Rams/Mariners Split

Rowley/ME split after Rowley’s 5-4 win in 8 innings Wednesday.

Generals 5, Giants 1

Hamilton Generals Grabs Lead in Sixth Inning to Defeat Beverly Giants

Hamilton Generals defeated Beverly Giants 5-1 on Thursday after taking the lead late in the game. The game was tied at one with Hamilton Generals batting in the bottom of the sixth when Aidan Cann hit a solo homer.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Hamilton Generals tied things up at one. Mark Roselli singled on a 1-2 count, scoring one run.

Jake Lanciani got the win for Hamilton Generals. They went seven innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out seven.

Josh Levesque took the loss for Beverly Giants. They lasted six innings, allowing seven hits and five runs while striking out eight and walking one.

Hamilton Generals launched two home runs on the day. Hunter Willochoski had a four bagger in the sixth inning. Cann had a long ball in the sixth inning.

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

Brian Chirco went 2-for-2 at the plate to lead Beverly Giants in hits. Beverly Giants didn't commit a single error in the field. Chirco had the most chances in the field with eight.

Mariners 5 Rams 1

Rusty Tucker and Kellen Field held the Rams to 1 run as the Mariners beat Rowley 5 to 1 in Essex last night.

ITL Hall of Fame Inductee, Bill Bain 1928-2020

Obituary

William J. Bain Jr. 91, Hamilton, MA, died on Thursday, July 23, 2020 in his home surrounded by his loving family after a long illness. Bill was born in Marlborough, Massachusetts to William and Lillian Bain, grew up in Maynard and graduated from Maynard High School class of 1947. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from Boston University, graduating in 1951 and then joined the Army during the Korean War. Bill married his high school sweetheart, Doris Dionne, on December 1, 1951. He became a second lieutenant in Officer’s Candidate School and was discharged in the Fall of 1953.

Bill worked in the wholesale petroleum industry throughout the New England area and eastern Canada. His wife and family meant the world to him, always coming first. Being an avid sports fan, he loved attending his children’s and grandchildren’s games as their number one fan. Also, there were numerous school activities of theirs in which he was proud to participate. He enjoyed traveling in his retirement to the British Isles and a highlight was visiting the birthplace of his ancestors in Galashiels, Scotland; and several trips to Jackson Hole, WY to visit his daughter, Carol. Throughout his life he was committed to the people of his community and loved chatting with everybody in neighborhood, especially the children, who all loved him.

Bill is survived by his wife, Doris; children Stephen (Jan) Bain of Hampstead, NH, Carol (Steve) Poole of Wilson, WY; grandchildren Garrett (Sonya) Bain of Paris, KY, Sarah (Syed) Bain-Hussain of Boca Raton, FL, Emily Poole of Eugene, OR; great grandchild, Eloise Bain-Hussain; brother-in-law Richard M. Steele of Yarmouth Port, MA and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by sisters, Shirley Walsh, Marilyn Bain, Nancy Kallio, Lois Steele and his brother, Richard Bain.

Reluctantly, because of COVID-19, the service is private, however virtual viewing will be made available via zoom.

Bill was inducted into the ITL Hall of Fame in 2008.  As a big baseball fan, was known for taking in countless games, at any level.  He could always be found in his beach chair hugging the right-field line at Patton Park, every Thursday, for a Generals home game.

Rockport 6 Ipswich 5

The Chiefs left the tying run at third base in the bottom of the Sixth inning and the Townies hold on for the 6-5 win in Ipswich

Giants 4 Mariners 3

Beverly erased a 2 to 0 lead in the bottom of the 6th and held on for a 4 to 3 win.

Rockport Townies 1 Rowley Rams 0

Kenzie Quinn of the Townies was outstanding going the distance for the second time this season, not allowing a Rowley runner past second base to earn Rockport a 1-0 victory over the Rams at Evans Field.

Rams -1 Townies - 0

Rowley hung on for a 1-0 win after Rockport had a run taken off the board In the 7th following an interference call. Tim Cashman went 6 for the win, Copeland pitched the 7th and got the save. Nolan Webb took the loss giving up 1 unearned over 6. The two teams will finish the season series Sunday night in Rockport.

