In the decisive Game 3 of the ITL semi finals, the score was Rockport leading 7 to 2 entering the 7th inning. The Mariners started the rally on a Luke Leavitt double into the woods. Then with two outs, two men on and the score 7 to 4 James McKenna stepped up to the plate. McKenna smacked a fastball to the center field woods capping off the 5 run comeback.
With the score tied in the bottom of the 7th the game was called due to rain.
Caulin Rogers of the Mariners and Zack Morris of the Townies also had home runs.
Game will be resumed tonight at 6:30pm in Rockport.
From the news
ROCKPORT — It was all over ... until it wasn’t.
Now, the Rockport Townies and Manchester Mariners will have to wait another day to see who advances to this year’s ITL championship.
Deadlocked in a 7-7 tie heading into the bottom of the seventh, the decisive Game 3 of their semifinals series at Evans Field was suspended due to steady rain. At the time of suspension it was unclear whether or not the two teams will pick up right where they left off or start things over entirely. Regardless, things are set to resume on Friday.
Before the inclement weather struck, Rockport was one strike away from a championship berth against the Hamilton Generals. But Manchester delivered in the biggest moment, as Jack McKenna blasted a three-run homer to deep center to cap off a five-run seventh inning that knotted the score. Rockport finally got a strikeout to escape the disastrous frame, but before its first batter took the plate in the bottom half of the inning the rain started to come down heavier and the umps were forced to call it.
The Mariners huge seventh inning was ignited by an RBI double from Luke Leavitt and an RBI single up the middle from EJ Field. Craig Carter then walked, and McKenna stepped up and whacked one into the woods with two down in the inning.
Prior to Manchester’s stunning and explosive stanza, it was all Rockport. Kyle Beal drew the start on the mound and turned forth a great effort, going five innings while allowing just two runs. He got many outs on ground balls and pop outs, mixing up his pitches well and keeping the Mariners’ guessing at the plate.
Offensively, Zach Morris mashed a two-run bomb in the fourth to give the Townies a 3-1 lead at the time. After Manchester got within one in the fifth on an RBI single from Leavitt, Joe Muzio delivered for Rockport again with a monster bases clearing double in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2. The hosts tacked on one more run in the sixth on an error.
Whoever comes out on top on Friday will take on a Hamilton team that took care of business against Rowley in their semifinals series, 2-0. The Generals were the top team in the ITL all summer and will have home field advantage against either Rockport or Manchester.
