MCC’s Season Ends One Game Short of Championship Round
By Paul Ofria
TYLER, TX – Chris Strahowski was sitting back in his chair in room 333 at the Country Inn. He was discussing the season that ended an hour so earlier at Mike Carter Field where Eastfield College dismissed Manchester CC from the NJCAA Division III World Series with a 6-3 decision, leaving the Cougars one game shy of playing in the national championship round.
Players were filing into the room with smeared eye black covering some of the emotion in uniforms embedded with as much dirt as fabric.
The scene was familiar – MCC’s last four seasons ended at the national tournament – an accomplishment none of the other NJCAA Division III baseball teams claim.
The Cougars were ousted from the double-elimination tournament after just two games in 2008; they won a game in 2009 and two in 2010. This year, MCC traveled the furthest (1,633 miles), beat Eastfield from down the street (Mesquite, TX) 11-9 in the tournament opener, then lost its first game in the winner’s bracket final against defending champion Gloucester after a 4-3 victory over Erie CC Sunday.
“I think that now it’s less of a ‘oh my god, it’s a New England team,’” Strahowski said of the respect his team has gained for New England baseball over the four years. “We still kind of have to earn our way down here, which is okay. You are playing with guys who play year round.”
Eastfield (38-21) scored a pair of runs in each of the first two innings and starter Joe Mills (7 IP, 3R, 9H) survived MCC’s three-run third inning that cut the lead down to 4-3.
“They came out and swung it,” Strahowski said of Eastfield, who won the tournament in 2001 and 2006. “I think the three best offensive teams made it the furthest. Eastfield was pretty solid 1 through 9. We knew how to get them out if we made the pitches. When we made some quality pitches, we were able to neutralize them a little bit.”
Gloucester (Sewell, NJ) needs to beat Eastfield just once to repeat as champions and bring home the school’s seventh World Series title. Should Eastfield win Wednesday night’s game, the teams will meet again Thursday in the 15th and final game of the tournament. Manchester finished third in the eight team field.
Mills threw 137 pitches and had to deal with runners on base in every inning but the second when he retired the Cougars (26-24) in order. Michael Weatherby took over after Mills walked Yohendy Gonzalez leading off the eighth and recorded the final six outs without incident.
“He did an excellent job,” Eastfield head coach Michael Martin said of Mills. “That guy ran out there and threw seven innings for us, seven strong innings after already throwing two or three in this tournament. I didn’t really know what to expect as far as how much we were going to get out of him and he kept burying the ball in the strike zone and competing out there. He just showed a lot of heart.”
Hesland Foster was 3 for 3 for the Harvesters with two RBI and leadoff hitter Nathan Hancock, who was 4 for 4 when Eastfield eliminated Erie CC 3-1 in the first game of the day, scored two runs after Manchester starter Brian Levchuk (2-1) walked him in both the first and second innings.
Strahowski’s 2011 team played 50 games, starting in the bitter cold in Edison, NJ on March 5. The Cougars hit rock bottom on April 11 after a humiliating 11-2 mercy-rule loss to conference rival Northern Essex CC left them at 7-19. Clearly, they were underachieving together. The former CCSU lefty who played in the Little League World Series in 1984 against the likes of Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, posted the stats on his office door with the team batting average highlighted in neon yellow.
“I try my best not to call guys out,” said Strahowski, who has compiled a 217-172-3 record over 12 seasons at MCC. “But I called the team out as a group. It was one of those things where I said, ‘collectively we are hitting .217 – we are grown men, swinging aluminum bats and we are hitting .217.’ Something is wrong. All of a sudden the last 20 games we probably hit .410 as a team that’s what we thought we had coming in.”
MCC roared through the final ten games of the regular season, swept through the Region 21 tournament and went to the World Series having won 12 of its last 13. They competed in all four tournament games despite being down 13-4 and 4-0 early in the final two games.
“They didn’t give up,” Strahowski said of his team’s effort in the series. “We were down early to Gloucester and they clawed their way back two different innings when they needed runs to stay in the game. We had double digit hits - even tonight we matched them with hits, we just couldn’t plate the big run.”
Martin, in his tenth year as Eastfield head coach and owner of a ring from the ‘06 championship team, never underestimated MCC’s resiliency.
“They are a great team,” Martin said of Manchester. “They have some good players over there. Those guys competed the whole way through. We’re scratching a clawing all the way to the end of that game to come away with a win. It was a tough game on both sides.”
Freshman catcher Kyle Holland hit .529 (9 for 17) with six RBI and two stolen bases in his first series while sophomore Kevin Madera, who would have been the starting pitcher on Wednesday had the Cougars advanced, hit .412 (7 for 17) with a pair of doubles and six RBI.Both were All-Region 21 first team selections and Holland was named the region’s defensive player of the year.
Sophomore Mat Niedzwiecki (1-0, 1.69 ERA over 10.2 innings) also had an outstanding tournament with a complete game and scoreless relief outing against Eastfield.
“It’s pretty amazing to get from where we were to where we are now,” Strahowski said.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Eastfied 5 Manchester 3 bot 6
I'm back in Press Box B where the no flinching rule is strictly enforced. Again, it's an honor to be sitting next to Texas broadcast legend with Lin Michaels from TCRN.
Between innings, I learned that Lin played at Tyler Junior College (1970 and '71) and was a batboy for the Houston Astros ('69, 70. '71). The Houston native's first game as bat boy was a no-hitter thrown by Astro Don Wilson. The bat boy he replaced worked a no-hitter the previous day when Cincinnati's Jim Maloney threw one at the Astros. It's still the only time two no-hitters were thrown in the same series.