Hamilton 9 Ipswich 5

Ipswich Chiefs Falls to Hamilton Generals

Ipswich Chiefs scored three runs in the fifth inning. The offensive firepower by Ipswich Chiefs was led by Will Twiss and Corey Greaney, who each had RBIs in the inning.

Luke Painchaud earned the win for Hamilton Generals. They went five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, striking out seven and walking one. Mark Roselli and Sal Guarino entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief. Roselli recorded the last three outs to earn the save for Hamilton Generals.

Jake Greaney took the loss for Ipswich Chiefs. They lasted five innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs while striking out one and walking zero.

Ipswich Chiefs tallied nine hits in the game. Frey and Twiss each racked up multiple hits for Ipswich Chiefs. Twiss and Frey each collected two hits to lead Ipswich Chiefs.

Aidan Cann went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Hamilton Generals in hits.

Mariners 4 Townies 3

Mariners pitcher, Peter Clark, buckled down in the bottom of the 7th to stave off the Townies rally, leaving the tieing run at 3rd and the winning run at first. It was a complete game effort for Clark as the Mariners picked up the 4 to 3 victory..

Rowley, Hamilton Split

Pitchers Duel In Low-Scoring Affair, Hamilton Generals Falls To Rowley Rams

Both teams were strong on the hill on Thursday, but Rowley Rams was just a little bit stronger at the plate in a victory over Hamilton Generals on Thursday. Phil Durgin started the game for Hamilton Generals and recorded 21 outs.

One bright spot for Hamilton Generals was a single by Harrison O'Brien in the first inning.
Jake Baressi was the winning pitcher for Rowley Rams. They went one inning, allowing zero runs on zero hits, striking out three and walking one. Richie Williams threw three innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Pete Duval took the loss for Hamilton Generals. They surrendered three runs on two hits over one inning.

Durgin started the game for Hamilton Generals. They lasted seven innings, allowing two hits and zero runs while striking out nine Kyle Greenler started the game for Rowley Rams. They lasted four innings, allowing two hits and zero runs while striking out nine.

Durgin, O'Brien, Will Frain, and Keegan O’Shea each collected one hit to lead Hamilton Generals.
Tim Cashman led Rowley Rams with two hits in four at bats.

Rowley Rams Drops Game To Hamilton Generals After Late Score

Rowley Rams Drops Game To Hamilton Generals After Late Score

Wednesday's game against Hamilton Generals was a heartbreaker for Rowley Rams, as they lost the lead late in a 4-2 defeat. The game was tied at two with Hamilton Generals batting in the top of the seventh when Will Frain homered on the first pitch of the at bat, scoring two runs.

Rowley Rams got things moving in the second inning. Richie Williams drove in one when he singled.
Hamilton Generals knotted the game up at two in the top of the sixth inning. Hamilton Generals scored two runs when Henry Eagar singled.

Sal Guarino earned the win for Hamilton Generals. They lasted four innings, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out two.

Tim Cashman took the loss for Rowley Rams. They went seven innings, allowing four runs on ten hits and striking out seven.

Joe White, Justin Bolla, Dimitri Hunt, and Williams each collected one hit to lead Rowley Rams. Rowley Rams was sure-handed and didn't commit a single error. James Wood made the most plays with five.

Hamilton Generals tallied ten hits in the game. Frain, Keegan O’Shea, and Harrison O'Brien all collected multiple hits for Hamilton Generals.

Ipswich 12 Beverly 1

Ipswich wins Wednesday night 12-1 over Beverly

Townies with a 8-0 victory over M-E at Memorial Field on 7/14

The Rockport Townies moved to 3-0 on the season with 8-0 victory over the Mariners at Memorial Field in Essex on Thursday 7/14.

Rockport Townies Takes Victory Over Hamilton Generals in Pitcher's Duel

Rockport Townies Takes Victory Over Hamilton Generals in Pitcher's Duel

Both teams were strong on the pitcher's mound Sunday, but Rockport Townies defeated Hamilton Generals 3-1. Mackenzie Quinn allowed just six hits to Hamilton Generals.

Hamilton Generals fired up the offense in the first inning. Will Jones's sac fly scored one run for Hamilton Generals.

