Rhode Island Connie Mack Baseball - 2020

Led by the timely hitting of Max Pierce and Mark Gelsomino, Scituate High School surged past the Wizards of West Warwick, 6-2.

In a game that was scoreless after four innings, the Spartans took advantage of their opportunities more than the Wizards who left 7 runners on base over the last three innings.  

West Warwick received a solid outing from left-hander, Tom Doran, who allowed just two hits and struck out one over the four innings of work.  

Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, West Warwick scored a run on three singles (Matt Hopper, Robert Bird and Ernie Wright), a walk to Matt Grenier and a wild pitch.

After Scituate built a 6-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning on back to back doubles by Gelsomino and Pierce, the Wizards scored a run (Chris Gaipo) on Matt Hopper's fielder's choice.  

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Wizards loaded the bases with Ernie Wright (lead-off single), Matt Grenier (walk) and Chris Gaipo (walk), but left the bases loaded as lefty reliever Alex Pannone induced a pop-out and groundout to end the game.   

Led by the no-hit pitching of senior Matt Grenier, the Wizards won their second game of the year over the Bulldogs of Westerly, 8-0.

Grenier, who pitched the Wizards first complete-game no-hitter in over a decade, struck out 10 batters and walked two over the seven inning contest.  While he was supported by some stellar defense over the first innings, Grenier struck out 9 batters in the final four frames.  Out of 100 pitches, the righty thre 67 strikes. 

The closest the Bulldogs were to getting a hit was actually in the top of the first inning when sophomore Robert Bird made a diving catch down the right field line off the bat of Trai Collins for the final out.  

After scoring five unearned runs, highlighted by Ernie Wright's two-run double in the second inning, the Wizards broke open the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when they scored three runs on rbi hits by Matt Grenier (double), Chris Gaipo (single) and Charlie Tashjian (single).  

After losing their first two games of the season, West Warwick bounced back with a surprising 8-2 victory over the defending Division II Champions, Mt. St. Charles.  

Led by the solid pitching fo Charlie Tashjian and Robert Bird, the Wizards were able to hold the Mounties to only two runs on seven hits.  Tashjian, who earned the victory, pitched four scoreless innings while striking out three and allowing just three hits.  Bird, who pitched the final three innings, allowed just two runs on four hits.

In the bottom of the second inning, the Wizards, who were limited to just five runs in 16 innings of play to start the season, scored five runs to open up a 5-0 lead.  WWHS received hits from Tom Doran (lead-off single), Andrew D'Ambrosca (single), Brogan Guilmette (rbi single), Matt Grenier (rbi double), Nick Pecchia (rbi single and Chris Gaipo (two-run single).

The Wizards scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

In the fourth inning, Ernie Wright singled, stole second base, moved to third base on a ground-out and then, scored on a perfectly executed suicide squeeze by Nick Pecchia.

In the fifth inning, Hermes Villar-Acosta (pinch-runner) scored from second base on Matt Hopper's line-drive to left center.  

In the sixth inning, WWHS scored the final run of the game when Matt Grenier singled to right field, stole second base and scored on Chris Gaipo's rbi single to right field.   

Offensivley, the Wizards received contributions from Matt Grenier (2/4, one double, 2 runs scored and 1 rbi), Nick Pecchia (1/3, one run scored and 2 rbi's), Chris Gaipo (3/4, 3 rbi's), Tom Doran (1/2, one run scored), Matt Hopper (1/3, 1 rbi), Andrew D'Ambrosca (1/2, one run scored), Brogan Guilmette (1/3, 1 rbi) and Ernie Wright (1/2, two runs scored).  

Despite the solid pitching from Matt Grenier, Matt Hopper and Ernie Wright, the Wizards lost their home opener in extra innings, 4-3, to North Smithfield.  

The trio of pitchers walked three batters (one intentional walk) and did not give up an earned run in the 9-inning affair.  Of 130 pitches thrown, they threw 89 strikes.  

After allowing three unearned runs on three errors in the first three innings, Matt Grenier was replaced by fellow Senior Matt Hopper entered the game in middle relief and allowed just two hits in 3 2/3 innings of work.  

Junior Ernie Wright followed Hopper by allowing just one unearned run on one hit in 2 1/3 innings.  

Down 3-0 after three innings, the Wizards scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning when Matt Grenier lined a two-out, two-run single to right-center to score pinch-runners, Hermes Villar-Acosta and Alex Pedus.

While Matt Hopper retired 9 of 10 batters, West Warwick tied the game in the bottom of the sixth.  With one out, Pacer Carpenter walked.  Brogan Guilmette, then, blooped a single down the right field line to move pinch-runner Cobly Knott to second base.  With two-outs, Grenier lined a single to left-center to tie the game at 3-3.

In extra innings, the Wizards seven walks, but could not push across the winning run, leaving seven runners stranded over the last three innings of the game.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, WWHS had their best chance to win the game with two outs.  With runners (Guilmette and Wright) on with two outs, the Northmen elected to intentionally walk Matt Grenier (3/4, 3 rbi's), putting the winning run 90 feet away.  The move, however, paid off as reliever Eric Ethier induced a pop-up to short right to end the inning.

In the top of the ninth inning, North Smithfield rallied with two outs.  Adam Blakemore reached on an error, moved to second on a wild pitch.  After two walks, Blakemore scored on Eric Ethier's infield hit.  

In addition to Grenier's three hits, the Wizards received offensive support from Brogan Guilmette (2/3, 2 walks), Tom Doran (1/4), Nick Pecchia (1/4) and Matt Hopper (three walks).