Cranston 15’s slug their way to state title

Jake Marrocco
Posted 7/22/15

All the Cranston Babe Ruth 15-year-old All-Stars wanted was a challenge, but they never really got one.

Cranston outscored its competition 56-4 over four games to take the state championship, …

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Cranston 15’s slug their way to state title

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All the Cranston Babe Ruth 15-year-old All-Stars wanted was a challenge, but they never really got one.

Cranston outscored its competition 56-4 over four games to take the state championship, finishing strong with a five-inning, 10-0 victory over Coventry in the title game. None of the final scores in its four contests were within five runs, with PAL coming closest in its 8-3 loss in the winners’ bracket final.

“It was hitting [that was our problem] last year, and we’ve worked on a few things in the cage,” Cranston manager Bob DeCosta said. “I’ve got to credit my coaching staff. First and foremost, Jay Fortin and myself we’ve been together for like seven years, eight years now. We work so well together, you know when you just click with somebody.”

“I’ve got my son, Rob, who played with us a few years back, Koye Idowu, he played with us. They kind of fit with the kids too and they’ve been a huge help. Scouting, picking up things, helping us out. We have a real good staff and we’ve worked with these kids. Even though all these kids are real good ball players, they still need work. Our baserunning, our defense, our pitching, hitting, it’s all coming together and I think this is really something special with these guys.”

Coventry was fresh off a three-inning continuation against Warwick after its losers’ bracket final from the night before was suspended by rain in the fourth inning. Coventry handled Warwick with relative ease in a 7-0 win, but had some momentum heading into its matchup with Cranston.

Cranston stoked those flames very early, though. After a painless first inning for Coventry pitcher Devin Hall, the doors came off in the second. Right fielder Mike Doire and Tournament MVP Jayman Albizu led off the frame with back-to-back singles before first baseman Mike Napolitano struck out swinging.

With one out and Doire and Albizu in scoring position, catcher Nick Poulos grounded to the left side and a rundown ensued with Doire trying to come home. After a few throws down the line, Doire came charging home and Hall tried to apply the final tag, but he dropped the ball on the catch and the run scored.

Cranston smelt blood in the water, and its offense’s potent mix of power and patience kicked in. Third baseman Nick Dionizio drew a walk to load the bases, and starting pitcher Brett Traficante took a free pass as well to drive in the second run. Hall’s day was done and Brendan Orgen was brought in to stop the bleeding.

“Explosive,” DeCosta said to describe his lineup. “We have one kid that goes on a dry spell and the other kids are picking him up. The one thing I was scared about in this whole tournament was our hitting. That was the one thing that scared me because of what happened last year [with two 2-1 losses in Regionals]. We’ve basically got the same group. I think we’re going to be good. I really do.”

Orgen delivered a wild pitch to the first batter he faced, second baseman Cam Harris, and Poulos came trotting home from third to make it 3-0. Harris then blooped a 2-2 pitch into left field that brought Dionizio across the plate.

Coventry’s shaky defense continued to plague it. Extra hitter Matt Siravo sent an easy pop fly into right field for what would have been the second out, but Mike Deprete closed his glove too quickly and the ball fell into play. Traficante came around to make it 5-0 while Harris moved to third.

Cranston took advantage of the mistake once again. Jake Palazzo took a 3-1 hitter’s pitch and drove it to left for a two-RBI single, bringing Harris and Siravo home to make it 7-0. Doire brought in the eighth and final run with his second hit of the inning, a bloop single to plate Palazzo.

Cranston also used speed to its benefit after No. 1 catcher Cam Reid didn’t start for Coventry. Cranston stole five bases in the second inning alone and seven overall on the day.

Traficante did his part to shut down Coventry and get the win in his three innings of work. He allowed just one hit, an infield single, and walked one while striking out one.

“When we told [Traficante] we were pulling him out after the third inning he was a little upset, but we wanted to see a couple other pitchers, get them a little bit of work and we knew we had this game.”

Southpaw John DeRouin tossed one inning and escaped the biggest jam of the day. With runners on first and second with one out in the fourth, DeRouin got Josh Andrade to strike out. Orgen stepped in and lined a hot shot to first, but Napolitano made the leaping stab to end the frame and Coventry’s only threat of the day.

A Poulos fielder’s choice in the third and a Doire RBI single in the fourth would tack on a couple more for Cranston, but it had the game well in control. Harris came in to shut the door in the fifth, and did so in impressive fashion. He froze the first two batters he faced before striking out D.J. Lopes swinging to end the game.

Cranston now moves on to Trumbull, Conn., for the New England Regionals beginning on Friday.

“We’re not going to go crazy with the practices,” DeCosta said about how his team will avoid going cold with an eight-day break in between games. “We went to the World Series with my son and Koye’s team and we were practicing like every day, and then it got to be the point where we’d get to the field and it would be ‘All right, what do you want to do today?’ And [Jay and I] would both look at each other. There’s really nothing more we can do. We’ll just do what we do best.”

When asked how far Cranston get this year, MVP Albizu was succinct with his answer.

“World Series,” he said.

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