Mariners win 2019 Championship in Epic Game 5

BACK ON THE THRONE

Tucker’s walk-off homer sends Mariners to ITL title in classic Game 5

By Nick C urcuru Sports Editor

The stage was set in the bottom of the ninth inning in Sunday’s Intertown Twilight Baseball League Finals.

In a winner-take-all Game 5, the Manchester Essex Mariners and Rowley Rams were tied at two with one down in the inning and nobody on base. Rams righty Tim Cashman was in the middle of a heroic performance as he had gone 8 1/3 innings on just three days rest after winning Game 3 via shutout.

The Mariners’ hitter, Rusty Tucker, was also in the middle of an incredible performance as he pitched nine innings.

After seeing a couple of pitches, Tucker got a pitch he could drive and tagged a liner to left center field that center fielder Joe Esposito got a beat on. Esposito, however, ran out of roomand made a last ditch jump at the fence to try

to bring the ball back into play.

Initially, Tucker and the Mariners bench, which started to pour out of the dugout on the first base side, thought Esposito came down with the ball and gazed out to the outfield in disbelief. But the ball bounced into the marsh behind the outfield fence, just over Esposito’s outstretched glove for a championship clinching, walk-off homer to give the Mariners a 3-2 win.

“I thought he caught it at first and that was myreaction,” Tucker said. “But as soon as I realized it got over, I just sprinted around the bases. It was very close, probably a couple of inches.”

“I put a good swing on it, got the barrel and got just enough of it to get out. That was one of the most incredible games.”

The Mariners now celebrate their first championship since 2016, their sixth in the last eight seasons and ninth in the last 12. The team has played in the ITL Finals eight straightseasons and on Sunday earned their spot backon top of the league after

dropping two incredibly close series to the Rockport Townies in 2017 and 18.

But Sunday’s winnertake- all was only two outs

away from being a Rowley championship.

The Rams, who were down two games in the series and won Game 3 and Game 4 to force Sunday’s game, were ahead 2-0 with one down in the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Mariners put together a rally.

Rory Gentile got it started by lining a single toright center. He then scored when Kellen Field

doubled to deep right. Field went to third on an errant throw back into the infield and then came in with the tying run when Mike Cain’s hard hit ball to the gap was deep enough to score Field from third. The run made it 2-2 and sent the game into extras.

Both pitchers, who battled for seven full innings, continued to show good stuff in extras.

Tucker, who allowed four hits in nine innings,got stronger as the game wore on and while he used his offspeed stuff to get outs early on, he

started to rely on his heavy fastball in the later innings and limited baserunners, leading to quick innings.

The Rams got on the board early with a couple of good at bats to take a 1-0 lead after two. They extended that lead to 2-0 in the top of the sixth when Justin Bolla connected for a solo homer to left.

“It takes me a couple of innings to find mygroove and settle in,” Tucker said. “But I didn’tfeel any fatigue (in extra innings). There was a

lot of adrenalin with what was at stake and that pushed me through.”

On the other side, Cashman, who allowed six hits, was just as game as he retired the first 12 batters he faced by mixing up his pitches and pounding the strike zone.

The Mariners got something going in the fifth, loading the bases with nobody out. But Cashman started a 1-2-3 double play and then got a grounder to short to end the inning.

“You have to give Cashman a lot of credit, he can pitch,” Tucker said. “He didn’t throw many pitches down the middle and he was all over the corners. He throws a lot of different variations of his pitches so it’s tough to tell what’s coming.”

Rams Stay Alive

Rams Stay AliveCashman, Rowley fight off elimination with shutout win in Game 3 of ITL Finals

• By Connor Senay
• 
  
• The Rams came into Wednesday's Game 3 of the ITL Finals trailing the best-of-five series against the Manchester Essex Mariners and needing a win to fight off elimination. Thanks to a shutout from pitcher Tim Cashman, Rowley is on the board in the ITL Finals with a 6-0 win at Memorial Field in Essex.
  With Rowley's Game 3 win, the Mariners still lead the series, 2-1. Game 4 is on Saturday at Eiras Park in Rowley (4 p.m.). If Rowley can survive on Saturday, a winner-take-all Game 5 will be played on Sunday back at Memorial Field (4 p.m.).
  Cashman was the story of the game as he kept the high powered Mariners offense off the board in a complete game effort.
  The right hander, and Rams' staff ace, struck out 11, including the first six outs of the game.
  The best chance for the Mariners came in the second inning when they loaded the bases with nobody out on singles from Adam Philpott and Rusty Tucker and a hit batsman. Cashman, however, fanned the next three hitters to get out of the jam.
  "It starts and ends with the pitching," Rams manager Jeff Wood Said. "Timmy has been really good for us down the line and he struck out a bunch today. We're looking to stay strong going forward."
  Mariners' lefty Marc Phinney was able to match Cashman's production for most of the night as he kept Rowley off the board with five scoreless innings before the Rams rallied for four runs in the sixth and then scored two more in the seventh for the 6-0 win.
  "Cashman struck out a bunch of guys and kept us off balance all day," Mariners manager Ryan Marques said. "We did a good job pitching, it was 0-0 going into the sixth. But we kicked a few balls around and it didn't end up working out."
  Rowley got on the board with a one-out double from Justin Bolla to deep left that scored Anthony Conte, who singled. C.J. Ingraham then came in to score on a fielding error to make it 2-0.
  Two batters later, Joe White singled to plate Bolla and Cashman to give the Rams a commanding 4-0 lead.
  Bolla extended that lead to 6-0 with a two-run homer in the seventh and Cashman shut the door for the win.
  "The bats took a little longer than I'd like them to," Wood said. "But we played with a lot more energy tonight than we did last week, having to play six games in seven days."

