Paddy Murphy of York.
Courtesy photo
York senior Patrick Seaward.
Courtesy photo
York's David Nieves.
Courtesy photo
YORK - The Wells/York Alfredo's American Legion baseball team closed out the regular season on July 19, sweeping a doubleheader from Noble Post 87 by scores of 6-4 and 8-5.
Wells/York finished the season in first place in Zone 5 with a record of 18-4. At publication, Alfredo's was preparing for the Zone 5 Tournament opening game with Jimmy Kennedy starting on the mound against the Noble Post 87 team.
Alfredo's won its last 4 games to clinch the #1 seed. The Zone 5 Tournament was scheduled from July 21 through July 27.
On Wednesday, in a rain day make-up, they defeated Massabesic, the #2 seed, 4-3 in an 8 inning game. York's Kennedy pitched a complete game with only one earned run for the win. The game was tied 3-3 since the fifth inning. In the top of the eighth, York's Paddy Murphy scored on a single by York's David Nieves for the go-ahead run. Kennedy put Massabesic down, in the bottom of the eighth, 1-2-3 on a line out to Well's Dimitri Gatzogiannis at first base, and then striking out the 3 and 4 spot batters to end the game. Kennedy had 7 Ks and improved his America Legion record to 8-0, 15-2 overall. York's Paddy Murphy, the rest of the battery, brought his 'A' game hitting 3 straight doubles, scoring twice and getting 2 RBIs. Nieves had the other 2 RBIs.
The next night the Alfredo's team took on St. Louis/Biddeford at Wells field, winning 9-6. Wells' Dimitri Gatzogiannis pitched a complete 7 inning game striking out 9 in a 4 hitter.
For the York and Wells Boys of Summer, the dream continued the week prior.
After losing a doubleheader to the last team in the zone, the York-Wells Alfredo's American Legion team had 5 wins to increase their record to 14-2. With one week left before the zone tournament to determine the teams for the state tourney, Alfredo's stayed #1 in their zone. The players from York are 2008 graduates David Nieves and Matt Haight; York seniors Pat Seaward, Alex Blasik, and Jimmy Kennedy; and sophomores Paddy Murphy and Dylan Merritt.
On Tuesday York/Wells rolled over Sanford Bonanza 7-0 as Jimmy Kennedy pitched a complete game and won his 5th game of the season. York's Paddy Murphy scored the first run and game winner as he was hit by a pitch and brought home on a homerun by Wells' Dimitri Gatzogiannis taking a two run lead in the top of the first. Gatzogiannis hit a second homer in the fifth as the team batted around and scored four runs on two hits. Matt Haight also scored in the fifth. Jimmy Kennedy increased his record to 5-0 with 5 Ks and 5 hits over 7 innings.
On Wednesday York/Wells tried played a rain day make-up with Noble but the game was stopped due to, what else, rain, with Alfredo's holding a 6-2 lead. The game was then completed on Sunday with Wells' James Manion getting the win.
On Thursday York/Wells played their third game against Kennebunk, sweeping them for the season. The game was tied 5 after 3, when Jimmy Kennedy relieved Wells' James Manion who pitched the night before in the rain-stopped game. Kennedy held Kennebunk to one run over two innings as Alfredo's scored 4 in the fifth. Kennedy allowed only one hit with 3 Ks and secured his 6th win. Dimitri Gatzogiannis relieved Kennedy to get the save as Kennedy had thrown 104 pitches in his prior win on Tuesday. Paddy Murphy went 2 for 4 with an RBI and scored a run. Pat Seaward had a single and a double with 3 RBIs Matt Haight scored a run and David Nieves scored two.
On Saturday York/Wells took a double header from Saco/Thornton. Saco is always a tough play and both games were spirited contests. Alfredo's took the first game 11-4 with Jimmy Kennedy on the mound for his third win and second complete game in a week. In the 7 innings pitched, Kennedy had 10 Ks. Pat Seaward had a hit and scored a run; Matt Haight had two singles, a sac fly for an RBI, and scored two runs; Paddy Murphy two singles, scored a run and had an RBI; and David Nieves contributed a single and two RBIs as Alex Blasik pinch ran and scored a run. Kennedy increased his record to 7-0 with a 1.47 ERA for the season. Dimitri Gatzogiannis had 3 hits, a single and 2 doubles, and 3 RBIs.
In the second game Saco fought hard and the game was tied 9 at the end of regulation. Saco scored a run in the 8th on a sac fly and things looked grim for the York/Wells boys, but they had come from behind before and did not give up even as Saco got the first two batters out. Dimitri Gatzogiannis however, had a plan and with 2-1 count put one way over the fence to tie the game. Wells' Ryan Vartanian reached on an error and Hunter Spearin singled him home with a line drive to right for the walk-off victory. Besides the tying homer, Gatzogiannis had 3 hits and scored 3 runs completing an outstanding week at the plate.