Eastfield scratched out a run in the bottom of the fourth and Manchester is hitting Mills, who threw 102 pitches after five innings, quite hard. Mills had an uneventful sixth inning and returned for the seventh with 117 pitches on his dance card.
Eastfield has the bases loaded with one out...
Manchester 000 300........381
Eastfield 220 10.........571
Between innings, I learned that Lin played at Tyler Junior College (1970 and '71) and was a batboy for the Houston Astros ('69, 70. '71). The Houston native's first game as bat boy was a no-hitter thrown by Astro Don Wilson. The bat boy he replaced worked a no-hitter the previous day when Cincinnati's Jim Maloney threw one at the Astros. It's still the only time two no-hitters were thrown in the same series.
Eastfield scratched out a run in the bottom of the fourth and Manchester is hitting Mills, who threw 102 pitches after five innings, quite hard. Mills had an uneventful sixth inning and returned for the seventh with 117 pitches on his dance card.
Eastfield has the bases loaded with one out...
Manchester 000 300........381
Eastfield 220 10.........571
Eastfield 4 MCC 3...mid fourth
Kyle Lentini made a great catch off the bat of Eric Graceto stop the bleeding in the second...
Kyle Holland and Kevin Madera each singled in the third inning but were stranded at the corners.
Not sure how much Nedz has left in him after throwing a CG (107 pitches)Saturday. Kevin Bartlett, who threw 50 pitches over 1.1 innings last night before getting the hook, is warming in the pen.
Meanwhile, MCC is picking away at Eastfield starter Joe Mills. He walked Yohendy Gonzalez, Kyle Lentini and and A. J. Silberman with two out in the top of the fourth before Kyle Holland's third single of the game plated two runs. Jesse Sutherland hit Mills' 36 th pitch of the inning into right center field to score Silby...Mills has thrown 88 pitches through four innings
Manchester 000 3 361
Eastfield 220 1 551
Kyle Holland and Kevin Madera each singled in the third inning but were stranded at the corners.
Not sure how much Nedz has left in him after throwing a CG (107 pitches)Saturday. Kevin Bartlett, who threw 50 pitches over 1.1 innings last night before getting the hook, is warming in the pen.
Meanwhile, MCC is picking away at Eastfield starter Joe Mills. He walked Yohendy Gonzalez, Kyle Lentini and and A. J. Silberman with two out in the top of the fourth before Kyle Holland's third single of the game plated two runs. Jesse Sutherland hit Mills' 36 th pitch of the inning into right center field to score Silby...Mills has thrown 88 pitches through four innings
Manchester 000 3 361
Eastfield 220 1 551
Eastfield Takes Early Lead; Early Exit for Levchuk
MCC left the bases loaded in the top of the first and Eastfield College, coming off a 3-1 win over Erie CC in the elimination game preceding ours, scored two runs on two hits in the bottom of the inning to take an early 2-0 lead.
MCC starter Brian Levchuk hit three batter and walked two and has been pulled with runners on first and second and one run in in the second.
Game two winner Mat Niedzwiecki is in.
Manchester 00 020
Eastfield 22 430
MCC starter Brian Levchuk hit three batter and walked two and has been pulled with runners on first and second and one run in in the second.
Game two winner Mat Niedzwiecki is in.
Manchester 00 020
Eastfield 22 430
Monday, May 23, 2011
Gloucester Avoids Disaster; Holds Off MCC for 15-9 Win
Gloucester Looking to Repeat after Handing MCC a 15-9 Loss
Roadrunners Score eight in the Fifth; Cougars Need Three Consecutive Wins for First National Title
By Paul Ofria
TYLER, TX – Defending champion Gloucester CC (31-16) sent 14 batters to the plate and scored eight runs in the top of the fifth inning in a 15-9 victory over Manchester CC (26-23) at the 2011 NJCAA Division III World Series.
It was the first loss for the Cougars, who will play an elimination game on Tuesday at 8PM Eastern against the winner of the 5PM game at Mike Carter Field between Erie CC and Eastfield CC. Gloucester will have Tuesday off and can win its sixth national championship win a victory on Wednesday.
“We couldn’t get the last out of the inning,” Strahowski said of decisive fifth inning. “Walking guys, we kicked it around a little, not playing clean. At this level you have to play clean.” MCC made five errors leading to four unearned runs.
Gloucester jumped out to 5-0 lead after two innings and the Cougars trailed 13-4 in the fifth. They were an out away from having the mercy rule applied twice but stayed alive with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and struck for five more in the seventh, cutting the Roadrunners lead to 15-9.
“We swung it,” Strahowski said of his team’s 11-hit attack. “We knew that the second or third time through the order we would be able to get to their starting pitcher. If there was another positive, we got into their bullpen and made them get some guys up and going. Hopefully that will help us if we do make it to Wednesday.”
The winner of the Erie vs. Eastfield game – the two teams MCC beat in the tournament – will have to win two games on Tuesday for a shot a Gloucester on Wednesday. Manchester would have to win the Tuesday night game and beat Gloucester on Wednesday and Thursday night to bring home the school’s first national championship.
“It’s a tough thing to do,” Strahowski said when asked about winning two games in one day at the national level. “We have to come in and dictate the tone early.”
Gloucester starter Rob Applegate (7-1) pitched into the seventh inning and his bullpen held off the Cougars over the final three innings. Ronnie Tanner tied a World Series record with five hits and drove in four runs.