ITL Finals Game 2: Mariners 7 Rams 0

"Weekend Sweep"
From Gloucester Daily Times:

ROWLEY-- The Manchester Essex Mariners need just one more win to capture the Intertown Twilight Baseball League championships.

With a 7-0 win in Game 2 of the ITL Finals on Sunday at Eiras Park, the Mariners swept the first two games of the best-of-five finals over the Rowley Rams. Manchester Essex can clinch the league title with a win on Wednesday in Game 3 at Memorial Field in Essex (5:30 p.m.).

Sunday's win came a day after the Mariners picked up a 9-4 win in Game 1 of the series.

"In both games we got an early lead and our pitching and defense took care of the rest," Mariners manager Ryan Marques said. "We played well."

Peter Clark quieted the Rowley bats in Sunday's win, allowing three hits in a complete game shutout. Clark allowed two base runners in only two innings and never allowed a runner to reach third base as he kept the Rams off balance with his fastball and curveball.

Clark mostly pitched to contact and he had great defense behind him, especially in the outfield. Rory Gentile made the defensive play of the game in right center, diving to his left to take extra bases away from Dimitri Hunt, who made solid contact. Charlie Otterbein also flashed some leather as he came off the bench to make a diving catch on a sinking liner off the bat of Joe Esposito in the bottom of the fifth.

"Clark was in control all day, when we make the plays behind him he usually is," Marques said. "Our outfield defense was great, we took away a few extra base hits."

The Mariners took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning and never looked back. The Rams almost got out of the inning with two quick outs, but Kellen Field singled, Adam Philpott drew a walk and Mike Cain and Rusty Tucker were hit by a pitch, the latter scoring Field from third for the first run of the game.

Tucker lined an 0-2 pitch to right scoring Field in the top of the third to make it 2-0, and Clark drew a bases loaded walk to bring in another run to give the Mariners a 3-0 edge.

Manchester Essex continued to extend the lead from there as Field singled in Gentile, who led off with a double, in the fourth and tacked on three more in the top of the seventh on a wild pitch, an Eric Chalmers grounder and a Caulin Rogers single to cap the scoring at 7-0.

The Mariners took a 1-0 series with a 9-4 win in Game 1 on Saturday.

Tucker picked up the win with five shutout innings, he also came back in to finish off the game as Rowley threatened late in the contest. Rogers, Gentile and Philpott all homered in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Rowley, which ended up playing four games in four days over the weekend, now needs to win the final three games of the series to capture the championship. If the Rams can survive on Wednesday, Game 4 will be on Saturday back at Eiras Park (4 p.m.) and Game 5 would be played on Sunday at Memorial Field (4 p.m.).

The Rams put in some overtime in their semifinal victory over the Hamilton Generals. Game 3 was called due to darkness in extra innings on Thursday night, meaning the teams had to start over on Friday night. Rowley won 6-1 and then had to come back and play Game 1 of the finals the very next day.

Staff ace Tim Cashman is expected to pitch on Wednesday for the Rams. The Mariners have yet to determine who will start Game 3.

Mariners Take Game 1, 9-4

Manchester-Essex’s Caulin Rogers, Rory Gentile and Adam Philpott each went yard in the bottom of the 4th to put the Mariners up 6 to 0. Rusty Tucker went 5 scoreless for the win and also returned to the game to stave off a Rams comeback for the save. Game 2 is today at 4:00pm in Rowley.

Rams Win Trip to Finals

Rowley Rams beat Hamilton in decisive Game 3, clinch trip to ITL finals

On Thursday night, it looked as if the Rowley Rams’ season was just about over. Trailing the Hamilton Generals 6-5 with two outs and nobody on in the seventh of the decisive Game 3 of the Intertown Twilight League semifinals, Rowley was down to its last out as the Generals looked to punch their ticket to the league finals in front of their home fans.

Finn Graham and Lewi L’Heureux had other ideas, knocking in two quick singles to tie the game and force extra innings, and after darkness descended upon the field, the game was called off. Due to league rules, it was as if the game had never been played, so suddenly the Rams had a new lease on life and a fresh opportunity to carry their momentum into the “real” Game 3.

And who better to give the ball to than Tim Cashman?

“Timmy wasn’t going to let me have anyone else pitch,” said Rowley coach Jeff Wood. “He wanted the ball and the guys always respond to him when he’s out there.”

Cashman, the former Triton Regional High School ace, was electric on Friday night, going the distance to help Rowley beat Hamilton 6-1 and clinch its spot in the ITL finals. Cashman, who also picked up the Game 1 win on Monday, allowed one unearned run in the sixth inning but was otherwise untouchable. 

“The story of the night is Timmy Cashman,” Wood said. “He was outstanding again just like on Monday.”

Rowley took the lead in the fourth inning after Justin Bolla smashed a two-run home run, giving the Rams a lead they would never relinquish. Curtis Putnam also had three hits and two RBIs, and defensively the Rams were solid other than two infield errors in the sixth inning.

