Senerchia edges Gershkoff, falls to SK

By Matt Metcalf
Posted 8/2/16

Wednesday’s Legion playoff game between Senerchia Post 74 and Gershkoff/Auburn Post 20 featured only three lead changes, but they were giant swings of momentum.

Senerchia led for the first six …

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Senerchia edges Gershkoff, falls to SK

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Wednesday’s Legion playoff game between Senerchia Post 74 and Gershkoff/Auburn Post 20 featured only three lead changes, but they were giant swings of momentum.

Senerchia led for the first six and a half innings, mounting a lead as big as 7-1. However, Gershkoff would show some resilience, gradually chipping away before finally pushing through to take an 8-7 lead in the bottom of the seventh.

But Senerchia wasn’t ready to go out quietly. A 2-RBI single from Billy Roberge in the top of the ninth regained the lead for Senerchia, 8-7, and it would add an insurance run a couple of pitches later on a sacrifice fly from Dylan McCormick.

Elijah Brown would take care of the rest in the bottom of the ninth, locking down the 10-8 victory by striking out the side.

“That’s kind of what I talked to them about before the game – no lead is big enough and no deficit is too big,” Senerchia head coach Chris Sheehan said of the momentum swings. “A nine-inning game is much different than a seven-inning game – it’s a lot of baseball. [Gershkoff] did exactly what they needed to do. They fell behind big early and chipped away, chipped away, and before you knew it, they were down one and then had the lead. But I give my guys credit. They had their backs against the wall in the last inning and were able to come through.”

Senerchia came out of the gate with an ideal start.

It was able to tack on four runs in the top of the first off Gershkoff starter Ryan Quirk, as Joe Boland drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the game’s first run, and Conor Kiely added a 2-RBI single and Brian Cipolla added an RBI single of his own before Quirk was able to work himself out of the inning.

Harold Corniel roped an RBI double off Senerchia starter Nico Salvaggio in the bottom half of the first to trim Gershkoff’s deficit to three, 4-1, but Senerchia would add to its lead shortly after.

The Hawks’ lineup continued to cause fits for Quirk in the second.

A Boland double scored Jaimen Albizu with one down, making it 5-1 and triggering Gershkoff head coach Dave Schiappa to go to his bullpen and bring in Chrisdione Mendez.

Mendez was welcomed rudely by Roberge, who lined a single to score Boland and up Senerchia’s lead to 6-1 after an inning and a half.

Pat Thomas would touch home in the third on a wild pitch by Mendez to make it 7-1 – the lone run charged to Mendez in the game.

After that, Mendez locked in and Gerhskoff’s offense came alive.

Mendez would pitch 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball, and in the meantime, Gershkoff chipped away at its deficit.

In the bottom half of the third, Jake Coro ripped a two-out, RBI single that scored Travis Collins, cutting the Senerchia lead to 7-2.

Gershkoff would get two runs apiece in the fourth and fifth innings, as well.

Luis Nunez scored on an error in the fourth, before a Corniel ground out plated Gianni Valentini.

That offensive momentum continued into the fifth, as Nunez provided an RBI double and Valentini made it 7-6 with a sacrifice fly.

“I think that’s one of our things – they see a 7-1 lead with Nico on the mound and they think it’s over,” Sheehan said about his team becoming complacent in the middle innings. “But that’s a good hitting team. Nico didn’t have his best stuff today and they got to him a little bit.”

After a scoreless sixth inning, Gershkoff was finally able to erase its six-run deficit in the seventh, as Chris Manfredo blooped a single to left field to score Nunez and Emilio Rodriguez, giving Gershkoff its first lead, 8-7.

“I was proud of them for not giving up and fighting all the way through,” Schiappa said. “I’m extremely proud of the team itself.”

Both teams went quietly in the eighth, and in the top of the ninth, Schiappa brought in Coro to preserve the one-run lead.

However, Coro hit Brown with a pitch to start the rally, and a double from Kiely put runners on second and third with one down.

Roberge then came through with the game-winning hit, plating Brown and Kiely to push Senerchia back in front. McCormick’s sacrifice fly to center field scored Roberge and gave the road team a two-run cushion.

Brown overpowered the Gershkoff bats in the ninth to close it out, earning the win after recording two outs in the eighth inning, as well.

“We had a great summer,” Schiappa said of his club. “I think we could’ve won this tournament too. We just fell a little short.”

Senerchia advanced to play South Kingstown on Thursday in the semifinals, where it would battle the No. 2 seed close until SK pulled away for a 9-3 victory late to earn a spot in the final.

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