Collette’s comeback ends NEFL’s season, title hopes

Posted 7/29/14

New England Frozen Lemonade/Shields Post 43 got the monkey off its back Saturday when it won its opening round game at the American Legion state tournament after stumbling in that spot for two …

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Collette’s comeback ends NEFL’s season, title hopes

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New England Frozen Lemonade/Shields Post 43 got the monkey off its back Saturday when it won its opening round game at the American Legion state tournament after stumbling in that spot for two straight years.

Unfortunately for NEFL, that was as good as it got.

Eighth-seeded Gershkoff Auto Body/Auburn Post 20 rallied from a four-run deficit to beat second-seeded NEFL 11-8 on Sunday, and third-seeded Collette Vacations Post 79 came back from a 6-0 hole to win 10-6 in 10 innings on Monday.

It was a disappointing ending for a team that had surged to the second-best record in the league with a strong finish to the regular season.

“We just played two bad games,” said outfielder T.J. Boyajian. “We were hot at the end of the season. We started 1-5 and played well down the stretch. That’s just the way it goes.”

NEFL rode a strong pitching performance by James Meizoso to a 3-0 victory over two-time defending state champion Navigant Credit Union/Fairmount Post 85 in Saturday’s first round. It was a welcome change after two upset losses the last two years.

“I was pretty confident after the first game,” Meizoso said.

On Sunday, NEFL steadily took control against Gershkoff but abruptly lost it in a six-run seventh inning. Gershkoff trailed 8-5 at the start of the inning. With two outs, they drew a pair of walks and got an RBI single to make it 8-6. With the bases loaded, NEFL reliever Elijah Dressel induced a weak ground ball back to the mound, but his throw to first pulled Ben Mann off the bag, allowing a run to score and keeping the inning alive. Gershkoff made the miscue hurt in the worst way possible, as Mike Castillo smashed the next pitch over the fence in left field for a game-changing grand slam. Neither team scored again, and Gershkoff – the last team into the field – celebrated its second straight upset win, after it had beaten No. 1 Senerchia in the first round.

“All year, we didn’t really hit well but we played great defense,” Boyajian said. “In the playoffs, the bats came alive but we didn’t play defense. It goes to show that pitching and defense wins championships.”

NEFL showed no ill effects of the loss on Monday, jumping to a 6-0 lead in the first two innings against Collette. Mann, Austin Lamaire and Tyler DiPetrillo knocked in runs in a four-run first inning. Mann and Lamaire added an RBI each in the second for the 6-0 cushion.

But Collette chipped away, scoring three runs in the third off starter Ryan Charette after Charette had cruised through the first two innings. It added another run in the fourth and one more in the sixth off Meizoso, who had come on in relief.

In the meantime, Collette reliever Ben Roy held NEFL without a run after the second inning.

“He kept it low and outside,” Boyajian said. “If you’re spotting it out there as a lefty, it’s a tough pitch to hit. He did what he was supposed to do. Hat’s off to them. They played the better game.”

Despite Roy’s efforts, NEFL nearly survived. It carried a 6-5 lead into the top of the ninth, and Meizoso had tossed two straight scoreless frames. But a bad hop single started a rally, with Dylan Boisclair scoring the tying run on a base hit by Roy through a drawn-in infield.

Meizoso escaped further trouble, but NEFL could do nothing in the bottom of the ninth against Collette’s Matt Ferdenzi. In the tenth, two walks and an error set the stage for a four-run inning by Collette. Roy had another RBI single, while Ryan Fournier knocked in two with a base hit off Dressel, who came on in relief.

“We had both teams right where we wanted them,” said shortstop Alex Lefebvre.

Trailing 10-6, NEFL went down in order in the bottom of the tenth, and Collette celebrated.

“You go up 6-0 and you expect to win,” Boyajian said. “Same thing yesterday. You expect to win that game. We didn’t finish it off.”

Collette became one of the last four teams standing in the tournament and will play another elimination game on Tuesday.

NEFL headed home. It was an early exit, but still another strong season for Warwick’s club.

“It was the most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball,” Lefebvre said. “It was a great season.”

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