With the win, Rowley will now face the top-seeded Manchester Mariners in the league’s best-of-five championship series. Game 1 will be played this afternoon at Essex Town Field at 4 p.m., and Game 2 will be at Eiras Park in Rowley on Sunday at 4 p.m. Game 3 will be on Wednesday in Essex, and if necessary, Games 4 and 5 would be in Rowley and Essex respectively next Saturday and Sunday.

The matchup of Manchester and Rowley in the final represents a return to the norm that persisted throughout much of the past decade. Prior to the Rockport Townies winning the last two league titles, Manchester had won eight ITL titles in nine years, with the lone loss coming to Rowley in 2011.

Rare "Game 4" Scheduled for Tonight!

Try again tomorrow Rams, Generals decisive Game 3 of ITL semis called due to darkness

• By Kat Cornetta

 The biggest enemy of the Rowley Rams in Thursday night’s decisive Game 3 of the Intertown Twilight League playoffs wasn’t the Hamilton Generals. It was the sun.

Tied 6-6 in the eighth, the game was called due to the fading daylight. Due to Intertown Twilight League rules, the game will seem like it was never played, with the Generals and Rams starting over at 0-0 Friday evening.

The players and crowd were disappointed at the outcome, because it turned out to be one tightly contested contest.

“I’ve been down here for 28, 29 years, and that’s one of the best baseball games I have been involved in,” said Rowley head coach Jeff Wood. “It was a lot of fun.”

Hamilton struck first with a run in the first inning. After some nerves early, Adam Chatterton made quick work of the Generals’ lineup in the second inning. In the top of the third, Dimitri Hunt and CJ Ingraham scored to give the Rams the lead, but Dylan Stratton and Jake Lanciani pushed Hamilton back into the lead a half inning later, giving them a 3-2 lead.

“Hamilton kept bouncing back,” said Wood.

Rowley scored twice again in the fourth to take another lead with runs from Lewi L’Heureux and Curtis Putnam, but the Generals answered again with three runs to retake the lead, 6-4. In the sixth, L’Heureux scored again to bring the Rams within a run.

The Rams were down to their last out in the seventh. The Generals’ fans cameras were out against the chain link fence, ready to take celebratory photos, but Finn Graham’s single kept the game alive. L’Heureux batted him in on the next at bat to tie the game 6-6.

The two teams played a chippy eighth inning before the umpire called the game due to the impending darkness.

“We were resilient tonight,” said Wood. “We fell behind, we went up. We fell behind again. We just kept coming. We worked at every at bat.”

Now the two teams have to pretend their Thursday battle never occurred and take the field Friday night for another chance at a spot in the league finals.

“As bizarre as it is that we played eight tonight and it doesn’t count and we have to come back tomorrow, it almost seems fitting,” reasoned Wood. “We have been evenly matched all year long, and this series has been evenly matched.”

Rams 6 - Generals 6 after 8 innings...

Tight Contest Between Hamilton Generals and Rowley Rams Ends in a Tie

Hamilton Generals and Rowley Rams played to a 6-6 tie on Thursday. Rowley Rams tied the game on a double in the seventh inning.

In the first inning, Hamilton Generals got their offense started when Larry Saggese grounded out, scoring one run.

Rowley Rams evened things up at six in the top of the seventh inning. Rowley Rams scored one run when Lewi Lheureux doubled.

Hamilton Generals put up three runs in the fourth inning. The big inning was thanks to a single by Chris Huggett and an error on a ball put in play by Keegan O’Shea.

Jake Lanciani led Hamilton Generals with two hits in three at bats.

Rowley Rams scattered eight hits in the game. Lheureux and Tim Moore each managed multiple hits for Rowley Rams.

This game was much more exciting than this automatic write-up can handle.  Per ITL by-laws this game will be played, in its entirety, tonight at Patton Park - 5:30pm.  The eventual winner will certainly earn their trip to the ITL Finals.

Hamilton rallies in seventh to bury Rowley, forcing decisive Game 3 in ITL semis

Hamilton rallies in seventh to bury Rowley, forcing decisive Game 3 in ITL semis

• By Mac Cerullo

 ROWLEY — Rowley had every opportunity to get back into the game. The Rams had runners in scoring position in five of the first six innings, and despite frequently having to get out of trouble, pitcher Joe Martin was doing his part to keep things within reach.

But the Rams couldn’t come up with the big hit, and eventually Hamilton made them pay.
Leading 2-0 entering the top of the seventh, the Hamilton Generals erupted for eight runs to blow the game wide open. The Generals sent 12 runners to the plate, recording seven hits and four doubles along the way, before eventually putting away the 10-1 win over Rowley in Game 2 of the Intertown Twilight League semifinals.

With the win, Hamilton forced a decisive Game 3, which will be played Thursday at Hamilton’s Patton Park at 5:30, the winner advancing to the ITL Finals against the top-seeded Manchester Mariners.

“The seventh obviously got away from us,” Rowley manager Jeff Wood said. “Joey had been doing a real nice job all night dancing through trouble and finding a way out of it, and that’s the way he is. That’s how he pitches. I gave him the opportunity to try and get himself out of it and it didn’t work out. The final score I don’t think is indicative of how the game was played, it was a 2-0 game in the seventh and it got away from us. It happens.”

