Calvary Romps Over Somerset On Strength Of Thirteen Run Inning

Age and experience triumphed over youth and inexperience yesterday when Calvary Christian overcame a three run deficit erupting for thirteen runs in the fourth inning en route to a 13-3 win over Somerset.

The afternoon started out promisingly enough for Somerset when they scored two runs in the first without a base hit. A pair of walks, a stolen base, a wild pitch and two errors gave the Panthers an early 2-0 lead.

Calvary ace Ryan Lowery continued having problems locating his pitches, issuing walks to the first two batter he faced in the second inning. Had it not been for his pick-off of Chris Medina, the ensuing bunt single by Brian DeLaNuez and hit batter would have resulted in a run. Instead they failed to cash in, stranding three runners.

Somerset’s sophomore southpaw Andrew Denis retired Calvary 1-2-3 in the second, after working out of a first inning jam.

A two out nobody on, third inning Panthers rally began when Lowery issued his fifth base on balls followed by his second hit batter. Gabby Estevez then scorched a line drive single up the middle. Somerset’s third run of the game scored when Luis Mercado’s hard slide dislodged the ball from catcher Taylor Gushue’s glove after the out call had been made, and now the young Panthers had a 3-0 lead.

Once again, as he had done in the first inning, Denis escaped a jam, stranding two more Eagle in the third inning and he took a no- hitter into the fourth against a veteran-laden Calvary team.

Calvary coach Gregg Mucerino decided that it was time to make a change, so he put his senior third baseman, Tyler Middlebrooks on the mound. The hard throwing Middlebrooks answered the call by setting the Panthers down in order in the fourth inning.

“I just can’t say enough about Tyler,” said coach Mucerino. “He changed the whole momentum of the game, running out there and giving us a 1-2-3 fourth inning.”

Denis’ escape act and his no-hitter came to an end in the home half of the fourth. Dalton Dinatale started things off by drilling a hard liner to the fence in right field. Jorge Alvarez went back but couldn’t hold on to the drive. Anthony Avila then drilled a hard grounder just inside the third base bag and down the line into the left field corner for a double, breaking up the no-hitter.

It became virtually impossible for Denis to duplicate his earlier magic when four miscues on the next four batters left him in a 4-3 hole with runners on first and second. Eagles designated hitter Andrew Liberty stepped up to the plate and hit his first career homer, upping the score to 7-3, and ending a valiant effort by Denis.

“There were three plays that we could have made that would have taken us out of the inning with only one run scoring,” said Somerset Head Coach Onel Garcia, when asked about his starting pitcher’s tough luck.

Jorge Alvarez came in next for Somerset and was promptly greeted by Gushue’s fourth round-tripper of the season. A couple of walks and Avila’s second double of the inning and the score mounted to 10-3.

In came Franklin Paulino to pitch and after eleven batters had reached base safely, and Franklin finally got the first out of the inning. Chris Walkerow and Emilio DeSilva both followed with doubles. After a couple of walks, four wild pitches and a balk, when the smoked had cleared, the score had mounted to 13-3.

Four defensive lapses by the young Panthers weighed heavily in the disastrous inning. A somewhat disappointed coach Garcia had this to say about his teams sloppy play, “Our defense let us down. That’s been our main problem this year.”

When asked to comment on Liberty’s timely three-run homer, Mucerino smiled and said, “He’s a special player. He has a chance to be as good a middle infielder as I have ever coached.”

Middlebrooks picked up the win with one perfect inning in relief, while Denis took the loss for Somerset.

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