GENERALS IN COMMAND: Hamilton sweeps the weekend, is one win away from ITL title
By Nick Curcuru
The Hamilton Generals took control of the Intertown Twilight Baseball League Finals over the weekend, sweeping both games to take a commanding lead in the championship series with the Manchester Essex Mariners.
The Generals put an exclamation mark on their weekend performance on Sunday with a 21-6 shellacking at Memorial Field to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. With Sunday’s win, Hamilton can clinch its first ITL crown since 1991 with a win in Game 3 on Wednesday back at Patton Park (5:30 p.m.).
The defending champion Mariners, on the other hand, have run out of margin for error and need to win each of the next three games to regain the title. If necessary, Game 4 will be played back at Memorial Field on Saturday (4 p.m.) and a potential winner-take-all Game 5 would be played on Sunday at Patton Park (5:30 p.m.).
It was a wild one from the start as the teams combined to score nine runs in the first inning alone with the Generals leading 5-4.
Four first inning walks put the Generals in a good spot. Nick Freni’s bases loaded free pass opened the scoring and Ryan Hutchinson followed by knocking in two with a hard-hit double off the first baseman’s mitt for a 3-0 lead. Carter Coffey then delivered a RBI single and Tobin Goldfield followed with a base knock to drive in a run for a 5-0 Generals advantage before Manchester Essex even came up to bat.
The Mariners had a big answer in the bottom of the frame as two walks and a hit batsmen loaded the bases with nobody out before E.J. Field delivered a RBI single. Kellen Field then walked with the bases loaded for another run while Mike Quill’s groundout and a Rusty Tucker RBI single cut the deficit to 5-4 after an inning of play.
Hamilton, however, essentially put the game away in the top of the second with seven more runs to take a commanding 12-4 lead.
Hutchinson delivered his second two RBI hit in as many innings to get the rally started with Goldfield and Hunter Wilichoski delivering RBI hits. The other two runs came in on a bases loaded hit by pitch and a fielding error to give the Generals a 12-4 lead after two, a lead they would only build on.
After the Mariners got a run back in the bottom of the fourth, Hamilton responded with six more in the fifth then three more in the seventh to reach the 20-run mark.
There were many offensive stars on the day for the Generals as Hutchinson and Will Frain each drove in four runs on two hits. Frain capped the scoring in the seventh with a two-run shot to left. Wilichoski and Aidan Cann each scored three runs while Goldfield had three hits and two RBI. Jake Lanciani earned the win with four innings of relief, allowing one run.
The Generals also took advantage of seven Mariners errors and a combined 10 walks and hit batsmen.
Dylan Wilson had three hits to lead the Mariners with Caulin Rogers and Luke Leavitt each chipping in a pair of hits.
Hamilton jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the series with a 6-3 win in Game 1 on Saturday at Patton Park. The Generals trailed early but scored six runs in the fourth inning to take the victory.
Carter Coffey picked up the win with 4 1/3 innings of work with Lanciani picking up the save. Harrison O’Brien had two hits for the Generals while Quill led the Mariners with three hits and drove in all three runs.
