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Heartbreak in Harwich, Firebirds Fall in 14
July 15, 2010
By Tristan Hobbes
With the game tied in the bottom of the 14th, Pratt Maynard (NC State) led off with a sharp single to right field and Richardson took over to run. Clint Moore (Army) followed with a sacrifice bunt and that is when things got crazy. Reliever Kenny Long (Illinois St.) fielded the bunt but threw high over Kolten Wong's (Hawai'i) head and down the right field line. Steve Selsky (Arizona), playing right field, was backing up and quickly put his arms in the air to signal that the ball had gone out of play and was dead.
Meanwhile, Richardson continued to run and crossed home with the winning run. Although Selsky had raised his hands, the field umpire did not rule the play dead. Orleans immediately argued the call, saying the ball was out of play according to the ground rules set before the game. The play stood and the run counted giving the Mariners the victory.
**Orleans is protesting the game and the protest will be reviewed by the league**
Prior to the controversial call, the opposing pitching staffs had stolen the show. After each team scored a first inning run, the pitchers settled down and dominated the rest of the night. Orleans starter Kyle Simon (Arizona) allowed one run on just one hit over five innings but struggled with his control. He handed the ball to a bullpen that had not allowed a run in three straight games and it looked to end there in the sixth.
Jack Leathersich (UMass-Lowell) took over in the sixth and allowed a leadoff double, threw a wild pitch and walked the next batter to put runners on the corners with no outs. Moore then attempted a safety squeeze but lined the bunt to first basemen Jayce Boyd (Florida St.) for out number one and Leathersich came back to strike out the next batter. Will Clinard (Vanderbilt) was called on to end the threat and did his job getting a ground out to short to end the inning.
Clinard got one out in the seventh and then handed the ball to Mitchell Lambson (Arizona St.) and Lambson continued to dominate on the mound. Lambson picked off a runner and got a fly out to end the seventh and then followed with three straight scoreless innings. He did allow a walk, the only blemish so far in his five appearances. Marcus Stroman (Duke) followed with two more scoreless innings, his scoreless streak now at 18.2, and Long had tossed a scoreless 13th before giving up the winning run.
The Harwich pitching staff, however, was just a bit better on this night. After giving up three hits in the first two innings, Adam Morgan (Alabama) did not allow a hit in the final three innings of his start. The Mariner bullpen continued the excellence with Braden Kapetyn (Kentucky) tossing three scoreless innings, Dan Burawa (St. John's) two scoreless and Matty Ott (LSU) picked up the win with three scoreless innings. Harwich did not allow another Firebird hit until the tenth inning.
Orleans did have their fare share of chances to win the game themselves. Selsky was hit by a pitch to start the seventh and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt but the next two hitters were retired and Selsky was left stranded. In the tenth, Preston Tucker (Florida) and Wong hit back-to-back two out singles but strike out left them stranded and then Shon Roe (Loyola Marymount) was left stranded on second in the eleventh after a one-out walk.
The Firebirds appeared to take the lead in the 13th inning but fell just a few feet short. Wong led off the inning with a deep drive to right center that, off the bat, appeared to be well over the fence. The thick air and the breeze blowing in, however, knocked the ball down and right fielder Brian Goodwin (UNC) made the catch right at the wall. And then in the 14th, Selsky led off with an infield pop-up that ended with Steve Proscia (Virginia) dropping the ball and Selsky standing on second. Riccio Torrez (Arizona St.) moved him to third with a bunt but a pop-out and strikeout ended the inning and paved the way for the Mariners to take the victory.
Orleans scored the first run of the ballgame with ease. Wong ledoff with a single to center, moved to second on a sac bunt, stole third and scored on a Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) line-drive single to center. Two batters later, with runners on the corners and two outs, Selsky was picked off first and during the subsequent run-down, Esposito broke for home and was called out on a very close play at the plate.
Harwich quickly tied the game in the bottom of the first on an RBI ground out from Maynard. Maynard, who hit a walk-off grand slam on Tuesday, finished 1-4 with two walks.
Wong was the only Firebird with multiple hits as he picked up two on the night. The 14 inning contest is the longest game of the year for the Firebirds and they are now 0-3 in extra inning contests.
Harwich improves to 14-13 and heads to Cotuit for a 5 p.m. game Friday. Orleans continues to struggle and is now 11-16 on the year. They host Chatham, a team they trail by three points, Friday night at 7 p.m. at Eldredge Park.