SO CLOSE
South Kingstown erases 3-run deficit, walks off with with 5-4 win over Lincoln
SOUTH KINGSTOWN — On paper, Saturday afternoon’s rainy Division I matchup between the host Rebels and visiting Lincoln Lions was no contest.
South Kingstown entered play riding a six-game win streak, while the Lions had only won two of their first five regular season games.
The Lions showed the gap might not be as wide as it appears. Lincoln led 4-1 after five-and-a-half innings on Saturday before South Kingstown rallied for a 5-4 walk-off win in eight innings.
“I was really proud of them,” LHS head coach Andrew Hallam said following the loss. “They’re constantly competing for positions and I know it can be frustrating. They’re all competitors. They’re pulling together … one swing away and one pitch away from beating an undefeated team.”
The sloppy weather was not indicative of the play in the field, as both sides exhibited strong pitching and defense. Sean Doris shut down a tough Rebel lineup through the first five innings, allowing two hits and one run in that span.
“Our pitching was wonderful,” Hallam said. “Our catching was very good. Our defense was good. Just came up a little short.”
“He’s so vital to us,” he continued, on the topic of Doris. “He’s not necessarily a starter but obviously he can be. [His pitch count] was in the high-80s [in the sixth] and for him that’s a lot.”
Doris retired 11 out of 12 batters he faced from the second to the fifth inning on Saturday, shutting down a team that was averaging over 11 runs a game entering play.
The Rebels scored a single run in the first. Asingle turned into a runner on third when Doris threw the ball away on a pick-off attempt and then balked on the next pitch.
The Lions managed a run of their own in the fourth to tie the game at 1-1. Noah Duquette started the rally with a single, and came around to score when nine-hitter Jason Marolla legged out a basesloaded infield single.
A major upset looked to be in the works when the Lions tacked on three more runs in the top of the sixth. The bottom of the order loaded the bases when Derek Degnan crushed a double, Martin Gaughan drew a walk and Marolla singled.
The top of the order showed its appreciation for the 7-8-9 hitters hard work by driving in two runs. After Degnan scored on a wild pitch, Gaughan and Marolla came home on an Aaron DeSousa single and a Doris groundball.
“We talk about determination and focus a lot,” said Hallam. “They answered the
bell.
“We had quality at-bats for the most part. When we didn’t, that’s when we didn’t have success. The lower half did a nice job - actually the whole lineup had a nice day.”
Alas, the Lincoln lead was short-lived. Working against a tiring Doris, the Rebels also loaded the bases in their half of the sixth inning. Three hits and two walks re-tied the game at 4-4, but some timely Lions defense prevented the Rebels from taking the lead.
Blake Zaniol - who came on in relief of Doris - induced a groundball right back at him that led to a 1-2-3 double play.
A baserunning mistake by the next Rebel batter, coupled with a strong throw from short, ended the SK scoring threat prematurely.
Lincoln went down in order in both the seventh and eighth, as did the Rebels in the seventh. In the eighth, they loaded the bases on a hit, walk and hit batter. Senior Jared Hayes lofted a fly ball to right field, and Brendan Blessing tagged up to end the game.
Impressive performance or not, the Lions fell to 2-4 with the loss, having now lost two of their last three games.
“I think we’re better than our record,” said Hallam. “We’ve beaten ourselves a couple times but hopefully we’re learning and improving. We’ve got freshmen playing, a whole bunch of sophomores and a kid that hasn’t played in four years playing third base.
“Good stuff happening here. Too results-oriented sometimes. My second year [here as coach], we were 1-7 and then ran the table. I know how quick it can change.”
This upcoming week features three home games for the team, against Toll Gate, Middletown and Central. All three of those squads are currently at .500 or below.