SPORTS

Bulldogs surge to 3-0 start

Posted 6/29/22

By RYAN D. MURRAY

The Cranston Bulldogs handled Coventry 16-0 on Saturday morning in five innings at Fay Field. The game was called early due to the 12-run mercy-rule.

Mike Smith pitched a …

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SPORTS

Bulldogs surge to 3-0 start

Posted

By RYAN D. MURRAY


The Cranston Bulldogs handled Coventry 16-0 on Saturday morning in five innings at Fay Field. The game was called early due to the 12-run mercy-rule.

Mike Smith pitched a complete-game shutout for Cranston and struck out four, giving up just two hits and one walk. On offense, Smith hit two singles and a double, with one run batted in.

The game was initially scheduled to be played at Cranston High School West, however it was moved to Fay at the last moment because West was double-booked. Fortunately for Cranston, the news excited Smith, as opposed to aggravating him.

“This is my favorite field, so, whenever we get to play here, it always fills me with joy,” Smith said postgame. “So, when I found out that we couldn’t play at West, I was definitely more excited to play here.”

And after the Bulldogs scored 13 runs in the bottom of the first, Smith settled in nicely.

“The goal was just to go out there and throw strikes and hold the lead,” Smith said. “We obviously had a huge lead, so I just wanted to hold the lead and pound the zone.”

“Mike is our No. 1,” Bulldogs manager David Ciolfi said. “Mike’s our bread and butter. And now I think he’s working on 11 innings without giving up a run because he pitched seven last Saturday.”

Smith attacked the plate early with fastballs before going to his breaking pitch.

“As long as Mike gets ahead, he’s got a great changeup,” Ciolfi said. “So, he’s our number one and Anthony Decotis is our number two. And we have a couple of kids that can come out of the bullpen.”

“But he pitched a great game today, especially because it was so hot on the field,” Ciolfi said. “So, we told the kids, defensively, to make the play, because if you make an error, well, everybody’s got to stay out there longer, and they did. They made the plays they had to make and that’s it.”

Cranston right fielder Kaden Santurri contributed a single, a double, and two walks, with two RBI, while Decotis, a shortstop, added two singles, and two RBI, and third baseman Shawn Roche, a single and two walks, with two RBI.

The Bulldogs big first inning chased Coventry starting pitcher Adam Rose from the game after just 1/3 innings of work.

“We hit,” Ciolfi said. “If the pitcher can’t get his curveball or breaking ball over, we’ll sit on the fastball and we’ll hit, and that’s what happened today. The kid wasn’t close to the plate on his off-speed, so we told our guys to just stay red and wait for the fastball, and they did a great job of it.”

Ethan Koczwarski came in to pitch in relief of Rose and he also struggled mightily over his 1 2/3 innings of work.

Lastly, Mason Hunt pitched the final two innings and allowed three runs with two strikeouts.

“We’re 3-0 and I’m shocked because we got 15 kids and we threw them all together,” Ciolfi said. “And so far, so good.”

But Smith believes the Bulldogs have what it takes to make a title run as long as he and the other pitchers on the team continue to throw strikes.

“I think we’ve got a real shot to go all the way,” Smith said. “We certainly have the hitting and our defense is great. We’re a little short on pitching, but if our pitchers can just pound the zone, I think we can go pretty far.”

Bulldogs, baseball

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