ITL on Chronicle

An ITL segment will air on Chronicle on WCVB Channel 5 this Wednesday evening 9/19 at 7:30. You can also see it on their YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrhpjHMvCoJQtXPs17BAQA

Professional Tryout - This Sunday, Lynn, MA

THIS SUNDAY - FRASER FIELD, LYNN MA
September 23rd, 2018

Independent Professional Baseball Tryout
Tryouts will be conducted by, Casey Dill - Southern Illinois Miners
Phil Nicoletti - Los Angeles Dodgers, Denny Henderson - Chicago Cubs (retired)

Tryout date & location;
Sunday, September 23rd - Fraser Field, Lynn MA

* Tryouts; 9:00AM position player check in.
10:00AM tryout begins / pitcher check in
 

More than just a tryout, here is what to expect;

• Professional tryout & combine
• Independent professional baseball education
• Every player will receive an evaluation & recommendation 

 

Questions can be directed to; Casey Dill, Scouting & Player Acquisition Coordinator
caseydillbaseball@gmail.com

Click here to register  You will receive a conformation email, with day of tryout itinerary & instructions, within 24 hours of registration.

Back-to-Back

Back-to-Back
Townies complete the comeback for second straight ITL crown
By Nick Curcuru

After the Rockport Townies’ Game 4 win over the Manchester Essex Mariners in the ITL Finals, manager Jay Pallazola still felt that his offense had yet to arrive in the series.

In Monday’s winner-take-all Game 5 at Memorial Field, the Townies offense arrived early and often. Rockport jumped out of the gates for four runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back in an 11-3 win to clinch the Intertown Twilight Baseball League championship for the second season in a row.

Rockport finished off an impressive and improbable comeback on Monday as it trailed 2-0, while being outscored 19-3, after the first two games of the series only to rip off three straight wins to clinch the championship against a team that entered the series having lost just three games all season.

“We came out hitting today and that was the key,” Pallazola said. “When we are on our game we are unstoppable and we showed it tonight. Our hitting finally came around in the playoffs and it was at the most important time.”

The Townies took control of the game before a Mariner even stepped foot in the batters box thanks to four runs in the top of the first inning.

Alex Webb’s double down the right field line got them started and he was driven in one batter later when Mike Emerson blooped a double to right field to make it 1-0. Two batters later, Nolan Webb singled in Emerson for a 2-0 Townies lead and, Kyle Nelson delivered another big blow in the form of a two-out, two RBI bloop double down the right field line to give Rockport a 4-0 lead.

“That was basically the difference in the game right there,” Pallazola said. “It got us up and it got them pressing a little bit. But we knew it was far from over, not against a team like the Mariners. They’re in the finals every year for a reason.”

The Mariners got on the board in the bottom of the second when Johnny Wilcox singled in Mike Cain, who doubled. But the Townies answered back with two more runs of their own in the top of the fourth inning on an Emerson RBI single and a Nolan Webb sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 6-1.

Manchester Essex, however, was not going down with out a fight as it started to mount a bit of a comeback in the bottom of the fourth. 

Cain’s solo shot to left cut the deficit to 6-2 and Paul Crehan later singled in Wilcox, who reached on an error, to make it 6-3.

That’s when Pallazola made a pitching change, going to 16-year-old right hander Ryan Webb in relief of starter MacKenzie Quinn, who was gutsy in 3 2/3 innings as he has been battling a back injury in recent weeks.

With the bases loaded and the heart of the order coming up for the Mariners, Ryan Webb got a big strikeout to end the threat. He would take that momentum into the next three innings as he did not allow a run, or a hit, in 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.

“I just knew I had to stop them (in that fourth inning) or it could have gotten out of hand,” Ryan Webb said. “I had to come up big and I just came out firing. The ump was calling the outside corner all night so I kept going there.”

Ryan Webb worked around a pair of two-out errors to get out of the fifth unscathed, and the Townie bats put the game away in the top of the sixth with a two-run shot from Jordan Pallazola and a solo homer from Dylan Maki to extend the lead to 11-3.

A RBI triple from Alex Webb, who had three hits and scored three runs, was followed by a RBI single from Emerson, who had three hits and drove in three runs, to cap the scoring at 11-3.

“I know the bats are going to be there for me every time I go out there, it does a lot for your confidence,” Ryan Webb said.

The right hander recorded the final out of the game on a line drive to second base to finish off the championship. 

