RallyNorth.net

Tue, May 06, 2008 03:45 PM @ Newburyport

Team	Final
Ipswich	0
Newburyport	13

Clippers maul Tigers

Wednesday, May, 07 By Evan Mugford
Staff writer

There is no negating the fact that Bill Pettingell and his Clipper baseball team are in the hunt.

Newburyport's chances were brightened even further when the Ipswich Tigers, a team that presented the Clippers with their first loss in the season opener, prowled into town looking for another easy meal.

Thanks to an outlandish bottom of the fourth, the Clippers not only exacted sweet vengeance, but they quite viciously poached the Ipswich Tigers, 13-0, and pushed their soaring record to 6-2 in the CAL and 8-6 overall.

The day before an uncharacteristically painful and lopsided loss to North Reading last week, Newburyport had beaten a strong North Andover team, 4-3. Then after nursing their wounds over the weekend, a rejuvenated Clipper crew  traveled to Masconomet on Monday and delivered the Chieftains they're first loss of the season, 6-5.

"We figured that if we could win two out of those three (North Andover, North Reading, Masconomet), then we'd be right in the midst of the race for the CAL title," explained Pettingell.

The quest that the Clippers are on started out rather lackluster when the team began the season 1-4, but as of late, the Clippers are making great gains and look to be breathing down the necks of Wilmington and Masconomet, fighting for the claim of kings of CAL.

Kyle McElroy was the backbone that never bent in a rout that saw no apparent rally, pitching six innings, giving up two hits, walking one, and striking out six. His performance, he explained, was only as good as the defense in front of and behind him.

"The defense has been playing great," said McElroy. "Kevin Crossman does a great job behind the plate, and the guys behind me are always making big plays."

The Clippers sailed onto the board in the first when Tyler Stotz (1-2, 2 runs, 2 walks, a steal) walked, captain Richie Burke (3-3, double, 3 RBIs, 3 runs, 2 steals) singled, and Kevin Holmes (2-3, double, 2 RBIs, run) smashed a double off the fence in left field, bringing in Stotz for the game's first run. Some nice base-running helped Tim Jones (2 RBIs) deliver a sac fly and push Burke home with the bases loaded before the Tigers and pitcher Jim Cadogen exited the inning.

Not allowing any runs, the teams traded singles in the second inning. In the bottom of the third, a bases loaded opportunity was squandered, but not before Joe Clancy (2-4, 3 RBIs, double, run) knocked in Burke with a sac-fly, making the score 3-0.

After a 1-2-3 inning by McElroy and company, the bottom of the fourth was a Clippers fan's dream come true.

Thanks to sweet swinging by Stotz, Burke, Clancy, Holmes, Kyle LeBlanc (3-3, RBI, double, 2 steals), and Crossman (2-3, run), every Clipper came to bat, and Newburyport pushed 10 more runs across the board. From stolen bases to errors, singles to extra-base hits, everything that could go wrong for the Tigers, and everything that could go right for the Clippers came to fruition.

Sophomore center fielder LeBlanc said the win was a full team effort.

"Today's win was a big turn around win for us," exclaimed LeBlanc. "We really started hitting the ball, and all of those hits that usually don't drop, were, and that seemed to be a first for us this year.

"Kyle pitched really well, and hopefully we can carry the momentum into our upcoming schedule," said LeBlanc.

The remainder of the game consisted of the Tigers relieving pitchers and the Clippers playing solid defense, which was something Newburyport wouldn't mind seeing every game.

Captain second-baseman Burke liked how his team was playing and was glad the Clippers were finally hitting their stride.

"It was a good win," said Burke. "We've been working hard and it seems like things are finally coming together. We're going to try to keep things going and hopefully pull out something special.

"Our Masconomet win was key for our momentum," explained Burke, "and as long as we keep playing well and continue to do all the little things, it should carry on."

Winning seven of their last nine, coach Pettingell wasn't concerned as much about the overall record as he was about the Clippers standing in the CAL.

"The biggest thing is how we're only one game behind the lead in the Cape Ann League," stated Pettingell, whose team will be traveling to Cooperstown to play a game against some Clippers alumni. "The overall record doesn't mean anything to us. It's the Cape Ann Division 1, and we're taking it one game at a time."