NEFL unable to overcome Collette’s rally, falls 4-3

Jacob Marrocco
Posted 6/30/15

The New England Frozen Lemonade - Shields Post 43 legion squad suffered a tough loss at the hands of Collette Vacations - Post 79, 4-3, on Thursday, but its postgame attitude didn’t show …

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NEFL unable to overcome Collette’s rally, falls 4-3

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The New England Frozen Lemonade - Shields Post 43 legion squad suffered a tough loss at the hands of Collette Vacations - Post 79, 4-3, on Thursday, but its postgame attitude didn’t show it.

Head coach Jim Dawber told his players he was proud of their intensity and effort, and the team echoed those sentiments.

“It’s always frustrating when you can’t come out with these one-run games that hinge on one or two plays that make the outcome, but our enthusiasm was there, our intensity was there, right from the opening pitch,” shortstop Alex Lefebvre said. “So you can’t really complain with that. We gave it our all.”

NEFL starter Elijah Dressel went all seven innings on 131 pitches, and refused to end his day after throwing 112 pitches through the first six. Dressel was charged with all four runs, but forced Collette to leave 11 runners on base and recorded six strikeouts.

The sixth frame was Dressel’s toughest. NEFL led 3-1 entering the inning before Collette used four hits, a walk and a controversial fielder’s choice to pull ahead.

Right fielder Dylan Boisclair led off with a single up the middle, and designated hitter Michael Webb followed up with a base hit to left. Catcher John Estrella’s single loaded the bases for centerfielder Roberto Valentini, whose RBI single to right-centerfield made it a one-run game.

Shortstop Matt Ferdenzi worked the count full before drawing an RBI walk to tie the score. Dressel responded by striking out second baseman Ryan Tracy swinging before speedy left fielder Christian Aybar stepped in.

Aybar hit a grounder to Lefebvre, who tossed to second baseman Zach Bacon for one out, but the throw to first baseman Dan Greaves pulled him off the bag and Estrella scored from third. NEFL challenged the call as it appeared Greaves’ foot stayed on the base, but the umpires stuck with their decision and Collette led 4-3.

Dressel forced third baseman Ryan Fournier to ground out to Lefebvre to prevent further damage.

“It definitely helps [the] defense,” Lefebvre said about Dressel’s intensity. “He wants to be out there. If our pitcher wants to be out there, we want to be out there no matter how he’s throwing and we’re going to back him up no matter what. That’s what we do, so we feed off that. We feed off his drive to want to be out there.”

NEFL put runners in scoring position in each of the last two innings after falling behind one run, but could not bring them home. Designated hitter Austin Lamaire reached second base with one out in the sixth after a walk and fielder’s choice, but was stranded.

In the seventh with Ferdenzi on the mound, Lefebvre got into scoring position following a leadoff infield single and a stolen base with two outs. Centerfielder Elvis Pimentel was hit by a pitch to put the winning run on base, but catcher Tyler DiPetrillo flew out to center to end the rally.

Collette, the road team despite the game being played at Fairlawns Veterans Memorial Park in Pawtucket, produced the only run in the first four innings. Valentini led off the third with a double to left field before Ferdenzi’s fielder’s choice moved him to 90 feet from the plate. Tracy plated Valentini with an RBI single to left.

Collette (4-1) would load the bases later in the inning with two outs, but Dressel worked his way out of the jam when right fielder Boisclair popped up to third base.

NEFL (3-4) mounted a strong, two-out rally in the fifth inning after having only produced one hit on the day thus far. After left fielder Marcus Alexander and Bacon each grounded out, Lefebvre drew a walk to keep the inning alive. He stole second before No. 9-hitter Perry lifted an RBI single into right-centerfield to tie the game.

Perry reached second on the throw home and right fielder Elijah Brown reached on a walk before both moved into scoring position on Ben Roy’s wild pitch. Pimentel scored Perry on a soft RBI grounder to Ferdenzi, whose throw went wide of first and also allowed Brown to dash home for a 3-1 lead.

NEFL dropped all three contests of a 24-hour gauntlet. On Wednesday it hosted Upper Deck, composed of primarily Lincoln and Cumberland players who reached the D-I Final Four this year, and dropped both games, 6-4 and 8-0. The next day it met with Collette, the reigning senior legion champions. Greaves said that experience can help NEFL in the long run despite the losses.

“I think facing two of the top-level teams, it’s really going to step up our game a little bit,” Greaves said, “So I think by facing these two teams, we’re seeing some of the best baseball we’re going to see all season. And if we’re playing good against both those teams, we had really two close games [against them]. If we can apply the same intensity and enthusiasm as we did to these two games we just had, I think we’re going to come out with some [wins].

Outside of the fifth inning, Roy had an effective day against NEFL. He gave up two earned runs on three hits to go with three walks and six strikeouts.

NEFL and Collette will meet again on July 17 at Fairlawns, that time with NEFL as the road team.

NEFL was scheduled to make up a doubleheader with West Warwick Post Two on Monday at McCarthy Field after both their games were rained out last week. Results were unavailable at press time.

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