Over the last two seasons, the Townies have been impossible to kill as they are 8-0 in elimination games en route to back-to-back championships.

“It says a lot about this team,” Pallazola said. “Once we settle in and play the way we are capable of playing we are so tough to beat. This was a clutch team that got it done in the big moments.”

All Square: Townies win Game 4 to force winner-take-all Game 5 of ITL Finals

All Square: Townies win Game 4 to force winner-take-all Game 5 of ITL Finals
By Nick Curcuru

The Rockport Townies faced long odds in the Intertown Twilight Baseball League Finals after falling into a two-game hole in the best of five series against the Manchester Essex Mariners.

The defending champion Townies still faced long odds on Sunday afternoon in a must-win Game 4, trailing by two runs in the second inning with Mariners ace Rusty Tucker on the mound. But Rockport caught a break that altered the game, and quite possibly the series.

After singling to lead off the second, Tucker injured his right leg sliding into second base on a force-out. The left-hander was forced to leave the game after just one inning pitched, which featured a pair of strikeouts.

Peter Clark came in to pitch to open the second, and he pitched well, but was out-dueled by Derek Osmond in a 4-2 Townies win at Evans Field. 

The win ties the ITL Finals at two games a piece. The teams meet at Memorial Field in Essex for a winner-take-all Game 5 on Monday night (5:30 p.m.).

"You never want to see someone go out with an injury and we totally feel for him in that situation because he's a competitor," Townies manager Jay Pallazola said. "But we had to keep playing, and we took advantage. It was another great game in a great rivalry."

The Mariners got to Osmond in the top of the second inning when Johnny WIlcox doubled in Paul Crenhan, and then scored on a Kellen Field base hit to make it 2-0 Mariners.

A two-run lead has been insurmountable with Tucker on the mound this season as he finished the regular season with a 0.20 ERA and never allowed more than one run in a game. 

Clark was able to keep the Townies off the board in the second but the home team fought back to tie the score in the bottom of the third inning.

Mike Emerson doubled into the right field woods scoring Conor Ressel, who singled, to cut the lead to 2-1. Emerson later came in on a balk to make it 2-2.

The Mariners threatened in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with just one out. But Osmond got a line drive out on the infield and a fly out to the outfield to end the threat and keep the score tied.

Osmond allowed just the two first inning runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings pitched, earning the win.

"He's one of our workhorse pitchers and he showed why," Pallazola said. "He got big outs, when he needed them they were there. He's a veteran player and he knows what to do in these big games."

The Townies grabbed the lead for the first time in the bottom of the fifth when Jordan Pallazola doubled into the woods in right scoring Emerson, who singled and stole second. Nolan Webb followed with a single up the middle scoring Pallazola from second for a big insurance run and a 4-2 Rockport lead.

"We're still struggling at the plate in this series but they were clutch today," Pallazola said. 

The Mariners put two on with one out in the sixth when Pallazola went with MacKenzie Quinn, who got out of the inning with a lazy fly ball to right and a ground ball to shortstop.

Quinn sat Manchester Essex down in order in the seventh to earn the save and tie the series.

Pallazola said that Quinn will take the mound in Game 5 on Monday night against Marc Phinney of the Mariners, which is a rematch of Game 5 of the 2017 finals, a 3-0 Townies win.

game 4 postponed

Today’s been canceled, tomorrow is game 4 in Rockport at 4. Game 5 would be Monday 530 in Essex.

From the news

Townies edge Mariners in Game 3, fight off elimination

By Nick Curcuru

Sports Editor

Over the last two seasons, the Rockport Townies have always risen to the occasion in elimination games, playing their best with the season on the line.

Wednesday’s Game 3 of the Intertown Twilight Baseball League Finals was no different.

The Townies needed a win to keep the series

going, and they did just that with a 5-4 victory at Memorial Field to cut the Mariners lead to 2-1 in the best-offive series. Rockport is now6-0 in elimination games over the last two seasons.

Game 4 shifts back to Evans Field in Rockport on Saturday (4 p.m.). If the Townies can fight off elimination again on Saturday, a winner-take-all Game 5 will be played on Sunday back at Memorial Field in Essex (4 p.m.).

“We definitely made the series a little more interesting tonight,” Townies manager Jay Pallazola said. “We were just clutch when we needed to be, pitching, defense and hitting wise.”

It was a back-and-forth game all night and tied, 4-4, entering the seventh inning when the Townies took the lead for good.