Kyle Holland and Jesse Sutherland scored two runs apiece for MCC. South Windsor’s Adam Scanlon pitched well in three innings of relief, allowing two earned runs on four hits. Strahowski used six pitchers, but saved Brian Levchuk (2-0, 2.12 ERA) for Tuesday night.
Kevin Madera had two hits and drove in five runs for the Cougars. Gloucester chased MCC starter and losing pitcher Kevin Bartlett (2-6) after 1.1 innings and 50 pitches.
2011 NJCAA Division III World Series
at Mike Carter Field, Tyler, TX
Gloucester 15 Manchester 9
Gloucester 140 080 020 15 17 1
Manchester 000 220 500 9 11 5
Roadrunners Score eight in the Fifth; Cougars Need Three Consecutive Wins for First National Title
By Paul Ofria
TYLER, TX – Defending champion Gloucester CC (31-16) sent 14 batters to the plate and scored eight runs in the top of the fifth inning in a 15-9 victory over Manchester CC (26-23) at the 2011 NJCAA Division III World Series.
It was the first loss for the Cougars, who will play an elimination game on Tuesday at 8PM Eastern against the winner of the 5PM game at Mike Carter Field between Erie CC and Eastfield CC. Gloucester will have Tuesday off and can win its sixth national championship win a victory on Wednesday.
“We couldn’t get the last out of the inning,” Strahowski said of decisive fifth inning. “Walking guys, we kicked it around a little, not playing clean. At this level you have to play clean.” MCC made five errors leading to four unearned runs.
Gloucester jumped out to 5-0 lead after two innings and the Cougars trailed 13-4 in the fifth. They were an out away from having the mercy rule applied twice but stayed alive with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and struck for five more in the seventh, cutting the Roadrunners lead to 15-9.
“We swung it,” Strahowski said of his team’s 11-hit attack. “We knew that the second or third time through the order we would be able to get to their starting pitcher. If there was another positive, we got into their bullpen and made them get some guys up and going. Hopefully that will help us if we do make it to Wednesday.”
The winner of the Erie vs. Eastfield game – the two teams MCC beat in the tournament – will have to win two games on Tuesday for a shot a Gloucester on Wednesday. Manchester would have to win the Tuesday night game and beat Gloucester on Wednesday and Thursday night to bring home the school’s first national championship.
“It’s a tough thing to do,” Strahowski said when asked about winning two games in one day at the national level. “We have to come in and dictate the tone early.”
Gloucester starter Rob Applegate (7-1) pitched into the seventh inning and his bullpen held off the Cougars over the final three innings. Ronnie Tanner tied a World Series record with five hits and drove in four runs.
Kyle Holland and Jesse Sutherland scored two runs apiece for MCC. South Windsor’s Adam Scanlon pitched well in three innings of relief, allowing two earned runs on four hits. Strahowski used six pitchers, but saved Brian Levchuk (2-0, 2.12 ERA) for Tuesday night.
Kevin Madera had two hits and drove in five runs for the Cougars. Gloucester chased MCC starter and losing pitcher Kevin Bartlett (2-6) after 1.1 innings and 50 pitches.
2011 NJCAA Division III World Series
at Mike Carter Field, Tyler, TX
Gloucester 15 Manchester 9
Gloucester 140 080 020 15 17 1
Manchester 000 220 500 9 11 5
Cougars Hanging in There
Mike Methot is making his World Series debut after Adam Scanlon held things together for a bit...My book is a mess, so I can't give you his numbers, but can tell you he was the valedictorian of the six Cougar pitchers Straw and Barry wheeled out to the mound tonight...
Gloucester 15
Manchester 9
top 9
Gloucester 15
Manchester 9
top 9
Getting Late and Crazy
Presses have been halted...
sort of:
Kevin Madera hit a bases loaded double to chase Gloucester starter Rob Applegate and cut the Roadrunner lead to 13-7 in the seventh. Manchester has been on the brink of mercy twice and survived...it's getting interesting. anyone with me?
Matt Conyers of the Courant has our backs.
Garrett DaCunto SF makes it 13-8....runners at the corners one out.
sort of:
Kevin Madera hit a bases loaded double to chase Gloucester starter Rob Applegate and cut the Roadrunner lead to 13-7 in the seventh. Manchester has been on the brink of mercy twice and survived...it's getting interesting. anyone with me?
Matt Conyers of the Courant has our backs.
Garrett DaCunto SF makes it 13-8....runners at the corners one out.
13-2.... bottom five
Kapushinski is in for Sanchez but Gloucester keeps picking away....
Sam Cooke in for Kap...
The Roadrunners put up an 8-spot in the top of the fifth and lead 13-2.
Manchester needs two runs in the fifth to keep this game alive or the mercy rule (10 run lead after 5 innings) will be applied....
MCC will play at 7PM Tuesday if this score holds up.
Sam Cooke in for Kap...
The Roadrunners put up an 8-spot in the top of the fifth and lead 13-2.
Manchester needs two runs in the fifth to keep this game alive or the mercy rule (10 run lead after 5 innings) will be applied....
MCC will play at 7PM Tuesday if this score holds up.
Early Returns Not Good
I have MCC alum Doug Sarant on my right wing and venerable broadcaster Lin Michaels on the left in Press Box B at Mike Carter Field. We are just behind home plate with a nice TX breeze cutting through and the occasional train rumbling in the background
wish list: a photographer...
Bartlett's struggles continued into the second and left 50 pitches and 1.1 innings into the outing....two singles and an E9 led to another Gloucester run and Sean Feeney hit a two-run single with two out to cap a four run inning... Sanchez struck out a pair but Manchester will have to play catch-up --- the Cougars trail 5-0 after two innings.
