Senior Day success for Northmen
Matulaitis’ 2-hitter helps N.S. bury Shea, 10-0, in D-III regular-season finale
NORTH SMITHFIELD — When skipper Jon Leddy stopped by the North Smithfield High diamond to check on its status on Friday evening, he thought he’d have to shelve his Northmen’s Division III regular-season finale against Shea on Saturday morning.
“When I left at 5 (p.m.), I figured there was no way we could play,” he stated. “There were puddles everywhere, and it was soft and slippery, but we had a grounds crew here at 6:30 this morning, and my assistant coach (Paul Levesque) was here at 7:30, so we all got the field ready.
“I’m glad we could get it in,” he added. “After all, this was our Senior Day.”
The Northmen made the most of their coaches’ and grounds crew’s efforts. Senior righty Chris Matulaitis hurled a spectacular, complete-game, two-hit shutout, without a walk, and whiffed seven, to deliver a 10-0 “mercy-rule” blowout of the Raiders before perhaps 50 fans.
“We had to change the start time from 10 to 11 a.m., then to 4 p.m., before we settled on a noon start,” Leddy noted. “(SHS head coach) Dino (Campopiano) had a wedding to attend this afternoon, so he told me the earlier the better.
“As for Chris, he’s a warrior,” he added. “He just goes out there and battled, always gives 100 percent. Nothing seems to faze him.”
With the victory, Leddy’s bunch closed its campaign at 13-4 overall (12-4 league), and now will prepare to host Central Falls in a D-III preliminary-round tilt at this same diamond at 4 p.m., Wednesday.
Shea, which erred nine times, finished with a 3-14 overall mark (3-13 league).
Behind Matulaitis’ outing on the hill came several outstanding offensive performances, none more critical than the one delivered by senior Cullen MacDonald, who drilled a two-run, twoout, walk-off double in the back half of the sixth.
When classmates Jake Forbes and Trevor Pascoe crossed the plate with the ninth and 10th runs, the umpiring unit signaled the end of the game.
MacDonald went 2-for-4 with two doubles, the two RBI and a run scored, while junior Jack Losardo closed at 1-for-4 with two RBI; classmate Adam Blakemore 1-for4 with an RBI and two runs; senior Matt Mandeville 1for-2 with a walk, hit-bypitch, RBI and two runs; Pascoe 1-for-3 with a pass and a run; and Matulaitis 2for-4 with a run.
Freshman Danny Beachemin may have gone 0for-2, but a walk and two stolen bags produced two more runs.
“I’ve got to credit my five seniors,” Leddy stated of Matulaitis, Mandeville, Forbes, Pascoe and MacDonald. “They’ve all been four-year players; they’re good kids and hard workers. They want to go out on a high note, especially after finishing 4-14 last year and missing the playoffs.”
Surprisingly, both Matulaitis and sophomore righty starter Manny Ortiz had no-hitters going entering the bottom of the third, though the hosts manufactured a four-run flurry which – in essence – ended it.
No. 9 batter Beauchemin initiated the surge with a walk, then robbed second. He moved to third on Matulaitis’ infield hit and raced home on an errant throw. Ortiz struck Mandeville with a delivery, and – still with no one out – Blakemore whacked an RBI double to short right field.
Forbes fanned, but Losardo drilled a two-run hit to center, and Pascoe followed with another single before Ortiz escaped.
In the top of the fourth, Shea mustered its lone two hits. Senior Keanu Vicente poked an opposite-field single to right, though junior catcher Devin Albino picked him off first with a pinpoint heave. Ortiz himself ripped a hit to center, but senior Isaias Medina popped out to Matulaitis on the mound to shut down the possible rally.
NS tacked on three more in the fourth, and it started when Beauchemin reached on a dropped fly in center. He again stole second, then took third on Matulaitis’ groundout before scoring on Mandeville’s single. The latter hustled to second on a wild offering, and Blakemore reached on a two-base throwing error to plate him.
Blakemore came in the fourth miscue of the frame as the Northmen gained a 7-0 cushion.
MacDonald opened the fifth with a double to deep left, and reliever Vicente walked Albino, yet Beauchemin bounced into a 6-unassisted-3 twin killing. It nevertheless plated MacDonald to increase the cushion to 8-0.
In the sixth, with senior Ethan Newman on the hill (he had registered a putout and five assists while at short the previous five innings), Forbes earned second on another throwing error and sprinted to third on a pitch gone awry. With two down, Newman issued a “freebie” to Pascoe, and MacDonald crushed his second two-bagger to left to enforce the 10run “mercy” rule.
“We’ve got some young guys who haven’t really played at this level before, so they’ve been making errors all season,” Campopiano explained after the loss. “I still have to give them credit; they show up every day and are willing to work really hard. It’s just a matter of practice and more practice. I’m very proud of them.
“I thought Ethan did a great job at short, turning that double play, and Jo-Ron Lewis is only a freshman, but he had a nice catch out there in center in sixth,” he continued. “This was the first time he’s played all year, so that’s something to build on.”
In a four-inning stint, Ortiz scattered five hits, allowed seven runs (three earned) and two walks while striking out five.
“I thought Manny pitched very well,” Campopaino conceded. “We just didn’t do the things we needed to do behind him. I have to say I wish Jon and his team well in the tournament. I’ve known Jon a long time (as they work together at Shea), so I hope they win the whole thing.”
As for Matulaitis, he seemed thrilled by the triumph.
“I like to pick at those corners, both outside and inside,” he offered after improving to 5-1 on the rubber. “I was trying to stay calm. If someone got a hit, I just trusted in my guys behind me.
“Now we’re going into the playoffs, and we want to keep the momentum going,” he added. “Like Jack Losardo said, ‘Just keep surfing!’ That only means keep calm, keep hitting spots, keep doing the job.”