Mike Emerson and Jordan Pallazola drew backto- back walks with one out in the frame. Emerson then attempted to steal third base and the throw to the bag sailed into

the outfield, allowing him to score to give Rockport a 5-4 lead.

Starter Jason Vizena finished the job in the bottom of the seventh, working around a two-out error to preserve the victory. The Townie’s south paw allowed two earned runs in seven innings of work, scattering seven hits.

“Jason is a guy that we haven’t used a ton this year and he really stepped up when we needed him tonight,” Pallazola said. “He contained a strong offense on their home field and hekept the ball in the yard. That’s what hurt us in Game 1 but he didn’t make a ton of mistakes tonight and the defense made plays behind him.”

The Mariners broke out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Adam Philpott’s grounder on the infield scored Caulin Rogers, who led off the inning with a single.

Vizena, however, pitched out of the jam withoutfurther damage, and his team evened up the score in the next half inning.

Keady Segel laced a one-out single, stole second base and then came in to score from second on a Dylan Maki single to make it 1-1 after two.

“That was a big sequence,” Pallazola said. “If (the Mariners) can get another run or two in the first, it would have been a big momentum builder for them and really bad for us. But we were able to get out of the first only allowing a run and we tied it up quickly in the second. It was huge for us mentally.”

The Townies went on to take a 2-1 lead in the third on a Jordan Pallazola solo shot. But Philpott drove in Rogers again in the bottom of the frame to tie the score at two, this time with a base knock.

Alex Webb’s two-RBI single in the fourth plated both Maki and Kyle Nelson to put the Townies ahead once again at 4-2. The Mariners, however, had another answer when a Rogersground ball to short scored

Peter Clark to make it 4-3 after four. Johnny Wilcox then singled in Rory Gentile in the fifth to tie the score again at 4-4.

Mariners 10 Townies 2

Mariners take 2-0 lead in ITL finals with Game 2 dominance
By Nick Curcuru Sports Editor 11 hrs ago
   
The Manchester Essex Mariners are now just one win away from being back on top of the Intertown Twilight Baseball League.

With a 10-2 shellacking of the Rockport Townies in Game 2 of the ITL Finals, the Mariners take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series and can clinch the championship with a win on Wednesday in Game 3 at Memorial Field in Essex (5:30 p.m.).

The Mariners, who are going for a ninth league title in the last 11 seasons on Wednesday, never trailed in Tuesday's contest at Evans Field and gave starter Marc Phinney a lead before he even threw a pitch.

After reaching on a walk, Caulin Rogers scored all the way from first on an Adam Philpott double to the gap in left center, giving Manchester Essex a 1-0 lead after one.

The Mariners scored all the runs they needed with three more runs, all with two outs, in the second inning to take a commanding 4-0 lead.

Rogers doubled in Paul Crehan, who reached on a double, to make it 2-0. Mike Cain and Rory Gentile followed with RBI singles to extend the lead.

The teams traded runs in the the third inning as Rusty Tucker scored on a throwing error for the Mariners after being hit by a pitch, and Keady Segel put the Townies on the board in the bottom of the frame when he doubled down the left field line and came around to score when the throw back to the infield went out of play.

Segel's run cut the lead to 5-1, but the Mariners tacked on one more in the fourth when Cain scored on a Tucker sacrifice fly.

Mike Emerson got the Townies back within four with a solo shot to center to lead off the bottom of the fourth, but the Mariners again had an answer as Cain singled in Kellen Field, who doubled, in the top of the fifth to make it 7-2 Mariners.

The victors would go on to score three more runs in the top of the seventh to take a 10-2 lead and, more importantly, a 2-0 lead in the series.

Cain and Philpott had three hits and two RBI each to lead the Mariners. Phinney went the distance for the win, allowing two runs on just three hits.

Parking Advisory

Game 3 of the ITL Finals is scheduled for Wed. Aug. 15th at Memorial Park in Essex.  If planning on attending, please park in the lot near the playground.

Mariners 9 Townies 1

Mariners 9 Townies 1
"Mariners on Top"
by Nick Curcuru From the Gloucester Daily Times:



The Manchester Essex Mariners needed a spark entering the bottom of the fifth inning in Monday’s Game 1 of the Intertown Twilight Baseball League Finals against the defending champion Rockport Townies.

Through four-and-a-half innings, the Townies held a one-run lead and pitcher Ryan Webb was holding the vaunted Mariners offense hitless.

