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Struggling offenses run into hot pitching

Friday, April, 18 By John Shimer
Staff writer

 The way Newburyport and Amesbury's offenses have struggled this year, it would be hard for either club to argue with the adage that hitting is generally the last part of the game to come around.

Yet the way the Clippers' Tom Morris (11 strikeouts, 4 hits allowed) and Amesbury's Nick Slevoski (5 strikeouts, 2 walks, 3 hits) pitched yesterday, any opponent would have been hard pressed to generate offense.

With only three hits leaving the infield the entire game from both sides, the game became a matter of which team would make the least mistakes. Newburyport won that battle and the game, 2-0.

After 2<1/2> scoreless innings, Newburyport (2-4) finally took advantage of two Amesbury errors. Leading off the inning, Tim Jones hit a slow roller to third base and was credited with a hit, but Indians third baseman Steve Serwon's throw was off line and Jones took second on the error. Slevoski rebounded with back-to-back strikeouts and then looked to get out of the inning when Richie Burke hit another soft grounder to short. David Smith dropped the ball at first, and Jones came all the way around to score on the play.

In the top of the fourth, the Indians tried to even the score, getting their first two runners on base after an infield hit and an error on shortstop Joe Clancy. But Morris was able to work his way out of the jam, picking off a runner at second for the first out. Clancy then redeemed himself with brilliant diving play to get a force out at second. Morris hit the next batter, but then recorded his fifth strikeout of the game to get out of the jam, stranding two base runners.

Both pitchers continued to roll until the bottom of the sixth when the Clippers added their insurance run. Clancy led of the inning with a walk, then stole second on a failed hit-and-run attempt, and moved to third with one out when Kyle LeBlanc grounded out to second. Despite Amesbury moving the infield in, Clancy scored after Kevin Holmes hit a high bouncer to short in which Jared Flannigan had no play at home for the final run of the game.

"We got a break early when they dropped the ball at first, and unfortunately that's what happens when things are going bad," said Newburyport coach Bill Pettingell. "We worked hard for that last run, stealing second, moving the guy to third, and then Clancy made a really heady play seeing the ball bounce high enough that they didn't have a play on him. Otherwise, the ball would've had to go through."

Leaving no doubt he was tossing a complete-game shutout, Morris struck out the side for the second time to end it in style.

"I think mixing up the pitches, and especially getting the curve over for strikes because they are good fastball-hitting team, really kept them off balance," said Morris. "We got the big plays when we needed them, got the hits when we needed them, and had good base running, so it was a solid win."

Although both pitchers were superb, Pettingell said the unsung hero of the game for the Clippers was his young catcher, Kevin Crossman.

"Kevin could not have played better behind the plate," praised Pettingell. "He threw out a runner trying to steal second base, he blocked the plate, he threw out three guys at first after swinging at third strikes, which earlier in the season may have made it to the backstop. He was blocking and framing great, and he became a big league catcher for our club."

For winless Amesbury (0-6), David Smith had two of his club's four hits, but coach Gene Burnham said his team just could not figure out Morris in the River Rivals first matchup of the season.

"It was a terrific ball game, and their pitcher kept us off balance with his three pitches," Burnham stated. "Nick was on top of his game, but they just executed better than we did. You have to give the Clippers credit because they are a well-coached team."