Rob Applegate has retired all six MCC batters he has faced.
wish list: a photographer...
Bartlett's struggles continued into the second and left 50 pitches and 1.1 innings into the outing....two singles and an E9 led to another Gloucester run and Sean Feeney hit a two-run single with two out to cap a four run inning... Sanchez struck out a pair but Manchester will have to play catch-up --- the Cougars trail 5-0 after two innings.
Rob Applegate has retired all six MCC batters he has faced.
Got Game?
finally.
first pitch at 8:32 TX time. felts like 9:33 to y'all back home. just a guess...
pitching got thin for Erie and Suffolk in the previous game that ran late - a 12-10 decision taken by Erie (by default).
Gloucester 1 Manchester coming up...
Ronnie Tanner led the game off with a triple out of Garrett DaCunto's reach in deep RF...scored on sacrifice fly to cf.
first pitch at 8:32 TX time. felts like 9:33 to y'all back home. just a guess...
pitching got thin for Erie and Suffolk in the previous game that ran late - a 12-10 decision taken by Erie (by default).
Gloucester 1 Manchester coming up...
Ronnie Tanner led the game off with a triple out of Garrett DaCunto's reach in deep RF...scored on sacrifice fly to cf.
Cougars Stay in Winner’s Bracket with 4-3 Win over Erie CC
Cougars Stay in Winner’s Bracket with 4-3 Win over Erie CC
Niedzwiecki Throws Complete Game; Madera Drives in a Pair to put MCC on Brink of Championship
By Paul Ofria
TYLER, TX - Manchester CC (26-22) stayed in the winner's bracket at the NJCAA DIII World Series with a 4-3 win over Erie CC (29-17) Sunday night. Mat Niedzwiecki (Bristol) pitched a complete game and Kevin Madera had two RBI for the Cougars, who will play Gloucester CC (30-16) Monday at 8 PM Eastern Time. The winner of that game will get Tuesday off and move directly to the championship game on Wednesday at 8 PM Eastern Time.
Garrett DaCunto (Meriden) scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth inning, moments after he threw out the potential go-ahead run at the plate to end the bottom of the seventh
Niedzwiecki (5-3) allowed 12 hits and had just two strikeouts, but did not walk a batter and threw only 107 pitches over nine innings.
“He throws strikes and goes deep in games,” MCC head coach Chris Strahowski said of Niedzwiecki, who pitched 8.2 shutout innings in the Region 21 championship game to send MCC to Tyler. “There were pitches where he just missed his location, then kind of hit the reset button and started hitting spots again.”
The Cougar bats could only muster up three hits – catcher Kyle Holland (Montville) had two of them – and took advantage of four Erie (outside of Buffalo, NY) errors. Madera knocked in A. J. Silberman (Meriden) twice - with a bases loaded walk in the third inning and a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Alec Brown (Montville) scored MCC’s first run on a three base throwing error by Erie first baseman Jesse Zelner. Erie starter Alex Dannett had Brown, who had walked with one out in the second, picked off. But Zelner air mailed his throw over second base and the ball found a spot in the left center field gap. By the time Erie’s outfielder chased the ball down, Brown had scored the game’s first run.
MCC made it 2-0 in the second on Madera’s bases loaded walk, but Erie tied the game at 2-2 with single runs in the third and fourth innings. All three MCC hits came off Dannett, who was pulled with one out in the fourth after throwing 89 pitches. The teams traded runs in the fifth, making it a 3-3 stalemate going into the bottom of the seventh.
“The kid that started was a little wild and it’s hard to get in a grove – I’m mean that’s not excuse for three hits,” Strahowski said. “We had bases loaded a few times but couldn’t pull the trigger on that game opener.”
In contrast to Niedzwiecki’s walk-free effort, the three Erie pitcher’s issued nine walks while Manchester’s defense, despite making a pair of errors that led to one unearned run, snuffed out several possible rallies. Kyle Lentini (Southington) threw Neal DeMartin out trying to go from first to third on Joe Pantano’s single with two out in the third. And earlier in the inning, Jesse Sutherland (Montville) snared a liner on the bat of catcher Justin Carpenter on a ball that was clearly heading into left field for a single.
Which brings us to the biggest defensive play of the game.
Erie had runners at second and third with one out in the seventh when Pantano hit a fly ball to medium right. The ball had some air under it and was about 15 feet off the foul line. DaCunto caught the ball for the second out, and then fired it to Holland on the fly. Holland decoyed the runner by standing in a casual stance near home plate as the ball traveled toward him. At the last possible moment, he reached for the ball, caught it, and in one motion put the tag down on the runner,
Austin Benshadl, who was nowhere near the plate as he slid toward it.
“From gliding to his glove side, to turn all the way around, then throw a dart to the plate was amazing,” Strahowski said.
The play fired up the Manchester dugout on the third base side, and moments after DaCunto traded his glove for a bat, he was standing on first base with a leadoff walk then moved over to second when Yohendy Gonzalez (New London) reached on error while attempting to sacrifice. Lentini sacrificed both Gonzalez and DaCunto 90-feet forward, allowing DaCunto to score the game winner when a Mick Cummings – Erie’s third pitcher of the game - pitch skipped past Carpenter.
Defending champion Gloucester CC beat Joliet JC 7-3 earlier in the day and will be meeting Manchester for the third time this season Monday night. Gloucester swept a double header in Sewell, NJ on March 19 by 1-0 and 7-4 scores. This time around, the stakes are higher..