The No. 1 seed in the ITL playoffs needed a big hit, and they got it from their staff ace. Rusty Tucker lined one over the fence in left for a solo shot, and that was the shot in the arm the Mariners needed, as they responded with five runs in the fifth and four more runs in the sixth en route to a 9-1 win at Memorial Field.

The Mariners lead the best-of-five series, 1-0. Game 2 will be played on Tuesday night at Evans Field in Rockport (6:30 p.m.).

“We found ourselves in a little hole, (Webb) pitched well for four innings and we didn’t show up ready to hit,” Mariners manager Ryan Marques said. “But the bottom of the fifth we got it going. Once Rusty hit that homer, it really got us going. It was good to get the big hits when we needed them.”

The Townies drew first blood in the top of the third when Keady Segel led off the frame with a solo shot. That was the lone run of the game until the Mariners pulled away in their final two at-bats as both pitchers were up to the challenge.

Tucker went six innings — the game was called due to darkness in the bottom of the sixth — with 13 strikeouts and one earned run on three hits. Webb, on the other hand, allowed two runs on three hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Following Tucker’s game-tying home run, Johnny Wilcox followed with a base knock, and after being moved over to second on a balk, Kellen Field drove him in with a base knock up the middle with what turned out to be the winning run, giving the Mariners a 2-1 lead.

Two batters later, Mike Cain essentially put the game away with a three-run blast to extend the lead to 5-1. Cain crushed the pitch to left and the Townie’s left fielder didn’t even move as it flew well over the fence.

“I was looking for something to drive and the pitch caught a lot of the plate,” Cain said. “I didn’t miss it. I think that kind of demoralized them, it’s tough to come back from that with Rusty pitching. You have to give credit to our young guys too, they’re the energy of this team and Kellen Field also had a huge hit for us.”

The Mariners followed up the fifth inning rally with four more in the sixth. Tucker led off the frame with another solo shot to make it 6-1. Peter Clark then delivered a RBI double, and a bases loaded walk and hit batsmen accounted for the final two Mariners runs in a 9-1 win.

Weekend Washout

The ITL Finals has been completely washed out this weekend.  We will try again Monday, Aug. 13th with Game 1.

Rockport @ M/E
Memorial Field in Essex
5:30pm start.


Game 2 will likely be played Tuesday evening in Rockport.  Please keep checking for updates.

Finals Bound Townies down Generals, meet Mariners in finals rematch

"Finals BoundTownies down Generals, meet Mariners in finals rematch"

By Nick Curcuru

The 2018 Intertown Twilight Baseball League Finals will be a rematch of the 2017 final.

With a 7-4 win over the Hamilton Generals in Friday's winner-take-all Game 3 at Evans Field, the Rockport Townies have won their semifinal series and will take on the Manchester Essex Mariners in the ITL Finals. The two teams met in the 2017 finals with the Townies taking the championship in five-games. It was their first title since 2007 and it ended the Mariner's streak of five straight ITL crowns.

It was the Generals that came flying out of the gates on Friday night with three straight hits to open up the game, leading to three runs.

Harrison O'Brien's triple gave Hamilton a 1-0 lead just two batters in. The General's number three hitter, Brett Harring, followed with a RBI double to extend the lead to 2-0. Harring then made it 3-0 when he scored on a Chris Huggett grounder on the infield. 

The Townies, however, would fight back to tie the score with three runs of their own in the bottom of the second inning.

Kyle Nelson put Rockport on the board with a two-RBI single to center plating Nolan Webb, who reached on a single, and Dylan Maki. Nelson later came in to score on a Keady Segel base knock to tie the game at 3-3 after two.

The defending ITL champions took the lead for good with a fourth inning rally.

A Segel sacrifice fly plated Maki, who doubled to lead off the frame, with the go ahead run to make it 4-3. An Alex Webb bloop single then plated Jason Vizena (single) with what turned out to be the winning run, giving the Townies a 5-3 edge. Webb and Conor Ressel, who walked, would later come in to score on a Jordan Pallazola base knock to give the Townies a commanding 7-3 lead.

Things got testy in the fourth frame as the benches cleared when the Generals took issue with a hard and late slide into second base by the Townies. No ejections were issued after some pushing and shoving on the infield.

Hamilton cut the Townies lead to 7-4 in the fifth inning on a Harring RBI single, but they would get no more as Jason Vizena pitched a scoreless sixth and Shawn Hull finished it off. 

