Cranston Legion picks up fourth straight victory

By RYAN D. MURRAY
Posted 6/26/19

By RYAN D. MURRAY Cranston, Auburn Post 20, Gershkoff Auto Body mercied Scituate Post 19 by a final score of 13-3 in five innings during the first game of a doubleheader at Cranston Stadium on Monday evening. Massimo Feroce pitched a complete-game for

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Cranston Legion picks up fourth straight victory

Posted

Cranston, Auburn Post 20, Gershkoff Auto Body mercied Scituate Post 19 by a final score of 13-3 in five innings during the first game of a doubleheader at Cranston Stadium on Monday evening.

Massimo Feroce pitched a complete-game for Cranston and struck out two while yielding just three hits.

Evan Degaitas led the Gershkoff offense with four runs scored, reaching base by way of two singles and two walks while catcher Tom Barbieri added three hits and three RBI.

Cranston also prevailed in the second game by a score of 4-2, which gives them four wins in a row and improves their league record to 4-6 while putting them at 6-7 overall.

“I think in the tournament, we started hitting in the last two games,” Gershkoff manager David Schiappa said following the first game of the doubleheader on Monday. “We spent all of our games this year really not hitting and leaving too many guys on. We saw 17 runs in the last tournament game. And then, once you start hitting, it’s infectious. So, we went right into this game and we kept on hitting, which is excellent. Massimo threw a great game.”

Auburn got on the board in the top of the first when with runners at first and second, Dante Parisi belted an RBI single to right, which scored Evan Degaitas and put Gershkoff on top 1-0.

Next, with the bases loaded, Noah Cook hit a two-run single through the legs of the shortstop and that scored both Parisi plus Andrew Clesas and extended the Gershkoff edge to 3-0.

Cranston tacked on another run in the second frame when Degaitas scored during a passed ball and that gave Auburn a 4-0 advantage.

In the fourth frame, the Gershkoff bats were back at it.

First, Barbieri socked an RBI single to left and scored Degaitas from second and upped the Auburn edge to 5-0.

Next, Drew Spirito belted an RBI single to left and scored Zach Minicucci and made it 6-0.

Then, with the bases jammed, Feroce helped his own cause when he hit a shot to left-center, which scored Barbieri and extended the Gershkoff cushion to 7-0.

Next, with the bases filled, Scituate reliever Cam Massiello walked in a run and that put Cranston on top 8-0.

Dante DeFalco followed that with an RBI single, which drove in Cook and pushed the Cranston lead to 9-0.

Then, Feroce scored during a passed ball and upped the edge to 10-0.

Next, with the bases reloaded Andrew Clesas hit an RBI single to right and scored Matt Carvalho and put Cranston up 11-0.

Lastly, Barbieri stepped to the plate with the bases juiced and rocketed a two-run single to center, which brought home both DeFalco and Degaitas and made it 13-0.

Scituate finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth when John DeCristofaro walloped a shot to the centerfield warning track for an RBI single, which scored Evan Pendergast and pulled Post 19 within 13-1.

Next, with runners at the corners, DeCristofaro scored during a double-steal and made it 13-2.

Finally, with Chris St. Pierre on second, Tyler McNamara hit a ground ball, which resulted in an error on Feroce, and that scored a run and ended the game at 13-3.

Gershkoff won the second game 4-2 behind the strong pitching of Cam Harris, who struck out ten over 6 1/3 innings while scattering five hits. 

On the other side, Max Pierce turned in a solid pitching performance for Scituate with five strikeouts in five innings.

The Gershkoff bats were carried by the hitting of Cook (2 doubles, a run scored and RBI), Spirito (double, RBI) and Evan DeGaitas (2 runs scored).

Two nights prior to the doubleheader, Parisi, Gershkoff’s left-handed slugger blasted the team’s first home run of the season when they closed out the Itri Square Cranston Classic Tournament, with a 17-0 drubbing of Howard Rogers Post 25, who hail from Pawtucket.

“Parisi looked awesome,” Schiappa said. “I moved him into the 3-hole and he’s really producing. He’s hitting and getting some RBIs for us. He’s doing a nice job.”

Gershkoff was set to travel to North Providence on Tuesday night to battle Smithfield/North Providence Post 29, but the results were not available at press time.

Next, Cranston will travel to Alaska to play in two tournaments totaling eight games, one Wood Bat and one BBCOR between June 27-30.

“There’s always good teams around the country there,” Schiappa said. “You never know what you’re going to face. Alaska is one of the locations that many legion teams go to. It’s one of the prime legion tournaments in the country.”

Teams from West Warwick and South Kingstown have gone there in the past according to Schiappa.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here