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.
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.
