Warwick North 10’s move on to title game

Ryan D. Murray
Posted 7/30/15

Warwick North routed Smithfield 13-3 on Tuesday night at Lee Romano Field in the all-star state tournament.

The District 3 champion won on a 10-run rule when Warwick scored its 13th run in the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Warwick North 10’s move on to title game

Posted

Warwick North routed Smithfield 13-3 on Tuesday night at Lee Romano Field in the all-star state tournament.

The District 3 champion won on a 10-run rule when Warwick scored its 13th run in the bottom of the fifth inning to end the game.

Warwick’s Colby Barker pitched a complete game, allowing three runs over five innings. He struck out two batters while walking two. At the plate, he contributed two hits and an RBI.

According to Warwick North head coach Tommy Hornstein, Barker was very efficient because he was throwing early strikes and getting ahead of the hitters.

“Our pitcher really came through,” Hornstein said. “Barker pitched the entire game…He really wanted to finish.”

For Smithfield, Chris Lopez started the game on the hill. He had three strikeouts and walked two over 3 1/3 innings of work. Smithfield went through four pitchers in the game.

Warwick looked like it was in trouble in the top of the first inning when a routine fly ball was misplayed in centerfield off the bat of Ryan Kennedy. The error moved the leadoff batter, Nick Collins, to second. Third baseman Kyle Bourque hit into a fielder’s choice, which would see Warwick catch a runner going to third. Barker followed that up by forcing Matt Belleavoine to pop up and he then struck out Lopez to escape the inning unscathed.  

Lopez started the bottom of the first by walking the first two hitters. Then Barker followed them with a single to load the bases with no one out. Next, Warwick catcher Jack Hornstein hit a single up the middle to score the game’s first run.  

Lopez would also walk in a run to make the score 2-0.

In the second frame, after Barker walked left fielder David Parenteau and gave up a hit to catcher Zack Lavallee, he walked centerfielder Marcus Mensah to load the bases. That’s when Collins hit an RBI single to pull Smithfield within 1.

Lopez made quick work of Warwick in the bottom of the second, throwing only five pitches in a 1-2-3 inning.

Kennedy then led off the third inning with a double for Smithfield. After Barker walked Bourque, Lopez tied the game at 2 with an RBI double.

After Jack Hornstein and Garcia earned back-to-back walks to load the bases in the bottom of the third, Lopez was replaced by Teddy Blais.

Blais got the first hitter out that he faced, but then he struggled. After he walked in a run, the District 3 champs started to pile on the runs. Tyler Cote started with a single to score Jack Hornstein and another run scored when Smithfield tried to catch a runner at home. Warwick would lead 4-2 at the end of three innings.

Blais went on the offensive in the fourth. He hit a double to score Mensah and pull Smithfield within two runs, 5-3, but that was as close as it would come.

Warwick shortstop Thomas D’Andrea led off the bottom of the fourth with a double off the centerfield wall.

“I thought it was gone,” D’Andrea said after the game.

D’Andrea stole second when the catcher bobbled the ball after a pitch. Barker scored D’Andrea on a pop fly in shallow right field that Collins and Capaldi couldn’t make a play on. Barker would then steal both second and third. Next, Jack Hornstein would hit an RBI single to score Barker. Then, Lucas Hemond knocked in Jack Hornstein to give Warwick an 8-3 cushion at the end of the fourth inning.

Smithfield would replace Blais on the mound with Belleavoine. He didn’t last very long. He walked D’Andrea, Barker, Dylan Cunetta and Mason Link in a row. The score would be 10-3 Warwick when he exited.

Kennedy would relieve him and start off with a strikeout. Then Warwick third baseman Mark Woods would hit a two-RBI single to score D’Andrea and Barker, making the score 12-3. Hemond fouled out and Jack Hornstein tagged up to score Warwick’s final run, and it would win 13-3 on the 10-run rule.

Warwick North moves on to play Johnston in the finals. Warwick will have to win twice to capture the title.

“They’ve worked so hard in practice every day,” Tommy Hornstein said. “We’re almost into August and the kids have just sacrificed a little bit and I’m glad that it’s paying off and they’re getting good results. We’re still trying to play loose and have fun and they’re doing it. They really are.”

D’Andrea got over his pregame jitters.

“It felt good,” D’Andrea said. “I felt nervous for a while but I knew I shouldn’t be nervous because if we won we were going to the championship.”

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here