Hawks clinch title series berth with shutout of Quakers

Jacob Marrocco
Posted 6/16/15

Bishop Hendricken baseball manager Ed Holloway said in each of the Hawks’ trips to the Division I finals during his tenure, it’s been a different story.

This story involved Hendricken shutting …

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Hawks clinch title series berth with shutout of Quakers

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Bishop Hendricken baseball manager Ed Holloway said in each of the Hawks’ trips to the Division I finals during his tenure, it’s been a different story.

This story involved Hendricken shutting out Moses Brown over the course of two semifinal games and 19 total innings, including the series-clinching 2-0 victory on Saturday at McCarthy Field in West Warwick.

“We have great pitching,” Holloway said. “Our pitching’s been great all year. Our three [pitchers, Mike McCaffrey, Matt Kennedy and Anthony Cofone] are real good. We’re confident every time we go out there we’re going to get a great game.”

Kennedy delivered just that. The junior twirled a complete-game gem for the Hawks, striking out six and scattering four hits on 104 pitches. He retired 14 of the last 15 Quakers he faced.

The state’s top offense took a while to find any momentum. Moses Brown pitcher Cal Slepkow stumped Hendricken his first time through its lineup, forcing mostly groundouts and pop outs with one strikeout.

Their second time through, though, the Hawks found some life. Left fielder Kevin Sutyla, who had the game-winning double the night before, reached on a fielder’s choice with one out after John Willette singled to lead off the inning. Catcher Gian Martellini pushed him into scoring position with a line drive base hit into left.

“I just think they were more patient,” Holloway said about the team’s success their second time through the order. “They laid off some of [Slepkow’s] pitches and you’re trying to get them to do it, and it’s hard. They like to go up there and swing, you know, so I think we just became a little bit more patient.”

Third baseman John Toppa grounded the ball to second base, but Colton King could not field the ball cleanly and all runners reached safely to load the bases. Centerfielder Dante Baldelli helped bring in the game’s first run on a groundout to short that he beat out to avoid a double play. The next batter, first baseman Andrew Ciacciarelli, left runners at the corners with a strikeout.

The Hawks tacked on the only other insurance they would need in the fourth inning with the benefit of a couple extra-base hits. Designated hitter Billy Keegan crushed a double that hugged the left field line to start the frame, and moved to third on second baseman Elijah Brown’s bunt single.

After a fielder’s choice to get the first out, Willette stepped up with runners at first and third and hit an RBI double down the left field line to bring Keegan home. The two-run lead was all Kennedy needed as he allowed just two balls to leave the infield from the bottom of the fourth to the end of the game.

“No idea,” Kennedy said, with a laugh, about how he was able to settle down in the later innings. “I just did it.”

Moses Brown (10-8) threatened in each of the first three innings, but Kennedy was able to work himself out of the jams. Quakers’ third baseman Steve Salisbury led off the game with a double deep to right field, and King walked to put the first two runners on base.

Kennedy induced two fly outs before throwing a wild pitch with designated hitter Tyler Poland at the plate to move the runners into scoring position. Kennedy then froze Poland on a 2-2 pitch to end the frame.

“He pitched great,” Holloway said. “He struggled a little bit in the first inning, and he said that when he came in after the first inning or when [pitching coach] Chris [Sheehan] went out to him, but he’s pitched great for us the whole year, and he’s just gotten better and better as the year went on.”

Quakers’ first baseman Gianni Valentini started the second inning off with a single into left field, and he advanced into scoring position after a sacrifice bunt from catcher Jack Marzec. It took only six pitches for Kennedy to work himself out of the situation, though. He forced shortstop Luis DeLeon to fly out to right field and struck out Roberto Valentini to end the scare.

Salisbury reached to lead off the third inning on a bloop single to left field, but was caught stealing by Martellini during King’s at-bat. King was hit by a pitch, but never advanced farther than first base. Slepkow flew out to centerfield and left fielder Mark Palumbo struck out swinging to strand the fourth baserunner in three innings.

Still-undefeated Hendricken will open up the D-I finals against Cumberland (13-5) today at McCoy Stadium. The Hawks and the Clippers, who came from different subdivisions of D-I, have never met this season prior to their tilts this week.

“It’s fun going [to McCoy],” Holloway said. “I’m happy for the kids, the seniors to go there again. It’s just a fun time.”

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