Maki turned in the defensive play of the night with a bare handed play on a weakly hit ground ball up the middle for the second out in the top of the seventh inning.

The finals begin on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Field in Essex (4 p.m.) where the top seeded Mariners will host Game 1 against the second-seeded Townies. Game 2 will be played at Evans Field on Sunday (4 p.m.) with Game 3 going back to Memorial Field on Wednesday (5:30 p.m.). If necessary, Game 4 will take place next Saturday at Evans Field with Game 5 going back to Memorial Field next Sunday.

Townies Survive

"Townies Survive Rockport forces decisive Game 3 with seventh inning rally"
By Nick Curcuru - Gloucester Daily Times

HAMILTON-- The Rockport Townies live to play another day in the Intertown Twilight Baseball League Finals.

The defending league champions were in a must-win situation in Game 2 of the ITL semifinals against Hamilton, and a three-run rally in the seventh inning led to a 5-4 Townies win, salvaging the season for at least one more game.

With the series tied at one, the two teams will meet in a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday night at Evans Field (7 p.m.). Thursday’s winner advances to the finals against the top-seeded Manchester Essex Mariners, who swept Beverly in their semifinal series.

“That was as tense as it gets, but we didn’t give up in this game,” Townies manager Jay Pallazola said. “We have a knack for dropping the first game of a playoff series, but we got through it tonight and we are on to Game 3. We have been in this position before so I like our chances.”

The second-seeded Townies were down to their final three outs as the third-seeded Generals led 3-2 heading into the seventh inning. That’s when Rockport mounted a comeback.

Mike Emerson laced one of his three singles on the night to open up the seventh and set the table for a rally. “Getting the leadoff guy on any way you can is huge in that situation,” Pallazola said. “It gave us life and a little momentum.”

Dylan Maki followed with a base knock to put runners on first and second with nobody out. The Townies would tie the score one batter later when Jordan Pallazola grounded to second base. The Generals got one out at second, but a hard slide from Maki broke up the double play as the throw to first sailed high and allowed Emerson to come in with the tying run.

Keady Segel then legged out a double, which scored Jordan Pallazola from second after a stolen base, to give the Townies the lead at 4-3. Segel later came around to score on a wild pitch to give the Townies an insurance run at 5-3.

That run ended up being the difference in the game as Hamilton did not go quietly in the bottom of the frame, loading the bases with one down.

The Generals cut the deficit to 5-4 when Sal Guarino grounded to first, plating Larry Saggesse, who singled with one down. Closer Dylan Maki struck out the next batter to end the threat, with the tying run on third base and the potential winning run on second.

“They made clutch plays when they were down,” Pallazola said. “This was such a back and forth game but we did just enough.”

The majority of the contest saw General’s south paw Luke Painchaud and Townie’s righty MacKenzie Quinn engage in a pitcher’s duel that was a battle of crafty arms that weren’t overpowering, but were accurate and kept hitters off balance.

The Townies struck first in the top of the second inning when Ryan Webb was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, allowing Jordan Pallazola to come in from third.

Painchaud, however, settled in from there, getting several clutch outs as the Townies stranded nine men on base in the first six innings.

“You have to give Luke a ton of credit, he always gives us trouble,” Pallazola said. “He’s not overpowering but he keeps us off balance and we can never seem to get to him.”
Hamilton grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run, two-out rally.

It looked like the Generals would come up empty handed as Segel snared a hard hit grounder off the bat of Brett Harring and threw a runner out at home for the second out of the frame. But Saggesse and Chris Hugget followed with RBI singles to make it 2-1 Hamilton. The home team added one more run in the frame when Guarino walked with the bases loaded.

Rockport rallies past Hamilton-Wenham Forces decisive Game 3 in ITL playoffs

"Rockport rallies past Hamilton-Wenham Forces decisive Game 3 in ITL playoffs"
By Nick Curcuru - Salem News

HAMILTON — The Rockport Townies live to play another day in the Intertown Twilight Baseball League playoffs.

The defending league champions were in a must-win situation in Game 2 of the ITL semifinals against Hamilton, and a three-run rally in the seventh inning led to a 5-4 Townies win. With the series tied at one, the two teams will meet in a winner-take-all Game 3 Thursday at Evans Field in Rockport (7 p.m.). Thursday’s winner advances to the finals against the top-seeded Manchester Essex Mariners, who swept Beverly in their semifinal series.

