Kelliher Makes Wareham Pay For Strategy Mistake

24 June 2008


 


     The Wareham coaching staff had the right idea on Sunday night, but they didn’t stick by it.

     With the score tied at 2-2 in the top of the seventh, and Joe Perry standing on second base with two outs, Wareham’s Head Coach called for an intentional walk to Brendon Kelliher, which would have set up a force play all around the infield. Wareham pitcher Ben Church issued ball one to Kelliher, but then was able to talk his coach out of the move, as he wanted to go after Kelliher to end the inning. The coach acquiesced, and was that ever a mistake.

     Kelliher would jolt the next pitch he faced over the left-center field fence for a go-ahead two-run homer, giving Sandwich Post 188 a 4-2 lead. The local boys would add another run in the seventh and go on to win a 5-2 ballgame.

     After the homer, Billy Miller, who went 3-for-3 in the game and has now had hits in six of his last seven at-bats, sliced a double to left-center, which chased Church out of the game. Dave Ewan came on in relief for the Wareham club and the first offering out of his hand was met by Brian Bolton and delivered into left for a single, driving in a big insurance run for Post 188 as they took a 5-2 lead. Bolton was gunned down on the play at second base, trying to stretch a single into a double, but the damage had been done as the local team had pushed three runs across the plate to grab the lead.

     Those runs proved to be big as Wareham had the makings of a rally in the bottom of the seventh. Reliever Nick Croft, who entered the game in the sixth, fanned the first man he faced, pinch-hitter Lorenzo Grosso, but then walked the next two men, Ryan Shove and Pat Murphy, which brought the potential tying run to the plate for Wareham, which was the home team even though the game was held at Sandwich High’s Fenton Field. A scheduling conflict with the Wareham Gatemen forced the game’s site to be switched.

     Reliever Matt Melia came in for the save opportunity for Post 188 and got out of the jam, but not without first adding to the drama. Melia fanned the first batter he faced but then an infield single by Wareham’s Cody Berger loaded the bases for the home team. Chad Snow was next for Wareham, and represented the winning run at the plate.

     Melia fell behind Snow quickly, issuing balls on his first three offerings. The reliever from Sandwich then came all the way back to get his man, throwing a called strike and then getting the batter to foul off a couple of inside fastballs. On his second 3-2 offering to Snow, Melia got the batter to chase some high heat for strike three, ending the game.

     Croft earned the win in relief for Post 188. Starter Sam Allen did not factor in the decision, but pitched five effective innings.

     Wareham scored first in the game, using three walks and a hit batter to push one across in the second inning. Sandwich came back to score two in the fourth to take the lead when Miller and Bolton drove in runs. Wareham then tied it in the fifth with a bases loaded walk.

     On Friday night Post 188 beat Brockton by a 10-6 score. Kelliher got things going for Sandwich, a three-run homer in the first inning. Brockton came back to take the lead with four in the second, chasing starter Pat Brennan from the game, but the home team then rallied for two in the third and three in the fifth to retake control. 

     Jimmy Souza went 3-for-3 in the win. Both Miller and Bolton also had three hits in four trips. 
  


 


Back to CapeNews.net home page

50 Depot Avenue - Falmouth MA 02540 - Phone 508-548-4700

© Copyright 2007 Falmouth Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.