Post 127 Back on Track with 8-6 Victory Over North Haven

After scoring a total of only 3 runs in its previous 4 Zone 2 contests, Orange Post 127 finally remembered to bring its hitting shoes and run-starved bats to Brinley Field Thursday night. Banging out 8 hit and scoring a like number of runs, Orange snapped its 4 game Zone 2 loosing streak by defeating Post 76 of North Haven 8-6. While the victory (which prevented being swept in its 3 game series with North Haven) improved the Post 127 record to 6-8, it still needs to win 7 of its remaining 10 games to qualify for the state tournament that gets underway on July 19th.

Orange wasted no time in getting onto the scoreboard as it posted 2 runs in the bottom of the first inning and added 3 more tallies in its second at bat. Brian Kernan led off the hosts’ first at bat with a base hit but was quickly erased by Nick Baviello on a fielder’s choice. Following Ted Ballou’s free pass, Adam Kyasky and Mark Bland knocked out back-to-back base hits to give Orange its first run. Later in the same stanza, Nial Demmando drew a bases-loaded walk that forced Ballou home with his team’s second score.

Post 127 extended its lead to 5-0 with 3e more runs in the bottom of the second inning. After Jim Martino drew a lead-of walk, Kernan spanked his second single of the night. Baviello dumped a slow infield roller toward the third base line. Post 76 pitcher Edison Rodriquez tried to nail Martino at third base but he beat the throw and the bases were loaded with no outs. Ballou walked with the bases loaded to make it 3-0 and cause North Haven Coach Charlie Flanagan to replace Rodriquez with Zach Brown. He was greeted by successive RBI singles from Boland and Sean Butler.

“We finally came out of our shell and began to hit the ball like I know we can hit it. Offensively, we played better much better than we had been playing,” said Post 127 Coach Bib Mirto.

North Haven (now 7-9 with 8 games left to its regular season) spoiled Dane Simome’s shut out bid with a run in the top of the third inning. After Jeter Padilla was hit by a pitch, Johnny Johnson walked and Rodriquez whacked a run-scoring double way up the ally in left-center field. Orange alertly tagged Rodriquez when he overran second base, to break the back of the visitors’ potentially big rally.

Baviello led off the home half of the fourth inning by swatting a solo home run over the right field fence to extend the Orange lead to 6-1. It was the first Post 127 round tripper of the summer.  Scoring a run without a base hit in the fifth inning gave Post 127 a 7-1 advantage.

After Simone walked both Sage Leonard and Troy Sundwall, Nanno Nieves drilled a 2-run double off the left field fence to make it 7-3. Orange answered with an unearned run in the top of the sixth and took an 8-3 lead into the final stanza.

Adam Kyasky (who had been hit in the face with the ball while chasing a long foul fly along the fence in left field during the previous inning-but difd not appear to be seriously injured) came in to pitch the final inning. At that point, the Orange defense completely collapsed. Making 4 errors, it gave away 3 runs before Kyasky was finally able to get the third out and end the game.”

Mirto quipped, “If that was a prototype for baseball, football would be our national sport!”

He quickly added, “We have people hurt and guys playing out of position, but our base running was horrendous tonight. At times we looked like we were acting out a scene from ‘Dumb and Dumber’. I thought Dane pitched a pretty good game. He used his fast ball and change very effectively. He is still young and developing as a pitcher but I think he is going to be very good as he gets older.”

Simone allowed 3 runs on only 3 hits while walking 7 Post 76 batters and hitting another. He also recorded 4 strike outs.

Offensively, the winners were led by Kernan (2 singles, 2 runs), Baviello (a bases-empty home run, 3 runs, 2 RBI) Boland (2 hits, a run, and 2 RBI), and Butler (2 hits and an RBI). Rodriquez (a double and an RBI), Leonard (a single, 2 runs), and Nieves (a 2-run double) were the top hitters for North Haven.

Post 127 will visit Post of East Haven 89 for a double header on Saturday at 10 AM.