“That was as tense as it gets, but we didn’t give up in this game,” Townies manager Jay Pallazola said. “We have a knack for dropping the first game of a playoff series, but we got through it tonight and are on to Game 3.

“We’ve been in this position before so I like our chances.”

The second-seeded Townies were down to their final three outs as the third-seeded Generals led, 3-2, heading into the seventh inning. That’s when Rockport mounted a comeback.

Mike Emerson laced one of his three singles on the night to open up the seventh and set the table for a rally. Dylan Maki followed with a base knock to put runners on first and second, and the Townies tied the score one batter later when Jordan Pallazola grounded to second base. The Generals got one out at second, but a hard slide from Maki broke up the double play as the throw to first sailed high and allowed Emerson to come in with the tying run.

Keady Segel then legged out a double, which scored Jordan Pallazola from second (after a stolen base) to give the Townies the lead at 4-3. Segel later came around to score on a wild pitch.  That run ended up being the difference in the game as Hamilton did not go quietly in the bottom of the frame, loading the bases with one down.

The Generals cut the deficit to 5-4 when Sal Guarino grounded to first, plating Larry Saggesse, who singled with one down. But Maki struck out the next batter to end the threat, with the tying run on third base and the potential winning run on second.

“They made clutch plays when they were down,” Pallazola said. “This was such a back and forth game, but we did just enough.”

The majority of the contest saw Generals’ southpaw Luke Painchaud and Townies’ righty MacKenzie Quinn engage in a pitcher’s duel. It was a battle of crafty arms that weren’t overpowering, but were accurate and kept hitters off balance.

The Townies struck first in the top of the second inning when Ryan Webb was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, allowing Jordan Pallazola to come in from third.

Painchaud, however, settled in from there, getting several clutch outs as the Townies stranded nine men on base in the first six innings.

“You have to give Luke a ton of credit; he always gives us trouble,” Pallazola said. “He’s not overpowering but he keeps us off balance and we can never seem to get to him.”
Hamilton grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run, two-out rally.
It looked like the Generals would come up empty handed as Segel snared a hard hit grounder off the bat of Brett Harring and threw a runner out at home for the second out of the frame. But Saggesse and Chris Huggett followed with RBI singles to make it 2-1 Hamilton. The home team added one more run in the frame when Guarino walked with the bases loaded.

From the News

Mariners Sweep

Manchester Essex heading to ITL finals with dominance over Beverly

• By Nick Curcuru Sports Editor

BEVERLY-- The Manchester Essex Mariners have played themselves into a familiar spot.
With an 11-2 shellacking of the fourth seeded Beverly Giants on Monday at Cooney Field, the top-seeded Mariners swept the best-of-three semifinal series to advance to the Intertown Twilight Baseball League finals for the seventh straight year and the 10th time in the last 11 seasons.
With the win, their 21st in the last 22 games, the Mariners can now rest up for Game 1 of the ITL Finals, which will take place on Saturday at Memorial Field in Essex (4 p.m.). The Mariners will take on the winner of the Rockport Townies and Hamilton General's semifinal series, which began late last night at Evans Field in Rockport.

"It's nice to be able to sweep the series to get some rest before the finals and get the chance to see our opponent in action," said Mariners pitcher Marc Phinney, who did not allow an earned run in six innings of work on Monday night. "Obviously we'd like a rematch (of last year's final) with Rockport but this is baseball, anything can happen and we will be prepared for both teams."
The Mariners came out strong in the top of the first inning and gave Phinney a two-run cushion before he even threw a pitch.
Adam Philpott's one-out single plated Johnny Wilcox (single) and Rory Gentile (error) to make it 2-0 Mariners after one.
Two innings later, the regular season champs essentially put the game away with four more runs. Philpott drove in Caulin Rogers (walk) with a base knock while Peter Clark singled in two more and later scored on an Eric Chalmers grounder to third to make it 6-0 after three.
The Giants plated their only two runs in the third inning on a two-RBI single from Andy Brown, but the Mariners went on to finish the game with five unanswered runs.
Kellen Field got things going with his feet by leading off the top of the fourth with a base hit. He then stole second and third, coming around to score when the throw to third found its way into left field to give the Mariners a 7-2 edge.
Manchester Essex plated four more runs in the sixth on a RBI single from Gentile, a RBI grounder from Philpott and a Clark double.
The support was more than enough for Phinney, who scattered six hits while working both sides of the plate with all of his pitches.
"I thought I pitched pretty well," he said. "I pitched to contact and the defense made the plays behind me. It's always nice to take the mound with a lead in the first inning, it took all the pressure off. We have been playing great baseball lately, in all three phases of the game."

