After what unfolded in Game 2 of the ITL championship series at Eiras Park in Rowley on Sunday night, it’d be tough to bet against the Manchester Essex Mariners moving forward.
And when looking at their season as a whole, this most recent positive result shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
With both pitchers dominating, Manchester went into the seventh and final frame locked in a scoreless tie and searching for its first hit of the night. Brett Moore delivered that knock, Caz Ostrowski followed suit with a textbook bunt, and a few batters later the Mariners found themselves leading 2-0.
Tom Elliot then slammed the door in the bottom half of the frame to not only secure the win for his team, but a 2-0 lead in the best-of-5 series against the Rowley Rams.
“It was a real nail-biter,” said Mariners manager Cory Burnham. “Caz Ostrowski pitched great for 5 2/3 for us but ended up getting a pretty gnarly blister on his finger, forcing me to take him out. But Tom Elliot came into the game with the bases loaded, two outs and got a huge strikeout then finished out the game (in the 7th). He was absolutely nails. Just a great win.”
Zach Gilmore toed the bump for Rams and was on cruise control until the decisive seventh.
That’s when Moore provided the necessary spark, coming through with his team’s first hit of the game in a huge spot by drilling one to right field. Ostrowski — who was still battling through the blister on his throwing hand — then laid down the bunt on the very next pitch and the Mariners struck some good fortune when the Ram’s throw ricocheted off a players helmet and into the outfield.
That not only allowed Ostrowski to get all the way to third base, but sent Moore home for the game’s first run.
Recent GHS graduate Lukas Albano then stepped up the plate and came through with another base hit to drive Ostrowski in and supplant the scoring at 2-0.
All this came just 24 hours after Manchester had seized a 1-0 series lead with a convincing 9-2 victory at Memorial Park in Essex in Saturday evening. And they accomplished that with one decisive stanza at the plate, too.
All knotted at 2-2 headed into the third of that one, Manchester erupted for seven runs in the bottom half of the frame to win going away. Moore and Burnham both finished with two hits on the evening while EJ Field took one for the team on two separate occasions, reaching base via hit by pitches twice.
Defensively, Zach Abbott picked up the win on the mound, striking out six and allowing just three hits across five innings pitched. Mikey Harris, a current Manchester Essex High standout, then came on for the save with two strong innings of no-hit ball (1 K).
Now it’s on to Wednesday’s Game 3 back in Essex, where Manchester can clinch its first championship since 2021 with another win.
“We just have to continue to play the confident brand of baseball that we’ve been doing all year,” said Burnham. “We know what we’re capable of, we’ve been here before and we know how to handle this situation and I know we’re gonna do just that.”
Burnham says the plan is to start their ace Moore in that one, with Abbott coming on to close things out if necessary.
“Those guys have been carrying us all year,” added Burnham. “We’re always calling on ‘Big Game Brett’ when we need a win, and here we are with a chance to win the whole thing and he’s getting the start.”