Hamilton took an early lead after Larry Saggese drove in Jake Lanciani on a fielders choice in the first inning, and then Harrison O’Brien had an RBI single in the second to score Brett Harring, making it 2-0. Rowley routinely threatened from there, but pitcher Phil Durgin wouldn’t allow the Rams to get the big hit needed to complete any kind of rally.

Durgin wound up going the distance, his lone blemish coming on an RBI single by James Wood with two outs in the seventh inning. He allowed one run on six hits with five strikeouts, and his coaches raved about his performance afterwards.

“Oh my god, what can you say?” said Hamilton manager Brian Nicoll. “Phil wanted it. We were torn on who to go to tonight, and Phil asked for the ball after Game 1. ‘I said Phil go for it.’ Nothing more I can say, that was a really [gutsy] effort from Phil.”

“The kid from Hamilton threw a really good game tonight,” Wood said. “He mixed it up and I just told the guys we had a lot of at bats with runners in scoring position tonight and he beat us. He got us, we didn’t get the big hits and he got the big outs.”

Hamilton’s rally in the seventh started after Henry Eagar singled, Chris Huggett walked and Jimmy Parr singled to load the bases with one out. Dylan Stratton then delivered the dagger, blasting a double to score two and make it 4-0, chasing Martin from the game. Dave Ingraham came on in relief, and the Generals just piled on from there.

Lanciani followed the double with an RBI single, O’Brien and Saggese laced back to back RBI doubles, and after Durgin was hit by a pitch, Eagar finished things off with one last double to score two.

Rowley responded with hits by Curtis Putnam and Tim Moore to start the seventh, but Durgin responded with two quick strikeouts and a groundout after Wood’s run-scoring single. The Rams will now look to put the loss behind them quick when they play for a spot in the league championship on Thursday.

Hamilton 10, Rowley 1
ITL Semifinals Game 2
Hamilton (10): Lanciani 4-2-3, O’Brien 4-1-3, Saggese 5-0-1, Painchau 0-1-0, Durgin 3-1-1, Eager 5-1-3, Robert 0-0-0, Huggett 4-1-0, Parr 4-1-3, Stratton 4-1-1, O’Shea 2-1-1. Totals: 35-10-16
Rowley (1): Hunt 3-0-0, Graham 1-0-0, C. Ingraham 3-0-0, Chatterton 1-0-0, Cashman 2-0-2, Wood 1-0-1, Bolla 3-0-0, Conte 2-0-0, L’Heureux 2-0-0, White 2-0-0, Putnam 3-1-2, Esposito 2-0-0, Moore 1-0-1. Totals: 26-1-6
RBI: H – Lanciani, O’Brien 2, Saggese 2, Eager 2, Stratton 2, O’Shea; R – Wood
WP: Durgin (7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K); LP: Martin (6.1 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 3 K)
Hamilton (18-8): 1 1 0 0 0 0 8 – 10
Rowley (15-8-1): 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 – 1

Cashman, Rowley Rams beat Hamilton Generals in Game 1 of ITL semis

• By Jeff Hamrick Correspondent

 HAMILTON – Returning to the Intertown Twilight League playoffs after a one-year absence, the Rowley Rams made their intentions clear from the start.

With Tim Cashman tossing a three-hit complete game, the third-seeded Rams claimed a 4-1 victory over the second-seeded Hamilton Generals in the opener of their best-of-three semifinal series Monday night. Rowley can advance to the five-game title series that begins Saturday with a win in tonight’s 5:30 home game at Eiras Park in Rowley. If needed, the two teams return to Hamilton for Game 3 on Wednesday.

“This is huge,” said Cashman, who finished with 10 strikeouts, including three in the seventh. “Getting a win on the road is big.”

A Triton graduate from Rowley, Cashman allowed a leadoff homer in the second to Phil Durkin that tied the score, but faced only three batters over the minimum while registering the final 18 outs.
“He was unbelievable,” Rowley manager Jeff Wood said of his starter. “Throwing (92) pitches with 10 strikeouts in a seven-inning game is really efficient. When Timmy gets his rhythm going like that, he’s really, really tough. He’s a really good pitcher.”

Cashman struck out five over the first three innings and eight through five while walking two.
“I threw a lot of sliders early then worked the curve late,” Cashman said. “I just tried to stay ahead of hitters. I didn’t want to fall behind and let them make outs if I could. I can’t be disappointed with (10 strikeouts). I was just going out there to attack the strike zone. Getting the strikeouts is a plus.”

Dmitri Hunt provided an early 1-0 advantage after leading off the game with a double to right before scoring on a Justin Bolla sacrifice fly. The Rams (15-7-1) took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Bolla led off with a single and scored on the first of Lewi L’Heureux’s two doubles in the game.

Rowley, which lost three of four regular-season matches with Hamilton, scored a pair of insurance runs in a two-out sixth-inning rally that began with a bad-hop single by Anthony Conte. L’Heureux drilled a double down the third-base line before Joe White was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Curtis Putnam, who had a single in his first at bat, plated a pair by lacing a ground-rule double that drew chalk on the left-field line.

“I was just thinking I had to stay tough,” said Putnam, a Georgetown graduate. “I wanted to have a good two-strike approach. I was waiting on a fastball. I fouled off a couple off speed pitches and just waited for him to throw one over the plate and I got a good swing on it. Scoring with two outs is huge. It’s a big blow to the other team.”

