Tiverton All-Stars Stay Alive in District Tournament With 11-4 Win Over Rumford [VIDEO]

For at least another round, the “Road Williamsport” is still open for the Major Division All-Stars (11- and 12-year-old players) of the Tiverton Little League.

Tiverton pounded out 14 hits Friday night and scored six runs in the third inning while overpowering host Rumford Little League, 11-4, in a losers’ bracket game of the Rhode Island District 2 Tournament played in rainy East Providence.

Francesco Piscani slammed three hits – including a two-run home run in the third frame – and Stephen Gacioch also accumulated three safeties and knocked in two scores as Tiverton stayed alive in the District tourney for the second time this week with another impressive victory. Tiverton returns to action at home Sunday at 5:45 p.m. in a losers’ bracket battle against the winner of Friday night’s clash between Riverside of East Providence and Pineview of Pawtucket.

Friday night in East Providence, Tiverton settled the issue early by taking a 10-1 lead after two and one-half chapters and coasting the rest of the way. Tiverton pitchers Evan Monast, Cam Soares and Zach Pieroni focused on throwing strikes, totaling just three strikeouts, but yielding just six hits in the contest suspended at one juncture because of lightning.

Monast and Dylan Furtado both registered two hits for the winners.

After a scoreless first inning, Tiverton unleashed its offensive assault in the second frame when Piscani legged out a double and successive singles by Pieroni, Monast and Furtado produced a 2-0 lead. Jack Cavanagh knocked in the third run with an infield roller before Gacioch blooped a single to center field to rescue Furtado with the fourth tally.

Rumford got one run back against Monast in the bottom of the same stanza when Niko Wright raced home on a wild pitch. With a runner in scoring position, Monast averted further damage by slipping a third strike past Kyle Gonsalves to end the inning.

Tiverton sent 10 batters to the plate in the third session and scored six times. Zach Greene doubled to start the inning and trotted home on Piscani’s two-run blast over the center field fence. After walks to Pieroni and Furtado sandwiched around Monast’s infield single filled the bases, Cavanagh singled home two runs, Gacioch doubled in a run and Murray counted on an error to widen the gap to 10-1.

Rumford clawed back with a solo tally in the third stanza when Connor Finelli singled home Riley Cronin and drew to within 10-4 in the fourth chapter on a two-run single off the bat of David Medeiros. Tiverton produced its last score in the fifth frame when Gacioch singled and eventually stole home.

Monast earned the win on the hill by throwing the first three innings before giving way to Soares who tossed the next two frames and Pieroni who nailed down the win in the final chapter. The trio stranded a total of nine Rumford baserunners.

John Costa, Wright, Finelli and Medeiros all pitched for Rumford.

Tiverton opened its tournament schedule last week with a 13-6, nine-inning loss to Middletown, but bounced back Wednesday night to whip Warren, 10-0.

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