Published in the August 17, 2020 edition.
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — The Twi League semifinals finished up yesterday at Moulton Park with the Brewers and Slappers the last two teams standing, setting up a best-of-five championship series set to start tonight at 5:30 p.m.
The Slappers and Highlife settled their rubber match in the afternoon. The Slap, who forced game three by handing the Life their first loss of the season 7-4 on Friday, got a complete game from starter Dave Harris (7IP, 10H, 2ER, 5K, 1BB) and finally broke through against the Highlife’s Nick Dettorre with 10 hits, a three-run 6th creating enough cushion to win it comfortably at 6-2.
The Slappers ordered some pizza and set up shop down the left field line to watch the Brewers and Loafers who had some game two business to take care before a potential game three. Having played to a 6-6 tie through eight innings at Walsh Field on Friday night, they picked it back up at Moulton in the top of the 9th. The Brewers, who took game one on Thursday, got into a jam in the bottom of the 9th. With two outs and runners at second and third, a flare off the bat of Joe Galli seemed destined for the outfield but Brewer shortstop Matt Fiore made an incredible catch on a full-on sprint, keeping the Brew Crew alive and creating just a little momentum.
The Brewers exploded for six runs in the top of the 10th and finished up game two with a 12-6 victory and a ticket to the Finals.
Slapper Time
It was quite an adventurous campaign for the Slappers who started the year 0-3 and eventually sat at 1-4. A playoff appearance seemed all but shot for the Slap in this year’s shortened eight-game season. They bounced back by winning their final three games, including two against the Brewers to grab the final seed in the postseason.
Last night’s deciding game didn’t feature a full Highlife squad who had just nine guys, missing key players from their perfect regular season such as Anthony Caracciolo, Mark Sullivan, Danny Concessi and Tom Sheerin. Even still, it was the Life who took the first lead, scoring one in the 1st inning on an Eric DiTonno RBI knock to score Anthony Cecere. With runners at second and third, Mike Day had a two-RBI base hit robbed at short by Andrew Patti who made a snow-cone leaping grab for the third out.
The Slap got that run back in the 2nd. Patti reached on an error at shortstop and Harris singled. Patti tagged to third on a Paul McGunigle fly ball and Ty Gauthier scored Patti on a groundout.
After a quick bottom of the 2nd, Ryan DiBenedetto came through in the 3rd with his first of two clutch hits on the day. This one was barreled to deep right-center; “Dibo” knew it was extra bases off the bat, and saw it was at least three once he rounded first. The Slapper bench wildly waved him home for a 2-1 lead. That leadoff solo shot was the last run scored until the 5th as Harris cruised including a two-strikeout, one, two three inning in the bottom of the 3rd.
The Slappers got another one in the top of the 5th. A one-out Andrew Guido single turned into an unofficial triple after an outfield error and Parent brought him home on a sac fly after a great catch by Cecere in center.
Harris got out of trouble in the bottom of the frame. Derek Dettorre hit a one-out single followed by an epic battle between Harris and Cecere which finally resulted in a walk. Harris got out of it by getting DiTonno to fly out and Mark DiNocco to pop out.
The Slappers broke through in the 6th. Patti hit a standup double on the first pitch of the inning and Harris helped himself with an RBI single. After Jake Baressi was hit by a pitch and Dave Papagni walked, DiBenedetto came through again, this time a two-RBI base hit to make it 6-1.
The Life went down swinging in the 7th. Catcher Derek Dettorre, fresh off ending the top half with a play at the plate in which Joe Stackhouse threw out Benny Tomsyck trying to tag home, doubled and DiTonno got his second RBI of the night with an opposite field knock. DiNocco kept the rally going with a two-out hit but Harris got Day to ground out, finishing an improbable journey to the Twi Finals.
“The Catch” ignites the Crew
Fiore’s catch was preceded by another great defensive play in the bottom of the 9th. Mike Sorrentino led off with a single bringing up Teddy Larivee who hit a comebacker to Millea. The pitcher quickly got it out of his glove and hit Fiore at second base who made a fundamental turn to first for a double play. That ended up saving a run as James Beaton walked and Taylor Robinson ripped a double. Beaton flew around the bags and made the turn around third. Whether he wanted to hold up or not was unclear, but Beaton stumbled and was forced to retreat to the bag. It would have been a close play at the plate. Instead, Galli got his chance.
The catch was hard to explain. Fans behind the dish were sure it was over. It initially looked like a no-sweat opposite field base knock, but Fiore never gave up on it, running hard to the outfield. The ball seemed to hang up in the air with Fiore magically flying underneath, not unlike the Ben Williams catch from Angels in the Outfield – fun fact, played by a 25-year-old Matthew McConaughey.
As for the rest, I’ll let the legendary Red Smith describe it as he did a Jackie Robinson catch in 1951 in the bottom of the 12th, two outs and the bases loaded with the pennant on the line: “He flings himself headlong at right angles to the flight of the ball, for an instant his body is suspended in midair, then somehow the outstretched glove intercepts the ball. He falls heavily, the crash drives an elbow into his side, he collapses…stretched at full length in the insubstantial twilight, the unconquerable doing the impossible.” So yeah, that. Nice Twi shoutout by the way.
The Brewers exploded, first with a few “Let’s go’s!” then with their bats. Millea and Chris Coombs led off the 10th with singles and Robinson walked Fiore and John Halsey to make it 7-6. Brendan Casey ripped an RBI base hit and Mike Greer was hit by a pitch to make it 9-6. A Brian Diruzza walk made it 10 and a Tom Leahy fielder’s choice made it 11. Leahy manufactured the last run at first base with some sandlot ball, getting himself into a pickle and eventually waving home Greer himself. Greer took off and made it by jumping over the catcher and landing on the plate before the ball got there.
The six-run inning was plenty for Millea and despite the Loaf loading the bags in the bottom of the 10th he got out of it with no damage as the Brewers moved on.
It should be an interesting finals. The Slappers beat the Brewers in back-to-back games, 9-4 on Aug. 5 and 12-4 on Aug. 7. It’s two strong-hitting and defensively sound teams. Stay tuned.