The Rams played error free and Cashman received ample infield support with a couple double plays, including one in the sixth when the second out was recorded via runner interference.

“When we’re going good defense is staple for us,” said Wood, whose club has won seven of its past nine by a combined 55-30. “It was a focus for us down the stretch, making sure we tightened things up and the guys really responded tonight.”

Rowley 4, Hamilton 1
Intertown Twilight League Semifinals
Game 1 (best-of-three)
Rowley (4): Dmitri Hunt lf 3-1-1, CJ Ingraham ss 3-0-0, Tim Cashman p 4-0-0, Justin Bolla 3b 2-1-1, Anthony Conte 2b 3-1-1, Lewi L’Heureux c 3-1-2, Joe White 1b 2-0-0, Curtis Putnam rf 3-0-2, Joe Esposito cf 3-0-0. Totals 26-4-7.
Hamilton (1): Jake Lanciani ss 3-0-0, Harrison O’Brien 3b 3-0-0, Larry Saggeese dh 2-0-0, Phil Durkin c 3-1-1, Chris Huggett cf 3-0-1, Keegan O’Shea lf 3-0-0, Henry Eager 1b 1-0-0, Brian Nicoll 2b 2-0-0, Dylan Stratton rf 2-0-1
RBI: Rowley – Putnam 2, Bolla, L’Heureux; Hamilton – Durkin.
HR: Hamilton – Durkin (none on in second).
WP: Cashman; LP: Luke Painchild
Rowley (15-7-1) 100 102 0 – 4
Hamilton (17-8) 010 000 0 – 1

After rare down season, Rowley Rams set to return to ITL playoffs

• By Kat Cornetta Correspondent 

 Last year, the Rowley Rams saw their Intertown Twilight League (ITL) baseball season end with lots of summer left. It was the first time the team had missed the playoffs since 2009.

But this year, the Rams, who were 14-6-1 entering Thursday’s make-up game, are firing on all cylinders and preparing for Monday’s start to the postseason.

“It’s good to be back,” said Rams coach Jeff Wood. “It feels like we’re kind of back where we should be.”

After their Wednesday night matchup against Ipswich was rained out, the Rams’ exact playoff seed is still up in the air. They will either head into Monday’s matchup with the Hamilton Generals in either second or third place.

Early in the season, it didn’t look like Rowley would be headed to the playoffs, but a six-game win streak at the close of June turned things around.

“We struggled a little bit out the gate this year,” said Wood. “I thought that it was going to take a little something going for us to feel good about ourselves again and just things to start to click, and they did. The guys took that momentum and the energy and we were able to take off again. It’s a tribute to the guys. They know what they can do.”

The roster, which is made up of players from Rowley, Newbury, Salisbury, Groveland and Georgetown, is similar to last summer’s lineup, but some key returns and newcomers boosted the Rams back towards the top of the ITL.

“You know, last year was a tough year for a lot of guys and it didn’t really go our way,” said Wood. “But we got a couple of key guys back this year, and some good new young guys, and turned things around. The team’s not very different. We’re pretty much the same as we were last year.”

One key addition that helped the Rams return to form has been infielder Anthony Conte.
“Anthony Conte is a guy that didn’t play last year, but he had been playing for you know eight or nine years prior to that,” said Wood. “He missed last year, but he came back this year. He definitely makes us better having him around, with his baseball knowledge and all that. He’s just a good solid guy to have on the field. He’s a leader.”

Another key cog in Rowley’s run has been Tim Cashman, who has been able to contribute wherever the team needs him.

“He can play all over the field – infield, outfield, pitching,” Wood said. “He does a little bit everything for us and he’s just been very solid all the way around all year.”

Having players who can chip in around the field is key to playing in the ITL. With games through summer’s prime vacation time and rosters filled with players who have demanding day jobs and growing families, roster continuity can ebb and flow. That can prove a challenge to any team.

“You have guys who go on vacation, guys with work schedules, guys with just all kinds of things that come up that keep them from getting to a game,” said Wood. “The challenge is to have enough guys around so that you can survive those things. Fortunately, we’ve had the depth all year, and these guys have continued to play. They’re ready to go right now. That’s the idea, so you don’t get to the playoffs and have guys who have no at-bats all year. We try to spread things out throughout the year to make sure everybody gets a shot. That way everybody can be ready to go when this time of the year comes around.”

A roster chock full of experience will be beneficial Monday against the Generals, who haven’t won the league championship since 1991.

“We lost three out of four to them this year,” explained Wood. “They are having a renaissance in the ITL. They have a lot of young players. Their high school programs have been very good over the last couple of seasons and a lot of those guys have worked their way up into the ITL. They’re deep, they’re young, and they’re athletic.”

Hamilton might have depth, but so does Rowley. The Rams’ good mix of experience and new energy will serve them well in their first-round matchup. Wood’s team hopes to continue to show that last year was a fluke.

“We bounced back this year and I thought we would,” said Wood.

Series Tied Up 1-1 with Generals Win

Early Lead For Hamilton Generals Seals Fate For Rowley Rams

Rowley Rams fell behind early and couldn't come back in a 10-1 loss to Hamilton Generals on Tuesday. Hamilton Generals scored on a fielder's choice by Larry Saggese in the first inning and a single by Harrison O'Brien in the second inning.

