PAL can’t take advantage of opportunities in game-one loss

Brenton Bauerle
Posted 8/13/15

The Warwick PAL Connie Mack baseball team was handed a frustrating, 5-3 loss at the hands of Johnston in game one of their best-of-three semifinal series.

“We were just missing that key hit …

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PAL can’t take advantage of opportunities in game-one loss

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The Warwick PAL Connie Mack baseball team was handed a frustrating, 5-3 loss at the hands of Johnston in game one of their best-of-three semifinal series.

“We were just missing that key hit today,” said Warwick manager Pete Palermo. “We could have scored a lot more, and we really should have.”

The opening innings went well for Warwick, as starter Chris Duchesneau retired the side, facing the minimum three batters (albeit aided by a stupendous double play in which shortstop Justin Kennedy snagged a screaming liner and doubled off a runner at second).

Meanwhile, on the other side of the break, Warwick drew first blood, scoring a run in the bottom of the inning courtesy of an  absolute blast by Evan Broccoli that missed clearing the centerfield wall by a foot at most, but was still good enough to score Mike Broccoli from second.

The top of the second would prove emblematic of Warwick’s frustrating day, however, as a hit by pitch and a walk coupled with a throwing error by the aforementioned Kennedy gifted Johnston two runs and an early lead.

Warwick was again able to threaten in the second, even advancing two runners into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, but was unable to scratch across the tying run in what would become a frustrating trend for the game.

Perhaps even worse for Warwick than the fact that it could have secured a lead in the early innings was that it failed to get to Johnston starter Jake Pratte when it had the chance.

Pratte settled in after the rocky start, not allowing another run before being lifted in the fifth. The right-hander was a regular Rembrandt all day, painting the outside corner with a fastball that had some serious velocity, and that approach proved dominant, as Pratte was able to shut down Warwick and register seven strikeouts – including, at one point, four consecutive – in only 4 1/3 innings.

Both teams traded runs in the fourth inning, knotting the score at 3. The real turning point came in the sixth, as trouble behind the dish – specifically a passed ball and a throwing error, both with men on third – allowed Johnston to claim the 5-3 lead it would never relinquish.

Warwick had made loud outs all day, narrowly missing what would have been two critical home runs. The inability to plate baserunners finally spelled doom when Warwick failed to score in the bottom of the seventh with the tying run at the plate, giving Johnston the victory.

“It was a tough game,” said Palermo. “But we just have to come back tomorrow and get it done.”

Tuesday night’s game two was pushed to Wednesday because of rain. Results from game two were unavailable at press time.

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