“It’s fantastic,” Strahowski said of the rematch with the Region 19 champion. “The teams are familiar with each and it will be a good ball game.”
Score by Innings R H E
--------------------------------------------
Manchester CC....... 011 010 010 - 4 3 2
Erie Com. College... 001 110 000 - 3 12 4
--------------------------------------------
E - Gonzalez; Niedzwiecki; Pantano 2; Zellner; Dunn. LOB - Cougers 12; Cats 8. 2B - DeMartin; Wagner; Ferracuti. HBP - Gonzalez. SH - McMahon; Lentini 2. SF - Madera. SB - Holland 2; Sutherland; Brown; Gonzalez.
Niedzwiecki Throws Complete Game; Madera Drives in a Pair to put MCC on Brink of Championship
By Paul Ofria
TYLER, TX - Manchester CC (26-22) stayed in the winner's bracket at the NJCAA DIII World Series with a 4-3 win over Erie CC (29-17) Sunday night. Mat Niedzwiecki (Bristol) pitched a complete game and Kevin Madera had two RBI for the Cougars, who will play Gloucester CC (30-16) Monday at 8 PM Eastern Time. The winner of that game will get Tuesday off and move directly to the championship game on Wednesday at 8 PM Eastern Time.
Garrett DaCunto (Meriden) scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth inning, moments after he threw out the potential go-ahead run at the plate to end the bottom of the seventh
Niedzwiecki (5-3) allowed 12 hits and had just two strikeouts, but did not walk a batter and threw only 107 pitches over nine innings.
“He throws strikes and goes deep in games,” MCC head coach Chris Strahowski said of Niedzwiecki, who pitched 8.2 shutout innings in the Region 21 championship game to send MCC to Tyler. “There were pitches where he just missed his location, then kind of hit the reset button and started hitting spots again.”
The Cougar bats could only muster up three hits – catcher Kyle Holland (Montville) had two of them – and took advantage of four Erie (outside of Buffalo, NY) errors. Madera knocked in A. J. Silberman (Meriden) twice - with a bases loaded walk in the third inning and a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Alec Brown (Montville) scored MCC’s first run on a three base throwing error by Erie first baseman Jesse Zelner. Erie starter Alex Dannett had Brown, who had walked with one out in the second, picked off. But Zelner air mailed his throw over second base and the ball found a spot in the left center field gap. By the time Erie’s outfielder chased the ball down, Brown had scored the game’s first run.
MCC made it 2-0 in the second on Madera’s bases loaded walk, but Erie tied the game at 2-2 with single runs in the third and fourth innings. All three MCC hits came off Dannett, who was pulled with one out in the fourth after throwing 89 pitches. The teams traded runs in the fifth, making it a 3-3 stalemate going into the bottom of the seventh.
“The kid that started was a little wild and it’s hard to get in a grove – I’m mean that’s not excuse for three hits,” Strahowski said. “We had bases loaded a few times but couldn’t pull the trigger on that game opener.”
In contrast to Niedzwiecki’s walk-free effort, the three Erie pitcher’s issued nine walks while Manchester’s defense, despite making a pair of errors that led to one unearned run, snuffed out several possible rallies. Kyle Lentini (Southington) threw Neal DeMartin out trying to go from first to third on Joe Pantano’s single with two out in the third. And earlier in the inning, Jesse Sutherland (Montville) snared a liner on the bat of catcher Justin Carpenter on a ball that was clearly heading into left field for a single.
Which brings us to the biggest defensive play of the game.
Erie had runners at second and third with one out in the seventh when Pantano hit a fly ball to medium right. The ball had some air under it and was about 15 feet off the foul line. DaCunto caught the ball for the second out, and then fired it to Holland on the fly. Holland decoyed the runner by standing in a casual stance near home plate as the ball traveled toward him. At the last possible moment, he reached for the ball, caught it, and in one motion put the tag down on the runner,
Austin Benshadl, who was nowhere near the plate as he slid toward it.
“From gliding to his glove side, to turn all the way around, then throw a dart to the plate was amazing,” Strahowski said.
The play fired up the Manchester dugout on the third base side, and moments after DaCunto traded his glove for a bat, he was standing on first base with a leadoff walk then moved over to second when Yohendy Gonzalez (New London) reached on error while attempting to sacrifice. Lentini sacrificed both Gonzalez and DaCunto 90-feet forward, allowing DaCunto to score the game winner when a Mick Cummings – Erie’s third pitcher of the game - pitch skipped past Carpenter.
Defending champion Gloucester CC beat Joliet JC 7-3 earlier in the day and will be meeting Manchester for the third time this season Monday night. Gloucester swept a double header in Sewell, NJ on March 19 by 1-0 and 7-4 scores. This time around, the stakes are higher..
“It’s fantastic,” Strahowski said of the rematch with the Region 19 champion. “The teams are familiar with each and it will be a good ball game.”
Score by Innings R H E
--------------------------------------------
Manchester CC....... 011 010 010 - 4 3 2
Erie Com. College... 001 110 000 - 3 12 4
--------------------------------------------
E - Gonzalez; Niedzwiecki; Pantano 2; Zellner; Dunn. LOB - Cougers 12; Cats 8. 2B - DeMartin; Wagner; Ferracuti. HBP - Gonzalez. SH - McMahon; Lentini 2. SF - Madera. SB - Holland 2; Sutherland; Brown; Gonzalez.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Cougars Take World Series Opener
--------------------------------------------
By Paul Ofria
TYLER, TX - Alec Brown(Montville)and Garrett DaCunto (Meriden) had three hits apiece and Brian Levchuk (Branford) pitched three innings in relief for the win as MCC (25-22) beat Eastfield College 11-9 at the NJCAA Division III World Series Saturday.