The Rowley Rams struggled to contain the high-powered offense of Hamilton Generals, giving up ten runs. Hamilton Generals got things started in the first inning. Saggese hit into a fielder's choice, scoring one run. Hamilton Generals scored eight runs in the seventh inning. Dylan Stratton, Keegan O’Shea, Jake Lanciani, O'Brien, Saggese, and Henry Eagar powered the big inning with RBIs.

Phil Durgin pitched Hamilton Generals to victory. He went seven innings, allowing one run on six hits and striking out five.

Joe Martin took the loss for Rowley Rams. He went six and a third innings, allowing six runs on 12 hits and striking out three.

Rowley Rams racked up six hits. Curtis Putnam and Tim Cashman all had multiple hits for Rowley Rams. Cashman and Putnam all had two hits to lead Rowley Rams.

Hamilton Generals had 16 hits in the game. Lanciani, O'Brien, Jimmy Parr, and Eagar each had multiple hits for Hamilton Generals. Lanciani led Hamilton Generals with three stolen bases, as they ran wild on the base paths with six stolen bases.

Return Trip

ME Mariners earn ninth straight trip to ITL Finals with semifinal sweep

By Nick Curcuru


There will be a new champion in the Intertown Twilight Baseball League this season.

With a 6-1 win over the two-time defending ITL champion Rockport Townies at Evans Field, the Manchester Essex Mariners swept the best-of-three series to earn a spot in the ITL finals for the ninth season in a row.

The Mariners will host Game 1 of the finals on Saturday at Memorial Field in Essex against the winner of the league's other semifinal series between the Hamilton Generals and Rowley Rams. The Rams hold a 1-0 lead in that series after a win in Game 1 on Monday, Game 2 is on Tuesday in Rowley.

The Townies entered Monday's Game 2 in Rockport having won eight straight elimination games on the way to a league championship in 2017 and 2018. But that streak came to an end thanks to the arms of Peter Clark and Marc Phinney.

Clark earned the win, going 4 and 1/3 innings, allowing four hits. After Nolan Webb led off the game with a double and came in to score on an Alex Webb grounder to shortstop in the bottom of the first inning, the Mariners pitchers were able to keep the Townies off the board the rest of the way.

Clark pitched into the fifth, where he ran into trouble with runners on first and third with one down in the frame. That's when Phinney came in and he immediately picked a runner off first before throwing a pitch and then got a foul pop up to the catcher to get out of the jam. The Mariners lefty went on to pitch 2 and 2/3 innings of hitless relief, allowing one base-runner on a walk, to earn the save.

The Townies 1-0 lead did not last very long as the Mariners tied the score the next half inning when Mike Cain, who reached on an error, came in to score on a Paul Crehan single to make it 1-1.
A pair of home runs in the third ended up being the difference in the game as Kellen Field sent one into the woods in center for a two-run shot to plate what turned out to be the game-winning-run, giving the Mariners a 3-1 lead. Two batters later, Cain put one in the center field woods for a solo shot to extend the lead to 4-1.

Manchester Essex added another run in the sixth when Crehan scored on a wild pitch, and one more insurance run in the seventh when Rory Gentile (single) scored on an Adam Philpott base knock to make it 6-1.

The Mariners took control of the series on Sunday with an 8-1 win at Memorial Field. Dylan Wilson struck out 11 in the win.

"Thrice As Nice"

Mariners and Townies to square off once again in ITL playoffs

By Nick Curcuru

 The Intertown Twilight Baseball League playoffs are set — and the league's two Cape Ann teams will be meeting in the playoffs for a third straight season.

The Manchester Essex Mariners finished the regular season in first place and will take on the two-time defending ITL champion Rockport Townies in the best-of-three semifinal series.

The two squads will open up the series Sunday at Memorial Field in Essex (5:30 p.m.). The series will shift to Evans Field in Rockport Monday (6 p.m.) and will go back to Memorial Field for Game 3 Wednesday if necessary.

The two teams met in the ITL finals in each of the last two seasons, with the Townies pulling out the championship in a five-game series win in both instances.
The Mariners and Townies have collectively owned the ITL over the last two decades, winning 19 of the last 21 league titles.

This year, however, the Mariners appear to be heavy favorites as they finished 10 games ahead of the fourth place Townies in the ITL standings. Manchester Essex also won all four meetings between the two clubs this summer, most recently with an 11-7 win last week.

In order to force a potential Game 3, the Townies will have to find a way to take a game from one of the best starting pitching staffs in the league with Rusty Tucker and Marc Phinney expected to go in Game 1 and Game 2 for the Mariners, respectively.

Rockport, however, has saved its best performances for the playoffs over the last two years and sport a well-balanced roster.

While the Townies won the last two championships, the Mariners won seven of the previous eight of the previous nine ITL championships from 2008-16. Manchester Essex has reached the finals seven seasons in a row.

The two Cape Ann teams will be playing for a spot in the ITL finals against the winner of the other semifinal series between the Hamilton Generals and Rowley Rams.

Rowley finished third place in the ITL this season, bouncing back after missing the playoffs a season ago. Hamilton, on the other hand, lost to Rockport in the semifinals in 2018, a three-game series that could have gone either way.