In the bottom of the second inning, Rockport Townies tied things up at one when an error scored one run for Rockport Townies.  Rockport Townies pulled away for good with one run in the third inning. In the third Jack Sperry was struck by a pitch, driving in a run.

Quinn got the win for Rockport Townies. They surrendered one run on six hits over seven innings, striking out seven and walking zero.

Paul Horgan took the loss for Hamilton Generals. They went three innings, allowing two runs on one hit and striking out five.

Sperry, Jameson Kamm, and Kyle Nelson all had one hit to lead Rockport Townies. Rockport Townies didn't commit a single error in the field. Ryan Webb had the most chances in the field with eight.

Hamilton Generals collected six hits. Harrison O'Brien and Larry Saggese all managed multiple hits for Hamilton Generals.

Beverly Giants Stymied by Rowley Rams

Beverly Giants Stymied by Rowley Rams, Lose 19-0

Beverly Giants struggled to get their offense going on Sunday, getting easily dispatched by Rowley Rams, 19-0.

A single by Andrew "Woody" Terista in the first inning was a positive for Beverly Giants.
Richie Williams earned the win for Rowley Rams. They surrendered zero runs on zero hits over two innings, striking out two and walking zero. Jake Baressi and Joe Martin entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief.

Dan Cashman took the loss for Beverly Giants. They went three innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out three.

Adam Chatterton started the game for Rowley Rams. They went two innings, allowing zero runs on one hit and striking out one.

Rowley Rams tallied two home runs on the day. Williams had a long ball in the seventh inning. Garrett Hudson went for the long ball in the seventh inning.  Terista went 1-for-3 at the plate to lead Beverly Giants in hits.

Rowley Rams collected 15 hits. Williams, Tim Cashman, Joe Esposito, and Joe White each managed multiple hits for Rowley Rams. Rowley Rams was sure-handed in the field and didn't commit a single error. White had the most chances in the field with five.

Man/Essex 8, Tops/Ips 2

Mariners sweep with an 8-2 win over the Chiefs Friday night in Essex.

Grand Opening

Grand Opening
Townies take down Generals in season opener

By Nick Curcuru Sports Editor


On Tuesday night, the Intertown Twilight Baseball League opened up its 91st season with the Manchester Essex Mariners taking on the Ipswich Chiefs.

On Thursday night, it was the Rockport Townies and Hamilton General's turn to open up the season. The two teams, which are long time consistent commodities in the league, opened up at Patten Park, and while both teams showed a little opening day rust, it was a well played and well pitched contest.
In the end, the Townies came away with a 5-2 victory thanks to a five-run fifth inning.

Generals south paw Luke Painchaud was in control through the first four inning, retiring the leadoff batter in each frame while allowing no runs on just one hit. Rockport, however, got its bats going in the top of the fifth.

Trailing 2-0 after Hamilton scored a pair of runs in the third on a bases loaded walk and a bases load hit batsmen, the Townies came to life with five straight hits and five runs to open the fifth inning.
Jack Sperry led off with a single followed by a base knock from Charlie MacDowell. Kyle Beal then singled in Sperry, and MacDowell came around to score as well on an errant throw to first base. After a Joe Muzio base knock, Jameson Kamm delivered what turned out to be the game winning blow, a three-run homer over the fence in left to make it 5-2 Townies.

Rockport sent four pitchers to the mound on Thursday night with Beal earning the win allowing one earned run in two innings of relief. Derick MacDowell pitched two scoreless innings to start, Ethan Tanson went two scoreless out of the pen and Jake Engel earned the save with a scoreless bottom of the seventh, pitching out of a jam after walking the first two hitters.

The Townies are back in action on Sunday for their home opener at Evans Field in a rematch with the Generals (6 p.m.).

The ITL, the longest running amateur baseball league in the country, is playing a half season schedule for 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the first half. The league consists of six teams this season as the Topsfield Torries merged with the Ipswich Chiefs and join the Townies, Generals, Mariners, Rowley Rams and Beverly Giants.

After a 10-game regular season, the teams with the two best records will earn a spot in the semifinals with the other four teams competing in a play-in tournament. The season is expected to wrap up in late August.

