'Canes outslug Pats in non-league matchup

By Ryan D. Murray
Posted 5/26/16

The Warwick Vets Hurricanes snuck by the Pilgrim Patriots 12-10 Tuesday afternoon in a thriller at Warwick Vets in non-league action. Kayla Morin and Sydney Alsfeld each had an RBI in the seventh inning to seal the deal

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'Canes outslug Pats in non-league matchup

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The Warwick Vets Hurricanes snuck by the Pilgrim Patriots 12-10 Tuesday afternoon in a thriller at Warwick Vets in non-league action. Kayla Morin and Sydney Alsfeld each had an RBI in the seventh inning to seal the deal for Warwick.

Starting in the circle for Warwick was senior right-hander Kayla Bourbon. She began things with back-to-back strikeouts, catching both Madison Balutowski and Jeriann Evans looking. Olivia King came through with the first hit for the Pats. Katrina Kazen followed it with a single to center. But, Bourbon was able to get Rachael Serra to ground out to escape the inning without any damage.  

“She pitched a heck of a three innings for us,” Vets head coach Paul Kennedy said. “She left and there were only two runs in those three innings. Very happy with what she did.”

Pilgrim starter Morgan Almon gave Bourbon a little of her own medicine when she struck her out to lead off things. Almon then walked the next hitter, Emily Sperduti. Samantha Beaufort batted next and came through with a single. Then, Michelle Spremulli got on with a hit to load the bases for Warwick. That’s when Almon hit Caitlyn Fallon with a pitch to bring in the first run of the game. Almon was able to fan Arietta Chevian, before Warwick took a 2-0 lead when Emily Walason hit an RBI single.

Almon then came up to bat for Pilgrim, leading off the top of the second inning with a base hit. Next, Karly Evans laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third. Then, Victoria Blanchard knocked in the runner to pull Pilgrim within 2-1.

In the bottom of the inning, Almon struck out Kelly Stevenson before getting both Bourbon and Sperduti to ground out.

In the top of the third, Pilgrim tied the game at 2 when Kazen got a hit to score Evans, who was at second.

In the bottom of the third, Alexandra Brown came in as the relief pitcher for Pilgrim. Brown walked the first hitter, Beaufort. Next, Spremulli got a single. Then, Fallon hit a single to score Brittney Boyd, putting Warwick on top 3-2. Chevian then came through with an RBI single, scoring Spremulli, increasing the Hurricanes’ lead to 4-2. Next, Walason hit a single to score Destinee Charette, who was pinch running for Fallon, making it 5-2. After King, the Pilgrim catcher, made a mound visit, Brown was able to calm down and get a strikeout on Mariana Brawn. However, Brown walked Stevenson next to load the bases. Then, Brown walked in a run, giving Warwick a 6-2 advantage. With the bases reloaded, Sperduti increased the Warwick lead to 7-2 with a sacrifice fly to score Boyd, who slid into home to beat the throw.

In the top of the fourth, Morin came in to pitch for Warwick. She started with a strikeout of Brown and followed it by getting Karly Evans to fly out. After Morin gave up a single to Blanchard, she struck out Emma Hlavacek to end the top of the fourth.

In the bottom of the inning, Pilgrim’s Karly Evans made a nifty sliding catch in left field to put out Spremulli for the first out. Next, Warwick’s Charette hit a single. Brown walked both Kristiana Altieri and Walason to load the bases. But, with one out, Brown came up big with back-to-back strikeouts on Alsfeld and Mackenzie Hough.

In the top of the fifth, Balutowski led off with a single for Pilgrim. Next, Morin walked Jeriann Evans. Then, Ashley Ferreira hit an RBI single to score Balutowski and pull Pilgrim within 7-3. With runners on second and third, Jordan Tiberi hit an RBI single, pulling Pilgrim to 7-4. Then, Coupe hit a bomb for a 2-RBI double, cutting the Warwick lead to 7-6.

“Karissa (Coupe) was up for this game because she went to Vets last year,” Pilgrim head coach Bill Aquilante said. “She played JV for them, so, she kind of wanted to come back to her old school and show them. And she’s a good hitter. We try to find at-bats for her in key spots where she can drive in runs.”

In the bottom of the fifth, Kazen took over in the circle for Pilgrim. She faced Morin, who hit a single by the shortstop. Sperduti walked next. With two runners on, Natasha Savage hit an inside-the-park home run to clear the bases and put Warwick up 10-6.

In the top of the sixth, Pilgrim’s Taryn Stringfellow managed a hit off of Morin. Next, Megan Cooney hit a laser for an RBI triple, pulling Pilgrim to 10-7. Then, Jeriann Evans knocked in Cooney to make it 10-8. Next, Ferreira hit one through the legs of the shortstop, Charette. Kazen followed it with a hit to center. Coupe then hit a single to knock in Ferreira and cut it to 10-9. After Morin walked Karly Evans, the bases were loaded. On a passed ball at home, Kazen scored from third to tie the game at 10.

In the bottom of the sixth, Kazen took over pitching for Pilgrim. She started by fanning Brawn. Next, Kazen walked Hough. That’s when Morin stepped to the plate and hit a rocket to right center for an RBI triple, giving Vets an 11-10 lead. Sperduti then knocked in Morin to extend the Vets lead to 12-10.

Pilgrim would have one more crack at it, but Morin would retire the side in order to give Vets the victory.

Kennedy was not too worried about his pitchers getting hit hard in the late innings.

“I’m not going to read anything into that other than our pitchers got hit a little bit by a good hitting team,” Kennedy said.

Aquilante used this game to prepare for Pilgrim’s grueling schedule this week. The team has four games this week, including this one.

“Non-league games for me are about getting everyone involved and keeping everyone sharp and resting some of the key players,” Aquilante said. “We have a game [Wednesday] against Cranston East. So, we felt that this was a game where we needed to get people into the game. We wanted to use all of our pitchers. We thought we could get them going and get them work in case we need them down the stretch.”