Game 1 of the Hamilton/Rowley series begins Monday at Patton Park in Hamilton, with Game 2 scheduled for Tuesday at Eiras Park in Rowley and Game 3 back at Patton Park Thursday if necessary.

The ITL finals are slated to start next Saturday.

Rams Take Game 1

Hamilton Generals Fall Short to Rowley Rams, 4-1

Rowley Rams got on the board in the first inning. Justin B's sac fly scored one run for Rowley Rams.
Hamilton Generals evened things up at one in the bottom of the second inning when Phil Durgin hit a solo homer.

Rowley Rams pulled away for good with one run in the fourth inning. In the fourth Lewi L doubled on a 0-1 count, scoring one run. Tim C got the start for Rowley Rams. He surrendered one run on three hits over seven innings, striking out 11.

Luke Painchaud was on the mound for Hamilton Generals. He went six and two-thirds innings, allowing four runs on five hits, striking out one and walking one. Pete Duval threw one-third of an inning out of the bullpen. Hamilton Generals smacked one home run on the day. Durgin went for the long ball in the second inning.

Durgin, Dylan Stratton, and Chris Huggett each collected one hit to lead Hamilton Generals.
Rowley Rams scattered five hits in the game. Curtis P and Lewi each collected multiple hits for Rowley Rams. Rowley Rams didn't commit a single error in the field. Lewi had the most chances in the field with 11.

Mariners 8 Townies 1

Manchester-Essex beat Rockport last night 8 to 1 in Essex. Dylan Wilson went the distance recording 11 strikeouts for the Mariners. The Mariners take a 1 game lead in the best of 3 series.

ITL / Giants Lose Eric Messina

It is with great sadness to announce that the ITL and Beverly Giants lost one of its own this past week.  Eric Messina is a beloved player for the Beverly Giants and will be missed by teammates and other players across the league.  We are still awaiting for arrangements to be finalized and will post them as soon as they are know.  Please consider contributing to Eric's memorial GoFundMe.

Eric Messina's Memorial GoFundMe

2019 ITL Playoffs Set

2019 PLAYOFFS

• SEMI-FINALS
• (4) Rockport vs. (1) M/E
• (3) Rowley vs. (2) Hamilton

2019 ITL Standings

• TEAM - W-L-T - POINTS
• Man./Essex 20-4 (40)
• Hamilton 17-7 (34)
• Rowley 14-7-1 (29)
• Rockport 9-10-2 (20)
• Beverly 7-15 (14)
• Topsfield 6-16 (10)**
• Ipswich 3-17-1 (6)*

Rockport - 3, Rowley - 2

Rockport Clinches 4th playoff spot.

M/E 2 - Hamilton 8

• Hamilton Generals had all cylinders firing on offense on Thursday, winning big over Man./Essex Mariners 8-2

• Hamilton Generals got things moving in the first inning. Hamilton Generals scored two runs when Phil Durgin doubled.

• Jake Lanciani was the winning pitcher for Hamilton Generals. He lasted two innings, allowing two hits and two runs while striking out one. Pete Duval threw two innings in relief out of the bullpen.

• Corey McCollum took the loss for Man./Essex Mariners. He lasted two and a third innings, allowing four hits and four runs.

• Luke Painchaud started the game for Hamilton Generals. He went three innings, allowing zero runs on one hit, striking out three and walking one

• Hamilton Generals racked up eight hits. Lanciani and Durgin all managed multiple hits for Hamilton Generals. Durgin and Lanciani each collected two hits to lead Hamilton Generals.

• Man./Essex Mariners was sure-handed in the field and didn't commit a single error. Caulin Rogers had the most chances in the field with four.

Beverly 11 Topsfield 4

Beverly picks up the win 11-4 over Topsfield

Rams 8 , Chiefs 0

Mariners 11 Townies 7

Adam Philpott pitched 4 shut out innings to earn the win while Peter Clark had a clutch RBI triple to put the mariners ahead in the 5th. Nolan Webb (2) and Keady Segel both had homeruns for the Townies.

Topsfield 5 Hamilton 1

Topsfield wins 5-1 over Hamilton Friday night

Rockport @ Rowley Make-Up

(7/17) Rockport @ Rowley will be played Thursday, Aug. 1st @ Eiras Park 5:45pm start.

Mariners 7 Rams 4

Rookie Dylan Wilson picked up the win going 5 strong innings allowing 1 run. Peter Clark, Rory Gentile, Adam Philpott, John Willcox, Will Janowicz and Caulin Rogers all had big hits for the Mariners.

Rams 2 Mariners 1

Rams walk off single in the 7th leads them to victory. Tim Cashman pitched an excellent game for Rowley, while Peter Clark was solid for the Mariners.

Rams @ Mariners Postponed

Rams @ Mariners Postponed until Thursday

Rams - 11 , Giants - 0

Mariners 11 Tories 4

The Manchester-Essex Mariners pick up the win 11-4 over the Topsfield Tories Friday night

Mariners 5 Tories 1

The Manchester-Essex Mariners picked up a 5 to 1 win last night over Topsfield. Rusty Tucker went 6 dominant innings on the mound. Topsfield's Andy Heath broke up the perfect game in the 5th with a liner to left. For M/E, Kellen Field, Dylan Wilson, Bennett O'Leary, Mike Cain, and John Wilcox all had extra base hits. The Mariners are now 15-2 on the season.

