Baseball
Knights down Wildcats after York wins two come-back games
By Stan Ross
YORK - Last Friday, May 25, an overworked group of Wildcats, with five games in five days, went on the road under record heat to battle the top-rated Poland Regional Knights (13-1).
Poland opened the scoring with six runs in the second and three more in the third on their way to an 11-1 win in a game shortened to five innings by the 10-run "mercy" rule.
Joe Douglas led the Knights' attack with a single, one double and a home run and the Wildcats were charged with four errors.
Nick Mercurio hit a bases-empty home run to score York's only run in the fifth. Jared Turner and David Nieves also doubled for the Wildcats but were left stranded.
After two thrilling come-from-behind wins at home versus Wells and Old Orchard this week, the pitching staff was pretty well used up. Nieves and Mercurio handled the pitching and Turner did the catching for the scrappy Wildcats.
Last Thursday, May 24, the Wildcats came from behind twice and won again in their final turn at bat. This was the third home game in a row - Traip, Wells and now Old Orchard - that the Wildcats had rallied to come from behind and register a win.
Yogi Berra might have called this a "pitchers duel" because each team used four pitchers and it was a one-run game.
It was the warmest day of the year and the bats were hot on both teams with a total of 25 runs on 28 hits including four home runs. Old Orchard scored a single run in the top of the first off York starter Ryan MacGlashing. York countered with three runs on singles by Turner, Dan Moran (four hits and three runs scored), Kevin Maran, DH Matt Haight and Dan Graziano. But Old Orchard countered with seven runs on three singles, three walks and a grand slam home run by Tyler Bradbury.
York countered with a single run in the second on a walk and stolen base by Matt Prewitt plus an RBI single by Moran.
The Gulls tallied two more in the third on a walk and a two RBI homer by Kyle Murphy. But York countered with two of their own on a two RBI homer by Graziano. The Wildcats still trailed 10-6 when they sent 10 men to the plate and scored five runs on six singles and a SAC fly to finally take an 11-10 lead.
Old Orchard bounced back to even the score on a line drive double to left by Stefan Husek and a long RBI SAC fly to center by Mitchell Bean. York ended the inning with a double play started by third baseman Steve Buoncristiano who speared a line drive and doubled the Gulls runner off second.
The score was all even at 11-11 after both teams were scoreless in the sixth. Then Husek opened the seventh with a solo home run to give the Gulls the lead again. But the Wildcats had their rally caps on and Prewitt opened with a line drive double that just missed going over the fence. After Turner grounded out to short, Moran singled to left. Then Maran singled to center for one RBI and Haight battled back from a two strike hole to single to center and drive in Moran with the game winning run. Final score: York Wildcats 13, Old Orchard Gulls 12.
On Wednesday, May 23, the York Wildcats upset the visiting Wells Warriors (8-4) with a thrilling win in extra innings. Wells grabbed the early lead with a single run in the second and manufactured three more runs in the fourth and continued to shut out the Wildcats for the first five innings.
Wells pitcher Dom Gatziogiannis (4-2) faced only 16 batters in five innings, just one over the minimum. York had two singles and one walk but had two runners thrown out attempting to steal and two more erased in a 6-4-3 double play. Then the Wildcats rallied to even the score with four runs in the sixth when pinch hitters Mike Hymanson led off with a solid single and Andy Loane reached on a fielders' choice.
Then Prewitt (3 for 4) lined a solid single to left and Turner singled to drive in the first run. Moran followed with an RBI double to right and Maran singled home two more runs but was thrown out at second.
With the score even at 4-4, both teams were shut out in the seventh and both starting pitchers remained in the game. Wells loaded the bases with no outs and after two short fly balls to the outfield they were still loaded. Gatziogiannis hit a line drive to right that bounced over the fence for a ground rule double and drove in two runs.
York sophomore pitcher Jim Kennedy (1-1) used a sharp breaking curve to induce a ground ball to third to finally retire the side. Then Prewitt led off with an infield hit and Turner followed with a single to center. With one out Maran walked to load the bases and Haight drove in Prewitt with a solid single.
MacGlashing followed with a two strike single and Mercurio drove in Maran with the game-winning run. This come-from-behind, 7-6 win, avenged a loss in the opening game of the season at Wells when the Warriors scored three in the last of the sixth to beat York, 6 to 3.
Also last week, on Tuesday, May 22, the York Wildcats journeyed to Fryeburg and lost a tough game to the Raiders (7-5) by the final score of 9-5. The Raiders scrambled to take an eight-run lead in the second and added another run in the third before the Wildcats finally shut them down. York rallied for five runs in the fifth paced by doubles from Prewitt, Haight and Maran but it was not enough. York was in the middle of playing five games in five days and wound up using three pitchers - starter Kal DeCato followed by Nieves and Matt Hymanson, but the Raiders capitalized on a few breaks and used the big inning to improve their record to 7 and 5.
York's record is now 6 and 9 and their final regular season game is scheduled for today, Wednesday, May 30, at Yarmouth. This game could determine if the Wildcats
make the playoffs, which start on Tuesday, June 5.