The Cougars had an 11-5 lead going into the bottom of the eighth, but Eastfield (34-21) scored one in the eighth and three in the ninth. Jesse Sutherland (Montville) struck out the final batter of the game with the bases loaded.
“We swung it early, set the tone and it took them a while to get out of their shellshock,” MCC head coach Chris Strahowski said. “They (Eastfield) are a good hitting team. Getting those runs early really helped to get in their heads a little bit.”
MCC ace Kevin Madera (Newington) started the game, but had to leave with a 5-2 lead after four-plus innings and 102 pitches due in part to leg cramps. He contributed to the winning effort with his bat as well, driving in the first run of the game, added a double and scored in the fifth and singled in the eighth.
“He threw a lot of pitches early,” Strahowski said of the 2010 NJCAA first team All-American. “Even though he wasn’t walking a ton of people, he climbed his pitch count up early. We wanted to get him out of there so we could use him later in the tournament.”
Brown crushed a pair of singles and came around to score in both the second and third innings. DaCunto singled in his first three trips to the plate and drove in MCC’s fifth and sixth runs. Sutherland had two hits including a double and was picked off second base to end a scoreless fifth inning. Brown was also picked off second in the seventh, which was another inning MCC failed to score.
The Cougars, who had 15 hits and scored in six of the nine innings, chased Eastfield starter Dylan Rucker (7-5) after three innings. The right-hander from Arlington, TX struck out four batters, but gave up five runs on six hits while throwing 66 pitches. Blake Oliver threw the final six innings, giving up six runs (three earned) on 10 hits.
Levchuk came to the rescue after Madera walked the leadoff batter in the fifth and retired the side in order. Eastfield touched him for a pair of runs in the sixth inning and he escaped trouble in the seventh when center fielder Kyle Lentini (Southington) caught Hesland Foster trying to stretch a single into a double.
“He just came in and threw strikes and let the guys put it in play,” Strahowski said of Levchuk (3-0), who emerged as a go-to reliever as the season progressed. “With the big lead, you don’t want to get too cute, just go after them.”
Sutherland pitched the final two innings and gave up three runs – all unearned - before striking out Foster to end the game. Chris Rivera (New Britain), who entered the game as a pinch runner for Madera in the top of the eighth, made a game save-saving catch in right field to end the bottom of the inning. Running toward the foul pole with his left arm extended, he snared Foster’s carving liner in deep right with the bases loaded and two out.
“That’s the game right there,” MCC assistant coach Shawn Barry said. “That’s a difficult ball from a right hand batter and he took the best route to that ball – a 45 degree angle toward the foul pole.”
Manchester pitchers walked a startling 13 batters and gave up ten hits, but Eastfield, who had runners on base in every inning, left 15 of them on base.
Any time a team from Connecticut beats a team from Texas, it can be considered an upset, but MCC came into the tournament having won 12 of its last 13 including a sweep through the Region 21 tournament Mother’s Day weekend.
“Eastfield beat Tyler (Junior College) and Tyler is very good this year,” Strahowski said. “But outside of the 35 people from Connecticut who are here, I don’t think anybody else knew what we had.”
MCC will play the winner of the Erie CC vs. Rochester CTC winner on Saturday at 8 PM Eastern Time.
--------------------------------------------
Manchester CC....... 131 011 040 - 11 15 4
Eastfield College... 000 202 023 - 9 10 3
--------------------------------------------
E - Silberman; Holland; Sutherland; Madera; Eatherly; Rucker; Oliver. LOB - Cougers 7; Harvesters 15. 2B - Sutherland; Madera; Brown; Lentini; Hancock. 3B - Holland; Fraley. SH - McMahon; Fraley. SF - Sutherland; Grace. SB - Hancock; Eatherly; Hebert; Brown.
By Paul Ofria
TYLER, TX - Alec Brown(Montville)and Garrett DaCunto (Meriden) had three hits apiece and Brian Levchuk (Branford) pitched three innings in relief for the win as MCC (25-22) beat Eastfield College 11-9 at the NJCAA Division III World Series Saturday.
The Cougars had an 11-5 lead going into the bottom of the eighth, but Eastfield (34-21) scored one in the eighth and three in the ninth. Jesse Sutherland (Montville) struck out the final batter of the game with the bases loaded.
“We swung it early, set the tone and it took them a while to get out of their shellshock,” MCC head coach Chris Strahowski said. “They (Eastfield) are a good hitting team. Getting those runs early really helped to get in their heads a little bit.”
MCC ace Kevin Madera (Newington) started the game, but had to leave with a 5-2 lead after four-plus innings and 102 pitches due in part to leg cramps. He contributed to the winning effort with his bat as well, driving in the first run of the game, added a double and scored in the fifth and singled in the eighth.
“He threw a lot of pitches early,” Strahowski said of the 2010 NJCAA first team All-American. “Even though he wasn’t walking a ton of people, he climbed his pitch count up early. We wanted to get him out of there so we could use him later in the tournament.”
Brown crushed a pair of singles and came around to score in both the second and third innings. DaCunto singled in his first three trips to the plate and drove in MCC’s fifth and sixth runs. Sutherland had two hits including a double and was picked off second base to end a scoreless fifth inning. Brown was also picked off second in the seventh, which was another inning MCC failed to score.
