Warwick PAL sweeps Cranston, powers its way into quarterfinals

Matt Metcalf
Posted 8/6/15

Warwick PAL is carrying its success from the regular season over into the postseason.

It swept the Cranston Bulldawgs, 2-0, in a best-of-three series in the preliminary round of the Connie Mack …

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Warwick PAL sweeps Cranston, powers its way into quarterfinals

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Warwick PAL is carrying its success from the regular season over into the postseason.

It swept the Cranston Bulldawgs, 2-0, in a best-of-three series in the preliminary round of the Connie Mack playoffs with victories on Sunday and Monday.

Warwick rolled to an 8-1 win in game one on Sunday, before plating three in the seventh in game two on Monday night to come away with a 3-1 win and a series sweep.

The end of the season came abruptly for the ’Dawgs, who took a 1-0 lead into the final inning after Armond Viziri delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to give Cranston the lead.

But unfortunately for Cranston, the lead would slip away just minutes later.

Cranston starting pitcher Alex Whitney returned to the mound for the seventh in search of securing the win. Whitney had shut down Warwick over the first six innings, allowing just four hits.

However, the inning didn’t start off on a good note.

A ground ball off the bat of Steve Foster was fielded but thrown wide of the target at first to allow the leadoff man to reach.

Warwick would build off of that glimpse of hope.

Bryant Palermo and Evan Broccoli would follow with back-to-back singles to load the bases with no one out in the inning.

Chris Ray then drove a Whitney pitch to the wall in centerfield for a double, plating Foster and Palermo to give Warwick its first lead of the game, 2-1.

Broccoli would score two batters later, when a successful suicide squeeze attempt from shortstop Justin Kennedy upped Warwick’s lead to 3-1.

“I felt like we were getting the barrel on the ball, so I figured it was only a matter of time,” Warwick manager Pete Palermo said. “It’s been a steady group of guys that have been coming through for us. Steve Foster, my son and Evan [Broccoli] at 3, 4 and 5 make that middle of the order tough. Jack Paliotte also made a great call on the suicide squeeze with knowing the personnel.”

Whitney escaped the inning without any further damage, but the half inning still left Cranston with a two-run deficit.

Warwick put its starter back out there to close out the game in the seventh, Pilgrim southpaw Mike Broccoli, and he would put the game away.

Mike Montanaro drew a one-out walk for Cranston in the bottom half of the inning, but Mike Broccoli wouldn’t allow him to advance any further.

He fanned John Petrocelli for his ninth and final strikeout, before getting Billy Saccoccio to hit a ground ball right back to him to end the game.

Monday night marked the second day in a row that Pete Palermo received a gem out of his starting pitcher, with Mike Broccoli dealing in game two and Chris Duchesneau doing the same in game one.

“Yesterday Chris Duchesneau threw a great game, and again today, Mike Broccoli threw a great game,” Pete Palermo said. “Pitching has been huge for us.”

For Cranston, it was a tough one to see slip away.

“It’s a tough loss,” Cranston manager David Ciolfi said. “But good teams find a way to win, and Warwick’s a good team. We opened the door in the top of the seventh with the error, and you can’t give a good team more than three outs in an inning.”

It was a tough fate for Whitney, who allowed two earned runs in a complete-game effort. He yielded eight hits – just two for extra bases – and struck out three.

“Whitney pitched a gem,” Ciolfi said. “He pitched good enough to win.”

It hasn’t only been the pitching and the hitting for Warwick, though. Its defense has been outstanding, too.

Pete Palermo singled out Anthony Russo, in particular, who is an infielder but has stepped up and played great in the outfield in the series against Cranston.

Warwick will be looking to continue its all-around play against its cross-town rival, Hendricken’s Flood Ford Auto, in their quarterfinal matchup which starts tonight.

Warwick will host game one tonight at Mickey Stevens at 5:30 p.m., while game two will be played at Hendricken’s Ray Pepin Field at 5 p.m. on Friday night.

A time and venue is yet to be determined for game three if it’s necessary.

Flood beat one of the top teams in the state, North Providence, in the preliminary round to make it to the quarterfinals.

Warwick is confident going in, though, as it has a veteran team that has been peaking as of late.

“We have seven returning players from last year’s team that won it,” Pete Palermo said. “They were productive last year and they’ve been productive this year – defensively and offensively. On the mound, we’ve had good pitching performances, and our hitters are getting it done right through. It’s nice to see. It’s good to see the work pay off.”

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