.”

As for Weaver, he’ll be remembering this game for a long time.

“It may never happen again so that moment is something that I’ll always have,” Weaver said. 

Game Notes

• Leading the Patriots in hitting were John Toppa (1-for-1, double), Ben McGuire (1-for-3, RBI double) and Nick Predergast (1-for-3)
• Leading the Falcons in batting were Matt Bacon (2-for-4, run), Tyler Walsh (1-for-3, RBI double), Nick Merritt (1-for-4, double, 3 RBI), and Max Marcotte (1-for-3)
• Evan Criner pitched four innings for Portsmouth, giving up three hits and striking out two. Nick Cipriani pitched the final three innings, surrendering two hits and no runs.