Clippers hand Cranston East first loss

Cabral, Kopack combine to shut down Thunderbolts Monday

CRANSTON – More evidence as to why it’s quickly shaping up to be anyone’s game in Division I baseball this season came Monday at Cranston Stadium, as Cumberland notched an impressive 8-1 win over previously undefeated Cranston East.

“The great thing about Division I right now is that you can throw records out the window,” CHS head coach Andy Tuetken said after his squad improved to 4-2 in league play. “Last Thursday, we faced an East Providence team that had one win coming in and they looked like an undefeated team. We come to Cranston and put on a good showing.

“Division I really is wide open,” Tuetken added. “It’s exciting.”

Two Cumberland pitchers combined to hold Cranston East to just four hits and one unearned run. Austin Cabral supplied 6.2 innings while Addison Kopack needed just three pitches to nail down the game’s final out.

A senior right-hander, Cabral retired the first 11 batters of the game before allowing a two-out single to Cranston East catcher Alex Martinez with two down in the fourth. Like the Clippers, the Thunderbolts also own an early-season win over five-time defending state champion Bishop Hendricken.

Cabral finished with two strikeouts and one walk. The free pass was issued to the leadoff batter in the top of the seventh and wound up playing a significant factor in Tuetken’s decision to dip into his bullpen.

Cumberland pitching coach Jared Cardoso visited with Cabral after Cranston East (5-1) placed another runner aboard to create a first-andsecond, no-outs situation.

Cabral fielded a comebacker to the mound that advanced the runners, then got pinch hitter Yeferson Garcia to look at strike three for the second out in the seventh. The final offering to Garcia brought Cabral’s pitch count to 75, which is the limit a pitcher can reach and still be eligible to pitch later in the same week.

“We had already discussed with Austin about where he was at,” Tuekten said. “We wanted him to finish it, but we also wanted to make sure we had him out of the bullpen. We’ve got a three-game week and to have a good bullpen moving forward is huge.”

Asophomore, Kopack punctuated his first varsity outing on the hill with a swinging strikeout that stranded two runners in scoring position.

“We wanted to put Addison in some sort of pressure situation,” Tuetken said. “To get him in a game like that was good.”

Cumberland got all the offense it would need in the second inning. An infield single by C.J. Davock plated one run. The next batter, leadoff hitter Drew Szafranski, cleared bases with a double to left-center.

“We’ve done that a few times this year … get a few guys on and someone comes up with a big hit,” Tuetken said. “We worked some counts (in the second) and got some good at-bats.”

The Clippers upped their lead to 7-0 in the fourth, a frame that saw the visitors draw five walks. Three Cranston East pitchers combined to issue eight free passes.

“Lots of patience, but the good thing is that we took advantage of it,” Tuetken said.

The lone run scored by the Thunderbolts came when Zach Cole scored on a wild pitch in the fifth inning. Cabral extinguished what was a two-on, two-out threat by getting Jake Frost to line out to center field. An inning later, Cabral was the beneficiary of a 6-3 doubleplay.

Nick Croteau supplied two hits, a walk and a run out of the No. 2 spot, while catcher Reuben Hancock finished 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.

Cumberland’s busy week continues on Wednesday at Central and Friday at Tucker Field against North Providence.