Northmen still perfect
Central Falls’ mistakes help North Smithfield
NORTH SMITHFIELD — The Central Falls baseball team needed to play a clean game defensively to have a chance at slowing down undefeated North Smithfield Thursday afternoon.
Central Falls sophomore hurler Kelvin Almonte, who caused the Northmen trouble last season, pitched a simple opening inning before the Warriors committed three errors in the second inning, which lead to two runs. Another error in the third inning allowed the Northmen to score five runs in what turned out to be a 15-6 Division III victory for North Smithfield.
“We’re playing hard, but it’s tough finding practice time, so I’m using JV games as practice time,” said Central Falls coach Bill Volpe, whose team doesn’t have a home field and was the home team in Thursday’s game at North Smithfield. “We get on any field we can, but it’s hard right now because every field is taken with high school and senior division games. Most of this team is seniors and they’re all stepping up and playing.”
North Smithfield second baseman Jack Losardo continued a strong week at the plate, as he had three hits and scored four runs, while senior catcher Devin Albino contributed four hits and three runs to go along with a couple of RBIs.
Even though the Northmen improved to 14-0, coach Jon Leddy wasn’t happy with some of the Northmen’s approaches at the
plate and play in the field.
“We’re playing kind of tight out there,” Leddy said. “Minus a couple of years where we were in D-II and they were in D-III, we’ve had some battles with Central Falls over the last eight years. That is the tightest nine-run game I’ve ever been a part of. Guys were playing tight in the field and guys were pressing at the plate a little bit. Basically, they need to loosen up and relax.
“They’re going to have a couple of days off to relax and get ready for Wednesday.”
Leddy said the undefeated record is starting to weigh heavily on some of his kids, but the weight is only going to get heavier going into the most crucial week of the season against Division III’s only other title contenders. First, the Northmen will likely send Adam Blakemore to the mound Wednesday in Providence against reigning Division III champion Rogers.
Two days later, North Smithfield makes its long trek of the season to Cardines Field to
take on a two-loss Rogers teams that suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Northmen last month.
“We just need to take it one game at a time and whatever happens in those games is going to happen,” Leddy said.
Central Falls (3-10 Division III) will be the home team again next week in Pawtucket against Shea. Thursday, catcher Steven Bautista scored two runs and drove in a run, while Marion Oferman and Rasec Torres each had a hit and scored a run.
The Warriors entered the bottom of the sixth inning down by a pair of runs, but No. 9 hitter Dilson Arrojo and Almonte found their way on base against reliever Jack Losardo. Volpe was left frustrated after Oferman, Torre and cleanup hitter Joshue Santana all made outs to end the threat.
“We had the top of the order up and they go down 1, 2, 3,” Volpe said. “If they knock those runs in then maybe it’s 11-7 or 11-8 – it’s a much closer game than it ended up being.”
Cole Dubois, who scored twice, opened the scoring in the second inning when he doubled and scored on a fielding error. Quinn Parent, who singled, scored on another Warriors error.
After CF grabbed a run back when Bautista scored on an error, the Northmen scored five runs in the third inning. Albino hit an RBI double and scored a run, while starting pitcher Michael deRonde, Losrado, Dubois and Parent all scored runs. Parent singled in Losardo in the fourth inning to stretch the lead out to 8-2, but the Warriors scored once in the fourth, twice in the fifth and once in the seventh to avoid a mercy-rule defeat.
“Devin got hot on Wednesday and hit the ball well and was just on fire today,” Leddy said. “Cole’s a monster, so any time he makes contact, he drives the ball. Quinn Parent has been solid the last couple of weeks.”