The Townies were bounced in the semifinals a year ago but won the championship in 2017 and 2018.


SLIDESHOW (Salem News)

 

  

 

 

 

Hamilton Generals Falls to Rockport Townies

Hamilton Generals Falls to Rockport Townies After Fifth Inning Score

Thursday's game against Rockport Townies was a heartbreaker for Hamilton Generals, as they lost the lead late in a 5-2 defeat. The game was tied at two with Rockport Townies batting in the top of the fifth when Jameson Kamm homered on the first pitch of the at bat, scoring three runs.

Derek MacDowell led things off on the hill for Rockport Townies. They lasted two innings, allowing one hit and zero runs while striking out six and walking one.

Luke Painchaud toed the rubber for Hamilton Generals. They lasted four and a third innings, allowing five hits and five runs while striking out ten and walking one. Pete Duval threw two and two-thirds innings out of the bullpen.

Harrison O'Brien led Hamilton Generals with two hits in three at bats.

Rowley Rams win stormy Intertown Twilight League opener on combined no hitter

Rowley Rams win stormy Intertown Twilight League opener on combined no hitter

ROWLEY — Given the dark cloud the coronavirus has cast over the sport of baseball these past few months, it's perhaps fitting that Wednesday's Intertown Twilight League opener between the Rowley Rams and Beverly Giants was touch and go due to thunderstorms throughout the evening.
Rain began to fall just before the first pitch, showers moved through on and off throughout the game, and just before the top of the fifth play had to be halted for 15 minutes after lightning was spotted nearby.

Yet despite it all, the players persisted. Baseball was officially back.

"We're playing baseball, that's what's most important," said Rowley manager Jeff Wood, whose team won 6-1 on a combined no hitter by pitchers Tim Cashman, Kyle Greenler and Garrett Hudson. "Certainly the way we threw the ball I have to be happy about that. Bats took a little while, we kind of expected that, but I thought overall we played a solid game for getting out in the middle of July for the first time all year."

Despite the months-long layoff, the Rams were sharp defensively, and all three pitchers were lights out. Cashman, the former Triton and Merrimack College standout, pitched four perfect innings before giving way to Georgetown's Greenler. The Elon sophomore, who pitched 19.0 innings with a 3.79 ERA this spring before the season was canceled, threw two scoreless innings with four strikeouts despite the lightning delay interrupting his warmup.

"I've been excited all week to come back and play baseball, it's my life basically," Greenler said. "I went out there in warmups and a lightning bolt comes right as I'm about to start, so I have to wait a couple more minutes before I could go, but it felt alright, just got to get back to normal."

Hudson finished the job in the seventh, allowing an unearned run on a walk and two fielding errors. Wood said this was the first no hitter the Rams had recorded that he could remember recently.
"It's been a while. This is grown men with metal bats, it's hard to get a no hitter in these leagues," Wood said. "Timmy Cashman, Greenler and Garrett Hudson, all three of them threw the ball really well, and under the conditions, you've got a wet mound, a wet ball, they really threw the ball well and that should be a strength of ours this year, we've got a lot of arms."

While everybody was thrilled to be back out playing baseball despite the rain, it was clear that many players were still rusty. Rowley only recorded three hits, with the majority of the offense coming courtesy of Beverly's 11 walks. After four clean innings, things came unglued for the Giants in the fifth, when the Rams scored three runs without recording a hit thanks to four walks and a grounder to first that resulted in two runs scoring.


Rowley tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth, leading off with a Joe White hit followed by five walks in the next six at bats, including three in a row with the bases loaded. Beverly got out of the jam with an inning ending double play but couldn't rally in the top of the seventh.

Beverly 1, Rowley 6

Three Pitchers Combine in No-Hitter as Rowley Rams Takes Victory Over Beverly Giants

Rowley Rams's three pitchers didn't allow a single hit, as Rowley Rams defeated Beverly Giants 6-1 on Wednesday. Steve Johanson induced a groundout from Andy Brown to get the last out of the game.

Rowley Rams tallied three runs in the sixth inning. The big inning was thanks to walks by CJ Ingraham, Tim Cashman, and Justin Bolla.

