Sports: Mystic Schooners are eliminated from the NECBL playoffs
Plymouth ties game in the 9th and wins it in the 10th
Groton — The fact that Mystic, the New England Collegiate Baseball League defending champions, made a quick departure from the playoffs on Thursday isn't nearly as stunning as the way it happened.
The Schooners appeared in command, turning the Southern Division wild card game over to their reliable bullpen with a 3-0 lead.
The lead disappeared in the ninth and Plymouth's Hernen Sardinas (Maine) belted a grand slam in the 10th inning, sending Mystic to a painful 7-3 loss at Fitch High School.
Manager Phil Orbe called the loss a life lesson for his players.
“We certainly have a bunch of competitors that played for us this year…,” Orbe said. “If you put your heart and soul into something and then you come up short, it stings a little bit.”
Mystic starter Kevin Chandler (Cal Santa Barbara) pitched a gem, allowing just one hit — a first inning single — in seven plus innings while walking three and striking out four.
Reliever Ryan Smith (Princeton) danced out a minor jam in the eighth and took the mound in the ninth with a 3-0 lead.
It fell apart from there.
Plymouth loaded the bases with nobody out. With reliever Logan Lessard (Butler) pitching, the Pilgrims plated the tying runs on a sacrifice fly, Brandon Martorano's RBI single and Chase Cheek's sacrifice fly.
Sardinas, who scored the third run, appeared to tag up and leave third base early. Mystic appealed, but the home plate umpire didn't agree.
“He did leave too early,” Orbe said. “For the umpire to call him out, you'd have to have a lot of confidence in yourself.”
Plymouth seized the lead in the 10th against reliever Trevor Holmes (UConn), who loaded the bases with nobody out, bringing up Sardinas.
Sardinas belted a pitch over the left field
fence for a 7-3 lead.
“I was just looking for something to drive,” Sardinas said. “With the bases loaded, I wasn't trying to rush anything. I just got it.”
The Schooners went quietly in the 10th against reliever Jon Bermudez (St. Leo College), who allowed one run in four innings to earn the win.
Mystic's four relievers were tagged for seven runs on eight hits in three innings.
Orbe said he could have handled his bullpen better. He regretted bringing in Lessard, the team's closer, with two runners on in the ninth instead of at the start.
Bullpen a strong suit
“Our bullpen has been our largest strength the whole year,” Orbe said. “I can't say enough about the effort Kevin Chandler gave us. He gave us everything we could expect and more. A true bulldog effort.
“… Kudos to Plymouth. They used their two best arms and kept us at bay, holding us to three runs. In a 10 inning game, they certainly outplayed us. There's nothing to be ashamed of.”
Mystic came into Thursday's game as one of the league's hottest teams, winning 10 of its last 11 games to finish in second place in the Southern Division at 27-17. Plymouth (25-19) was third.
The two teams split the regular season series.
The starting pitchers — Chandler and Plymouth's Ben White (Duke) — dominated the early innings, allowing just one hit in five innings.
First blood
Mystic struck first in the fifth. John Trousdale (Alabama) reached on a two-base error and scored on Phil Capra's two out single, which was Mystic's first hit.
Nick Mascelli (Wagner) belted his seventh home run of the season to give Mystic a 2-0 edge in the sixth. The Schooners increased the edge to 3-0 in the seventh on Ryan Ramiz's hustle double and Mitchell College's Garet Griffin's single.
Mystic entered the ninth three outs away from a date with Ocean State in the Southern Division championship series. Instead, Plymouth moves on. The Schooners own the longest active streak of playoff appearances with five straight.
“To put it in perspective, the end of the season six years ago and the end of the season now, obviously, I'd take it,” Orbe said. “But it still doesn't soften the loss.” g.keefe@theday.com