The Cougars, who had 15 hits and scored in six of the nine innings, chased Eastfield starter Dylan Rucker (7-5) after three innings. The right-hander from Arlington, TX struck out four batters, but gave up five runs on six hits while throwing 66 pitches. Blake Oliver threw the final six innings, giving up six runs (three earned) on 10 hits.
Levchuk came to the rescue after Madera walked the leadoff batter in the fifth and retired the side in order. Eastfield touched him for a pair of runs in the sixth inning and he escaped trouble in the seventh when center fielder Kyle Lentini (Southington) caught Hesland Foster trying to stretch a single into a double.
“He just came in and threw strikes and let the guys put it in play,” Strahowski said of Levchuk (3-0), who emerged as a go-to reliever as the season progressed. “With the big lead, you don’t want to get too cute, just go after them.”
Sutherland pitched the final two innings and gave up three runs – all unearned - before striking out Foster to end the game. Chris Rivera (New Britain), who entered the game as a pinch runner for Madera in the top of the eighth, made a game save-saving catch in right field to end the bottom of the inning. Running toward the foul pole with his left arm extended, he snared Foster’s carving liner in deep right with the bases loaded and two out.
“That’s the game right there,” MCC assistant coach Shawn Barry said. “That’s a difficult ball from a right hand batter and he took the best route to that ball – a 45 degree angle toward the foul pole.”
Manchester pitchers walked a startling 13 batters and gave up ten hits, but Eastfield, who had runners on base in every inning, left 15 of them on base.
Any time a team from Connecticut beats a team from Texas, it can be considered an upset, but MCC came into the tournament having won 12 of its last 13 including a sweep through the Region 21 tournament Mother’s Day weekend.
“Eastfield beat Tyler (Junior College) and Tyler is very good this year,” Strahowski said. “But outside of the 35 people from Connecticut who are here, I don’t think anybody else knew what we had.”
MCC will play the winner of the Erie CC vs. Rochester CTC winner on Saturday at 8 PM Eastern Time.
--------------------------------------------
Manchester CC....... 131 011 040 - 11 15 4
Eastfield College... 000 202 023 - 9 10 3
--------------------------------------------
E - Silberman; Holland; Sutherland; Madera; Eatherly; Rucker; Oliver. LOB - Cougers 7; Harvesters 15. 2B - Sutherland; Madera; Brown; Lentini; Hancock. 3B - Holland; Fraley. SH - McMahon; Fraley. SF - Sutherland; Grace. SB - Hancock; Eatherly; Hebert; Brown.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Friday Recap
Huge electrical storms lit the sky divided the day into segments.
We were able to get the team picture in just after noon between the rains, but plans for a full team practice were washed away.
At 3:30PM, the hitters went to an indoor facility while the pitchers threw on the hotel grounds. Hazy sunshine and humid air prevailed. The skies opened up again just in time for the crosstown trip to Tyler Junior College for the banquet (see photo album on facebook page).
Mike Carter Field has a tarp covering the infield and will get all the TLC it needs (quite sure Brickman isn’t involved) in order to be ready for Saturday’s games. It looks like we might be in for a couple of inches of rain tonight and a late day storm Saturday, so delays shouldn’t be a surprise.
We were able to get the team picture in just after noon between the rains, but plans for a full team practice were washed away.
At 3:30PM, the hitters went to an indoor facility while the pitchers threw on the hotel grounds. Hazy sunshine and humid air prevailed. The skies opened up again just in time for the crosstown trip to Tyler Junior College for the banquet (see photo album on facebook page).
Mike Carter Field has a tarp covering the infield and will get all the TLC it needs (quite sure Brickman isn’t involved) in order to be ready for Saturday’s games. It looks like we might be in for a couple of inches of rain tonight and a late day storm Saturday, so delays shouldn’t be a surprise.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Doesn’t Get Old
Fourth consecutive trip to the series and it has not grown old yet.
The travel is grueling, but it’s over in twelve hours and then everyone gets a full day to regroup before the games begin.
Friday Itinerary:
-Pictures at Mike Carter Field at 12:30
-Followed by practice at a facility in town ---thank you Rory Dukes…
-Coaches Meeting at 6pm
-Banquet at 7pm
Saturday: game at 4 PM (5PM back home) vs. Eastfield College…should be able to get an internet feed. I will check on that tomorrow and post.
I had a chance to interview Eastfield head coach Michael Martin at the well-attended Kid’s Clinic earlier tonight at Mike Carter. Here are some excerpts:
“It’s going to different, it’s going to be nice,” Martin said while discussing the advantages of playing so close to home on the perfectly manicured infield grass at the venerable park. Eastfield is in Mesquite, TX, which is less than an hour and a half from Tyler. “We’ll have some pretty good fan support, we’ve had a pretty good following all year long. It’s a lot easier for those parents - those mommies and daddies do drive 60, 90 miles down the road to come support us. We’re looking to have a good crowd.”
Martin, who was a pitching legend at LSU and took over the Eastfield program following an NJCAA National Championship season in 2001, led the Harvesters to the 2006 title in a series that was held at Adirondak CC in Queensbury, NY.
“That was an exciting trip for my kids,” Martin said of his trip east five Mays ago. Martin has the look of a weathered baseball lifer and speaks with a pronounced Texas drawl. “Getting to travel and seeing a different part of the country. A lot of kids have never been up to that area and it was all pretty exciting for us. Here, I think our kids are a little more laid back and have a little more calm approach to them because they are in an environment that they have been around so it might be a little bit easier for them I think.”
