By Nick Curcuru Sports Editor
ROWLEY — Wednesday’s game between the Manchester Essex Mariners and the Rowley Rams was well on its way to being another classic contest between the two rival teams. Instead, it ended up being the most high stakes scrimmage in the history of the Intertown League.
The Mariners and Rams traded off momentum for seven innings in a winner-take-all Game 3 of the ITL Semifinals and found themselves tied, 5-5 heading into the eighth. After the completion of the seventh inning, the sun was just about to set at Eiras Park and the umpires called a stop to the game due to the impending darkness. League rules state that the game must now start over. That means the Rams and Mariners will re-start Game 3 of the ITL Semifinals on Thursday back at Eiras Park (5:30 p.m.).
If a winner is finally decided on Thursday, it will advance to the ITL Finals against the waiting Hamilton Generals, who swept the Rockport Townies in their playoff series.
Although it didn’t count, Wednesday’s game was a great contest between two of the league’s best teams.
The Mariners jumped out to a 1-0 lead right away when Harry Painter doubled in Caulin Rogers (single). The Rams, however, took momentum in the bottom of the frame with a four-run, two-out rally to take a 4-1 edge into the second. Dimitri Hunt drove in a run with a base hit and Colby ingraham singled in two more with another run coming in on an error.
The Rams momentum did not last long as the Mariners plated three more in another two-out rally. Luke Leavitt singled in a pair and Caulin Rogers later came in to score on an error to tie it up at 4-4.
Rowley took the lead back in the fourth when Cam Gilroy delivered a two-out single to score Colby Ingraham (single). But the Mariners again had an answer as E.J. Field delivered a two-out RBI single in the sixth to score Rogers to make it 5-5.
Both teams got out of the seventh unscathed before darkness fell on Eiras Park.