Rowley - 11, Beverly - 9

Tuesday night at Georgetown High.

Rowley-4 Rockport-0

Sunday night at Evans

Mariners 14 Giants 5

Dylan Wilson went 5 strong innings to help lead the Mariners to victory.

Topsfield 15 Ipswich 8

The Topsfield Tories pick up the win Friday night 15-8 over the Ipswich Chiefs

7/12 Beverly @ Rockport Postponed

Tonight's game in Rockport will be rescheduled due to unplayable field conditions.

Generals Sweep Rams

Rowley Rams Falls to Hamilton Generals (Wednesday)

Rowley Rams got things started in the second inning. Jake Lanciani got the win for Hamilton Generals. He went seven innings, allowing three runs on three hits and striking out three.  Tim Cashman took the loss for Rowley Rams. He surrendered seven runs on 11 hits over five and two-thirds innings, striking out seven and walking zero.

Joe White, Tim Moore, and CJ Ingraham all had one hit to lead Rowley Rams.  Hamilton Generals tallied 11 hits on the day. Chris Huggett, Lanciani, Phil Durgin, Henry Eagar, and Keegan O’Shea all collected multiple hits for Hamilton Generals. Hamilton Generals tore up the base paths, as two players stole at least two bases. Lanciani led the way with three.




Hamilton Generals Grabs Lead in Fifth Inning to Defeat Rowley Rams (Thursday)

Hamilton Generals snagged a late lead and defeated Rowley Rams 3-2 on Thursday. The game was tied at two with Hamilton Generals batting in the bottom of the fifth when.  The pitching was strong on both sides. Hamilton Generals pitchers struck out seven, while Rowley Rams pitchers sat down three.

Hamilton Generals got on the board in the first inning. Hamilton Generals scored one run on a stolen base.  Sal Guarino led the Hamilton Generals to victory on the hill. He surrendered zero runs on one hit over two innings, striking out one and walking one.  Phil Durgin started the game for Hamilton Generals. He allowed three hits and two runs over five innings, striking out six.

Guarino, Durgin, Nick Roberts, and Chris Huggett each collected one hit to lead Hamilton Generals. Hamilton Generals was sure-handed in the field and didn't commit a single error. Keegan O’Shea had the most chances in the field with six.

Mariners 10 Giants 1

Manchester-Essex beat Beverly 10 to 1 last night in Essex. Caulin Rogers, Kellen Field and Peter Clark all had clutch hits to lead the Mariners to victory. On the mound, Ryan Marques, John-John Mondello and Corey McCollum kept the Giants in check.

Mariners 5 Townies 0

Kellen Field hit a 3 run homer while Peter Clark and Marc Phinney shut out the Townies last night in Essex.

Ipswich Chiefs Claims Lead in Sixth Inning to Defeat Topsfield Tories

Ipswich Chiefs ran off with the lead late in the game in an 11-10 victory over Topsfield Tories on Monday. Ipswich Chiefs trailed 10-9 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Alex Morris singled on a 1-1 count, scoring two runs.

Dan Frey led Ipswich Chiefs to victory by driving in five runs. He went 2-for-4 at the plate. Frey drove in runs on a home run in the third and a triple in the sixth.

In the second inning, Topsfield Tories got their offense started when an error scored one run for Topsfield Tories.

Will Diezemann took the win for Ipswich Chiefs. He allowed three hits and two runs over four innings, striking out five and walking one.

Alex Smith took the loss for Topsfield Tories. He went two innings, allowing six runs on eight hits, striking out three and walking zero.

Ben Panunzio started the game for Topsfield Tories. He allowed seven hits and five runs over four innings, striking out eight and walking one Jake Greaney started the game for Ipswich Chiefs. He went three innings, allowing eight runs on five hits and striking out five.

Ipswich Chiefs socked one home run on the day. Frey went yard in the third inning.

Ipswich Chiefs racked up 15 hits. Josh O’brien, Sam Blizard, Dave Moore, and Frey each had multiple hits for Ipswich Chiefs. O’brien went 4-for-4 at the plate to lead Ipswich Chiefs in hits.

Topsfield Tories tallied eight hits. Nolan Rice and Andrew Heath all collected multiple hits for Topsfield Tories.

Mariners 4 Townies 2

Kellen Field went the distance for the Mariners striking out 8. Dom Cirone had 3 hits and Peter Clark had 2 doubles to lead Manchester-Essex.

Townies 2 - Generals 8

Hamilton Generals grabbed an early lead on its way to an 8-2 victory over Rockport Townies on Friday.  Hamilton Generals scored on a single by Luke Painchaud and a home run by Phil Durgin in the first inning.

Painchaud pitched Hamilton Generals to victory. He lasted six and a third innings, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out ten.

Charlie MacDowell took the loss for Rockport Townies. He allowed 13 hits and eight runs over six innings.

Hamilton Generals smacked one home run on the day. Durgin went deep in the first inning.

Hamilton Generals tallied 13 hits on the day.  Harrison O'Brien, Chris Huggett, Larry Saggese, and Keegan O’Shea each had multiple hits for Hamilton Generals.  O'Brien went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Hamilton Generals in hits.  Hamilton Generals didn't commit a single error in the field. Saggese had  nine chances in the field, the most on the team.

Rockport Townies didn't commit a single error in the field. Jordan Pallazola had the most chances in the field with four.