MCC head coach Chris Strahowski had this to say on the tournament field:
“It seems like everyone is evenly matched. Looking at numbers and opponents, obviously the Texas team is going to be tough because of the schedule they play. Suffolk is the number one ranked team -we’ve seen them, we’ve seen Gloucester. Everyone is kind of on similar footing. It’s going to be a pretty interesting tournament.”
The travel is grueling, but it’s over in twelve hours and then everyone gets a full day to regroup before the games begin.
Friday Itinerary:
-Pictures at Mike Carter Field at 12:30
-Followed by practice at a facility in town ---thank you Rory Dukes…
-Coaches Meeting at 6pm
-Banquet at 7pm
Saturday: game at 4 PM (5PM back home) vs. Eastfield College…should be able to get an internet feed. I will check on that tomorrow and post.
I had a chance to interview Eastfield head coach Michael Martin at the well-attended Kid’s Clinic earlier tonight at Mike Carter. Here are some excerpts:
“It’s going to different, it’s going to be nice,” Martin said while discussing the advantages of playing so close to home on the perfectly manicured infield grass at the venerable park. Eastfield is in Mesquite, TX, which is less than an hour and a half from Tyler. “We’ll have some pretty good fan support, we’ve had a pretty good following all year long. It’s a lot easier for those parents - those mommies and daddies do drive 60, 90 miles down the road to come support us. We’re looking to have a good crowd.”
Martin, who was a pitching legend at LSU and took over the Eastfield program following an NJCAA National Championship season in 2001, led the Harvesters to the 2006 title in a series that was held at Adirondak CC in Queensbury, NY.
“That was an exciting trip for my kids,” Martin said of his trip east five Mays ago. Martin has the look of a weathered baseball lifer and speaks with a pronounced Texas drawl. “Getting to travel and seeing a different part of the country. A lot of kids have never been up to that area and it was all pretty exciting for us. Here, I think our kids are a little more laid back and have a little more calm approach to them because they are in an environment that they have been around so it might be a little bit easier for them I think.”
MCC head coach Chris Strahowski had this to say on the tournament field:
“It seems like everyone is evenly matched. Looking at numbers and opponents, obviously the Texas team is going to be tough because of the schedule they play. Suffolk is the number one ranked team -we’ve seen them, we’ve seen Gloucester. Everyone is kind of on similar footing. It’s going to be a pretty interesting tournament.”
Two Tickets; No Paradise
MCC assistant coach Shawn Barry pulled up to terminal E 38 at Dallas Fort Worth Airport just after noon in a rented GMC Yukon after spending the first part of the week in Houston on business. The team had arrived about thirty minutes earlier after a pair of uneventful flights.
Barry’s trip had events.
Two of them.
A speeding ticket in Buffalo, TX (just outside of Houston) and another on the outskirts of Dallas. Shawn seems to be wearing them well.
The team avoided an incident in the early hours back at Bradley when one of the pitchers (an All-American lefty starter with a tiny ERA) left his ID in his mom’s car. Of course, she didn’t have her phone on and had to turn around for express delivery once she got home. He made the plane – along with 10 teammates who don’t know how to tell time - with less than a minute to spare.
Three 15-passenger vans carrying the traveling party of 26 left Dallas for Tyler at the same, time but arrived at the way-too-nice Country Inn and Suites an hour or so apart. The Strahowski van chose the route most traveled then sent teasing pictures from lunch at Rudy’s (more about Rudy’s later…) while the Barry and Ofria vans were heading toward Arkansas and had to retreat down Rt 69. No exaggeration.
Despite the inconveniences, everyone checked into rooms by 5pm and the freshmen went with Shawn for the little league clinic at Mike Carter Field.
Straw and I are heading over there now and hopefully will have pictures to prove it uploaded later tonight.
Monday, May 16, 2011
2011 NJCAA WORLD SERIES Blog
MCC(24-22)will be making its fourth consecutive trip to the NJCAA Division III World Series in Tyler, TX starting Saturday, May 21st at 5PM.
The team will fly to Dallas out of Bradley on Thursday morning early and drive to Tyler in three vans driven by coaches Chris Strahowski, Shawn Barry and yours truly.
Over the course of the World Series, I will keep you informed and in touch with the team as if you were in the heart of TX with us.
The Cougars will face Eastfield College (34-19) first in the eight-team, double elimination tournament.
A little about Eastfield College-
Located just east of Dallas, the Harvesters beat World Series host Tyler Junior 10-5 College in the Metro Athletic Conference District C championship game on Sunday, May 22.
Eastfield won the NJCAA DIII World Series in 2006 and the program has had eight players drafted by Major League teams, including Steven Hill from their 2005 team. Hill was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 34th round, called up to the show last summer and hit a homerun in his first major game on August 15, 2010.
The team will fly to Dallas out of Bradley on Thursday morning early and drive to Tyler in three vans driven by coaches Chris Strahowski, Shawn Barry and yours truly.
Over the course of the World Series, I will keep you informed and in touch with the team as if you were in the heart of TX with us.
The Cougars will face Eastfield College (34-19) first in the eight-team, double elimination tournament.
A little about Eastfield College-
Located just east of Dallas, the Harvesters beat World Series host Tyler Junior 10-5 College in the Metro Athletic Conference District C championship game on Sunday, May 22.
Eastfield won the NJCAA DIII World Series in 2006 and the program has had eight players drafted by Major League teams, including Steven Hill from their 2005 team. Hill was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 34th round, called up to the show last summer and hit a homerun in his first major game on August 15, 2010.
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