Kyle Greenler earned the win for Rowley Rams. They allowed zero hits and zero runs over two innings, striking out five and walking one.

Sean Martin took the loss for Beverly Giants. They went one and one-third innings, allowing six runs on one hit.

Josh Levesque started the game for Beverly Giants. They surrendered zero runs on one hit over four innings, striking out four.  Joe White and Dimitri Hunt each managed one hit to lead Rowley Rams.

Bradford: The day I watched a baseball game

Rob Bradford

Sometimes you forget the importance of baseball.
It was easy to dismiss how the sport shaped summers when being subjected to the back-and-forth of billionaires and millionaires for the last few months. And even going over to Fenway Park the last few days to watch (from hundreds of feet away) the Red Sox socially-distance their way to 60-game season hasn't done the trick. You can relish in those "sweetest sound around" social media posts when watching J.D. Martinez take batting practice, but this wasn't how the sport defined my Julys.
Thankfully, Tuesday offered my first real glimpse into normalcy. I watched a real baseball game with real fans.

When I was growing up in Essex, Mass. the Shipbuilders might have well been the Red Sox. They were my town's representative in the oldest active amateur baseball league in the nation, the Inter-Town Twighlight League. The Little League field was just beyond the left-field fence leading to us 5th-graders keeping one eye on our game and another on what was taking place in the big diamond at Memorial Field.

"Watch out, Kendall's up!" we would yell, anticipating another home run for the town's power-hitting Ruthian figure Kendall Stone.

Those games were everything. And it felt the same way when I got a chance to play for the Shipbuilders, counting the minutes each game day until that first pitch could be thrown at 5:45 p.m. (Some years there were some issues with numbers if the tide was out. The only thing that came before baseball in Essex was clam-digging.)

So when I heard the ITL was actually going to be playing for a 92nd consecutive season despite the pandemic a wave of relief came over me. While Major League Baseball was trying to figure out its deal the good old days were being dropped back in our laps. For the first time this year summer could feel like summer again.

Still, when I drove to the field I didn't know what to expect. Usually, I do. There are fans on the hill in the shadow of one of the most unique-looking town halls you will ever see. The midge flies coming off the marsh will test your resolve. And at least one car's hood will be dented by an errant foul ball. But this was different. How many eggshells would the players and their spectators be walking on? Would there actually be fans hovering over this COVID-19 era of baseball? Would it look anything like I remembered it looking?

What I found was a reprieve from the chaos.
The teams -- the Manchester/Essex Mariners and Ipswich/Topsfield Chiefs -- had been given the basics: No high-fives. Pitchers don't lick your fingers. No postgame handshakes. But once the Mariners' Kellen Field, an Amherst College football player, threw that low-80's fastball to Chiefs leadoff hitter and Assumption College standout R.J. Libby it all seemed normal. The umpire was calling balls and strikes while hovering over the catcher. Baseballs being thrown around without fear of viruses. And teammates moving around each other as teammates do.

Hitters hit. Pitchers pitched. Fielders fielded. Fans cheered.
For better or worse, the panic that had accompanied any talk about the return of sports was a foreign concept. Was there risk? Yup. The ITL doesn't have the luxury of rotating in hundreds of baseballs,  the use of personalized helmets and bats, or the ability to execute every-other-day COVID-19 tests. But the feeling that came with watching a good throw from the outfield to cut down a runner barreling around third base made everyone in attendance remember why getting this six-team league going at some point this summer was so important to so many.

Will the ITL come out of this 10-game season unscathed? Impossible to tell. Adding certainty to any equation these days simply isn't an option.

But sitting behind that screen that I had grown up playing Home Run Derby against throughout my childhood -- watching Field paint fastballs on the outside corner or Chiefs' catcher Zack Lamkin (also the Ipswich High baseball coach) expertly finish off bang-bang play at home plate -- it was easy to understand why leagues like this one were willing to give this sort of season a whirl.
I stayed until the end, never feeling like this was a bad movie I had to power through. Score: Manchester/Essex 7, Ipswich/Topsfield 4. Winner: The great game of baseball. (And, let's be honest, nobody needs a win these days more than baseball.)