Doris dominates in Upper Deck win

LINCOLN — Lincoln’s Sean Doris picked a good time to deliver his best pitching performance for Upper Deck Post 14 this season.

Pitching opposite Bishop Hendricken first-time All-State selection Matt Smaldone in the first game of the No. 2 seed’s American Legion quarterfinal series with Scituate Post 19, Doris needed just 92 pitches to throw a complete-game twohit shutout in UD’s 4-0 victory Friday night at Chet Nicols Field.

“Sean was awesome tonight,” Upper Deck coach Matt Allard said. “That was probably the best game he’s pitched all year for us. The big thing with Sean is he gets ahead of batters and that allows him to throw his curveball and his change-up, which are both very good pitches.”

Upper Deck can advance to the double-elimination semifinal round at McCarthy Field with a victory this afternoon at 1 at Scituate’s Manning Field. Allard said LaSalle righty Ben Hale of Cumberland will start for Upper Deck, while Scituate is likely to throw Max Pierce.

Smaldone also pitched well, as he allowed just three hits and three walks. Scituate’s de- fense, however, struggled with all four of Upper Deck’s runs coming because of errors. The game-winning run came in the third inning when Addison Kopack hit a triple to right field and then he scored on a passed ball.

Scituate allowed two more runs on a comical play in the third inning. Kyle DeLuca reached base on an error and then moved to third base on a ground out. He scored when Connor Sheehan reached base on an errant throw from third. The former Lincoln Lion scored later in the play on another infield throwing error.

Lincoln’s Tyler McNulty finished the scoring with a suicide squeeze to score Cumberland’s Nick Larson.

All the while Doris sailed through the contest without a Scituate running advancing to third base until the seventh inning. UD also played solid defense, according to Allard, with Kopack and Cumberland teammate Shane Calabro producing fine plays on the left side of the infield.

“This is huge in a threegame series,” Allard said. “It’s important to get some momentum and it’s important we continue to play well.”