Vargas
and Kerski Strong in Sweep
Nieto Scores Game Winner in
3-2 Game Two Win-by Paul Ofria
MANCHESTER- Sweep and
Wait.
The Silkworms took a pair of games from the Dukes Tuesday night
at Northwest Park, but didn't know whether to celebrate a
playoff birth or prepare for a trip to Pittsfield on Wednesday
to play the 42nd and final scheduled game of the season.
Ryan Lavarnway put the Silkworms ahead to stay with a two-run
single in the third inning of game one as Manchester won 5-1,
while Eric Nieto scored on a two-base error in the seventh
inning in a 3-2 Silkworm win in game two.
Manchester (19-22) holds a two-game edge over Danbury (16-23),
who beat Lowell 9-7 Tuesday night. Newport (25-17) took a one
game lead over Torrington (22-16) for the top spot in the
Southern Division when it beat Keene 13-9. In the meantime, the
Twisters lost to North Adams 8-4.
At 1:45 am, the Commissioner's notified the Silkworms office
that the game scheduled to be played on Wednesday in Pittsfield
would be cancelled because it had no bearing on the playoff
pairings. Manchester is the fourth seed in the South and will
play on Thursday in either Torrington or Newport, depending on
the outcome of the Danbury vs. Torrington game to be played
Wednesday night in Torrington. Manchester will host game two at
Northwest Park on Friday.
The first game actually started on July 9th in Pittsfield, but
was suspended due to a severe rainstorm prior to the bottom of
the second inning. Ken Kerski relieved Giuseppe Granitto, who
had given up one hit and struck out a batter 22 days earlier.
Kerski (3-1) scattered five hits and gave up one run in six
innings while striking out three and walking three. Will Musson
pitched a perfect eighth innings and Jason Pizzoferrato.
In the nightcap, Baldwin Vargas (3-4) allowed just two hits and
two unearned runs in his eighth start of the summer. The
righthander struck out seven and walked one batter. Anthony
Russell tied the game at 2-2 with an RBI double, plating Steve
Crawford and setting a new franchise record for RBI in a season
set by John Fitzpatrick in 2005.
Brandon Otto set up closer Rob Hallberg for his franchise record
12th save with a perfect eighth, which featured a pair of
strikeouts.
Pittsfield jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a pair of unearned runs
in the second. Kyle Higgins got one back with an RBI single in
the in the fourth before Russell's double tied the game at 2-
all.
Nieto singled to leadoff the seventh and Brian Kelaher
sacrificed him to second. But Nieto kept running, and Pittsfield
catcher Jeff Rustico threw wildly to third trying to nail him,
allowing Nieto to score the game winner.
-Seven Manchester pitchers allowed just one earned over 18
innings with 16 strikeouts and five walks. On the base paths,
the Worms stole eight bases in nine tries. Lavarnway was 3 for 6
with a run scored and two rbi in the two games. Nieto was 3 for
8 with an rbi and two runs scored. Higgins had two hits, two
rbis and a pair of steals. Matt Smedberg stole two bases and
scored two runs
Notes:
-Through Tuesday, Manchester has played 329 NECBL regular season
games (143-185- 1) and nine in the post season (3-6).
-Seven Manchester pitchers allowed just one earned over 18
innings with 16 strikeouts and five walks. On the base paths,
the Worms stole eight bases in nine tries. Lavarnway was 3 for 6
with a run scored and two rbi in the two games while Nieto was 3
for 8 with an rbi and two runs scored. Higgins had two hits, two
rbis and a pair of steals. Matt Smedberg stole two bases and
scored two runs.
- Musson and Hallberg have both appeared in 21 games for the
Silkworms and now share the team record for appearances,
previously shared by Mitch Heckert (2005) and James Russell
(2002). The league record for appearances by a pitcher is 24.
-Casey Frawley and Higgins tied Ben Copeland and Tim Binkoski's
single season triple mark with three.
-With injuries to Frawley and Jay Schillaci, the Silkworms are
down to nine healthy position players.
Cam D'Auria contributed to this story
