Noti takes no-hitter into eighth as NEFL advances

Jacob Marrocco
Posted 7/30/15

New England Frozen Lemonade - Shields Post 43 starting pitcher Steve Noti wanted to make sure Tuesday’s game wasn’t his last time in a NEFL uniform.

His performance certainly ensured …

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Noti takes no-hitter into eighth as NEFL advances

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New England Frozen Lemonade - Shields Post 43 starting pitcher Steve Noti wanted to make sure Tuesday’s game wasn’t his last time in a NEFL uniform.

His performance certainly ensured that.

Noti took a perfect game into the seventh inning and a no-hitter into the eighth as NEFL edged R&R Construction - Post 18, 3-1, at McCarthy Field. Noti allowed one run on one hit with one walk and 10 strikeouts on 116 pitches in a complete-game effort.

“I knew that if we lost, we were gonna be done,” Noti said. “This is my last year, so I was just gonna give it my all out here. Nothing else we can lose. If we lose, we’re done.”

R&R had a tough time getting the ball out of the infield all game, but especially in the first six innings. Noti retired the first 18 batters he faced with eight strikeouts, seven groundouts, two pop-ups and one flyout, all with just 71 pitches.

NEFL’s offense wasn’t as explosive as it was against the Sharks in its 10-4 win on Sunday, but it was enough for Noti. In the third, Elvis Pimentel reached when second baseman Adam Purcell’s throw on a grounder took first baseman Ian Smith off the bag. The error would prove to be costly. Pimentel moved to second base on a wild pitch, but a strikeout and flyout put NEFL in danger of stranding its fourth baserunner of the day.

Designated hitter Ryan Morris, who has been red hot over the past couple games, came up and delivered for NEFL. Morris singled to centerfield, allowing Pimentel to score from second to put NEFL on top 1-0.

After the game against R&R, Morris is now 5-for-7 with a home run, a double and five RBIs in his last two contests.

“I’m taking more pitches,” Morris said. “I’m just trying to help this team win. They need offense and we’re all hitting the ball better. I think for me personally it’s seeing more pitches, instead of jumping out on the first one. That’s pretty much it for me.”

Noti continued to deal as NEFL provided a couple of insurance runs in the fifth inning. Once again, Pimentel got it going. The leadoff hitter reached on a walk before stealing second base. With one out, Austin Lamaire registered his second hit of the afternoon when he crushed an RBI double to centerfield that plated Pimentel.

“Lately I’ve been seeing the ball a lot better than in the regular season in legion,” Lamaire said. “In the playoffs, I know I have to come through to help out the team. So that’s what I’m gonna try to do for the rest of the playoffs.”

Lamaire moved to third on Morris’s infield single, where he scored on Tyler Perry’s sacrifice fly to give NEFL another key insurance run, 3-0.

Up to the seventh inning, Noti had successfully retired all five batters he faced that either had 3-1 or 3-2 counts with four strikeouts and one flyout. R&R shortstop Connor Meehan was able to break that streak and the perfect game in the seventh. With the count at 3-1, Meehan took a pitch off the back and trotted down to first base.

After a wild pitch and a walk, R&R had runners at first and second with no outs, but still without the benefit of a hit. Smith grounded into a fielder’s choice to put runners at the corners with one out.

Pete Lowen helped push across R&R’s only run of the day when he legged out what looked to be a potential 6-3, inning-ending double play, plating Meehan from third. Lowen was caught stealing soon after to end the frame and preserve the no-hitter.

Noti started the eighth by getting Ben McGuire to ground out on the first pitch of the at-bat, making it 7 1/3 no-hit innings. Then, Purcell hit a soft grounder to second baseman Chris Reid, but Purcell hustled down the line and just beat the throw for an infield single.

Purcell would reach second base on a fielder’s choice, but then Noti notched his ninth strikeout of the day to end the threat.

“I was just trying to throw strikes,” Noti said. “I did a pitching lesson earlier this week, trying to work on what I can fix. That really helped me out.”

Noti took just 15 pitches to close out his complete game in the ninth. Devin Johnson struck out swinging on a full count to start the inning, the fifth such strikeout of the day. With two outs, Greg Eng hit a hard line drive to centerfield that looked like it may bring the tying run to the plate. Pimentel laid out in centerfield to make the diving catch, though, securing the final out and putting an exclamation point on the win.

Despite the victory, NEFL did leave 10 runners on base and only scored three times on eight hits.

“Be more relaxed at the plate,” Lamaire said on how the offense can break out as the playoff games become more important. “Not [be] tense, because a lot of guys are tense up there right now. Top of the order’s helping us out a lot right now.”

The first three batters in NEFL’s lineup during its last two games have combined to score nine of its 13 total runs, including four for Pimentel alone.

NEFL was scheduled to play in its third consecutive elimination game Wednesday against Upper Deck - Post 86/14 at McCarthy Field at 7 p.m. If NEFL wants to stay alive, it will have to exact some revenge to do so. Upper Deck swept NEFL in a doubleheader earlier this year at Mickey Stevens, winning 8-0 and 6-4.

“We’re a great team,” Morris said. “We have good pitching. If we can just put the ball in play and score some runs, we have like four aces on this team so we can make it pretty far.”

Results from the game were not available at press time.

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