- 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.