The Mariners took the first game of the series at home on Sunday night by a score of 7-0. Rusty Tucker picked up the win with a 15-strikeout, complete game shutout.

Sal Throws Shutout As Hamilton Generals Defeats Rockport Townies

• Sal Guarino threw a gem on Monday for Hamilton Generals, allowing zero runs and besting Rockport Townies by a score of 3-0
• The pitching was strong on both sides. Guarino struck out four, while Rockport Townies pitchers sat down seven.
• Hamilton Generals got things moving in the second inning, when Pete Duval's sac fly scored one run for Hamilton Generals.
• One bright spot for Rockport Townies was a single by Conor D in the first inning.
• Guarino pitched Hamilton Generals to victory. He lasted seven innings, allowing three hits and zero runs while striking out four.
• Derek O took the loss for Rockport Townies. He allowed six hits and three runs over six innings, striking out six.
• Chris Huggett led Hamilton Generals with three hits in three at bats.  Hamilton Generals didn't commit a single error in the field. Harrison O'Brien had the most chances in the field with five.
• Rockport Townies didn't commit a single error in the field. Keady S had eight chances in the field, the most on the team.

"Generals blank Townies in Game 1 "
By Connor Senay

ROCKPORT --- In their fifth Intertown League matchup this summer, the second-seeded Rockport Townies and third-seeded Hamilton Generals faced off in a Monday night showdown at Evans Field in Game 1 of the Intertown Twilight Baseball League semifinals, to break their 2-2 season tie.
Rockport head coach Jay Pallazola explained his game plan and how his players prepare for high stakes and low-stress games alike.
“We just play Townie baseball. We have our full squad here, and usually when that happens, we’re tough to beat. It all depends on which team comes out hot. We’re going to use all our assets to our advantage,” he said.

The contest turned into a pitcher's duel between Rockport's Derek Osmond and Hamilton's Sal Guarino, and the Generals left Rockport with a 3-0 win to take a 1-0 lead in the series and move within a win of a berth in the ITL finals.
Both teams went scoreless in the first inning. Rockport pitcher Derek Osmond struck out two batters and forced a pop fly to center field. Hamilton’s Sal Guarino struck out one batter and allowed two singles and a walk.
The action amplified in the second inning when the Generals cracked a single and Osmond walked a batter to put a runner in scoring position. On a deep fly ball to center field, the Generals base runner tagged up two bases to score and give his team a 1-0 lead.
The Townies threatened in the fourth inning with a Kyle Nelson triple, but Guarino got a big out and he was stranded.
Just a run separated them until the sixth when Larry Saggese and Chris Huggett combined for two runs with a RBI single and double respectively to push the General's lead to 3-0. Huggett went 3-for-3 from the plate on the day and made a critical catch deep in left field to prevent an extra-base hit.
Rockport went down in order in the sixth, and while Marcus Cottone threw a seamless seventh, with three retired batters in a row, the Townies could not supplement his brilliance with runs, and the score stood as the game concluded with a 3-0 Hamilton win.
Hamilton’s Sal Guarino spoke about his pitching performance in the win.
“I just go with the flow, pitch by pitch. I don’t expect anything; I just live in the moment, and hopefully it’s for the best,” Guarino said.
Along with routine stretching, a vacation allowed Sal to rest his arm for six days, so he great on Monday night. He knows the Townies hitting style as well and planned for that.
“I’ve learned they can’t hit outside too well, so I aimed for that and mixed in some curveballs to get them off-balance. I’ve had good games here in the past, and my confidence was up. I’m glad I had a good game,” Guarino said.
The Townies look to even up the series on Tuesday night at Patton Park in Hamilton (5:30 p.m.). Rockport must win on Tuesday night to force a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday back at Evans Field. The series winner will move on to the ITL finals, which begin on Saturday, against the Manchester Essex Mariners, who swept Beverly in the other best-of-three semifinal series.

Mariners 7 Giants 0

Manchester-Essex beat the Beverly Giants 7 to 0 last night to take a 1-0 first round series lead. Rusty Tucker lead the way with a one hit shutout, striking out 15. Eric Chalmers had a big day for the Mariners with 2 hits and 3 runs batted in.