Upper Deck tops Post 85, forces second title contest
Defending state champs win 3rd straight game
WEST WARWICK — Determined to see their season continue for at least one more game, defending state champion Upper Deck went to work early and often against Navigant Post 85 Friday night at McCarthy Field in an elimination contest.
A four-run top of the first against Woonsocket starting pitcher Austin Forget would prove to be more than enough, as Upper Deck forced the if-neccesary state title game with a 10-2 win over No. 1 Navigant.
John Scungio and Austin Cabral combined to shutdown Navigant’s red-hot bats, holding Post 85 to just six hits and a pair of runs, both of which were scored in the second inning.
Scungio would wind up throwing 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, as he left with runners on first and second for Cabral in a 6-2 game.
After striking out the first two hitters he faced to end the threat by Navigant, Cabral recorded four straight scoreless innings.
RBI singles by Cumberland’s Addison Kopack, Nick Larson, Sean Doris and Shane Calabro highlighted an offensive eruption in the top of the first with Upper Deck scoring four runs to take control of the contest.
Forget would last just one inning before moving to centerfield as Woonsocket’s Justin Mojica took over in the second, before Navigant’s bats went to work in the one frame in which they managed to put runs of their own on the board.
North Smithfield’s Ben Alexio helped Navigant get on the board with a leadoff double in the second. A single by Woonsocket’s Evan Masse made it 4-1, before Mount’s Joey Barter doubled Masse home, cutting Upper Deck’s lead to just two.
That was as close as the home team would get, because the remainder of the game was controlled largely by Upper Deck.
Having exceeded the 100-pitch mark, Mojica began to show signs of fatigue in the seventh after allowing an RBI single to Calabro in the third and another one to third baseman Nate Donovan in the fifth.
Upper Deck took advantage of the fatigue, driving the righty from the game in the seventh. Lou DeLeon drew a leadoff walk before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Calabro.
A passed ball followed a short time later by a wild pitch with Cumberland’s Drew Szafranski at the plate allowed DeLeon to come around and score, increasing the lead to a comfortable 7-2. That was the end of Mojica’s outing, as Harrison Blais came on and wound up pitching the remainder of the game. Doris doubled home a run in the eighth to make it 8-2 before a bases loaded walk to Kopack followed by Steven Andrews’ fielder’s choice plated the final run.
Cabral would retire the side in order in the ninth, striking out the last two hitters he faced.