Indians win city title
Veteran squad avenges only defeat of season
The Indians avenged their only loss of the season on Thursday night when they beat the Royals 10-6 in the RBI Junior Division Championship game at McConnon Field Thursday.
It was the Indians’ first championship appearance in the 24year history of the Pawtucket RBI program. Cleveland received the No. 1 seed after finishing the regular season with a record of 8-1. Their lone loss came to the Royals during the first game of the season.
The Most Valuable Player Award went to Indians catcher Ben Force, who went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in and a run scored.
“You’ve got to really want it to be able to do all that and that kid really wanted it,” Indians coach Lonnie Santiago said. “We almost had it as a young team last season and this season they came through.”
Force said the win felt extra special because it was against the Royals.
“It felt good because it was our only loss of the season,” Force said. “We kind of wanted to win it all against this team.”
Indian pitcher Aidan Metivier pitched four solid innings, striking out five while yielding two runs on three hits with three walks. In the fifth, the team’s closer Gerard “Ace” Ayotte III came on to shut the door and tossed three innings, giving up three runs on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts.
“My starter and my closer, they came in and did what they had to,” Santiago said. “So, thank God those boys came, concentrated, and they knew their job today.”
Cumberland native Joey Cote got the start for the Royals, but lasted just an inning after giving up three runs on four hits with three walks. Cote was replaced by Michael Bradshaw, who struck out five while yielding one run on three hits and a walk over three innings.
“Bradshaw threw great, kept us in the game and gave us a chance,” Royals coach John LaRose said. “He did a real nice job.”
With one down, in the bottom of the first, Indians outfielder Romell Morone socked an RBI single to right field that scored Corey Pereira and put the Indians up 1-0. Next, with Morone at second, Metivier helped his own cause, by blasting an RBI double to deep right-center which increased the Indians’ lead to 2-0. Then, with two down, Ayotte III drove in Metivier with an infield hit and upped Cleveland’s edge to 3-0.
In the third, the Royals lessened the gap. Outfielder Andy Ray led off the inning with a base hit. Then, Jack LaRose hit a routine ground ball at the shortstop, Lonnie Santiago Jr., who caused an error after a poor throw to first, which put runners at the corners. Next, Cote clubbed an RBI single to right that scored Ray and pulled the Royals within 3-1. Then, Anthony Martin, an outfielder, launched a sacrifice fly to left to score Larose and got Kansas City within 3-2.
However, every time the Royals got closer, the Indians would answer.
In the bottom of the inning, Metivier worked a lead-off walk before Force singled to center. Next, Ayotte III hit a ground ball at Cote, who was now playing shortstop, and Cote fired too strong to first which resulted in an error and allowed Metivier to score, upping the Indians’ lead to 4-2. Then, with two outs and a runner at second, Aexis Catalan slammed an RBI single to right and scored Ayotte III which increased the Indians’ advantage to 5-2.
The Royals pushed across a run in the fifth when with two down and a runner at third, Martin smacked a routine pop fly into the infield, past Indians first baseman Nick Force, which allowed Larose, who led off the inning with a walk, to score, pulling the Royals within 5-3.
Nonetheless, s Morone responded in the bottom of the inning with a lead-off triple to right field before scoring from third during a passed ball and increasing the Indians’ edge to 6-3. Then, with two runners in scoring position, Nick Force hammered an RBI double to right that drove in Ben Force and widened the Cleveland margin to 7-3. Finally, with runners at second and third, Catalan snuck an RBI single past the shortstop and scored Ayotte III while upping the Indians’ advantage to 8-3.
In the sixth, after Ayotte III walked both Kansas City’s Cole Vieira and Ian Pomfret, he fanned Ray. Next, Larose walloped a tworun single to right to drive home Viera and pulled the Royals within 8-4. Then, with two outs, Bradshaw crushed a two-run single to deep right that scored both Pomfret and Larose and inched Kansas City within 8-6.
But, with two outs in the bottom of the inning, Morone and Metivier worked back-to-back walks and moved into scoring position. Then, Ben Force drove in both runners when he pounded an infield single past the second baseman and made it 10-6.
The Royals played hard, but they just couldn’t keep pace with Cleveland on this night.
“They’ve got a good ball club,” LaRose said. “A bunch of older guys that swung the bats. But, our guys battled. We’ve got a good group of young guys and they had a great season.”
Larose coaches at Johnston & Wales University where he’s compiled over 400 wins.
On the other side, after coaching for nearly a decade, Cleveland’s Santiago is thrilled to finally have the elusive Golden Glove championship trophy.
“This was my eighth year coaching and today I feel very happy,” Santiago explained.
To get to the championship, the Indians defeated the Nationals 12-2 in the semifinal round.
The Royals were the No. 2 seed, finishing the regular season with a record of 6-3-1. In the semifinals, they defeated the Cubs 3-1.