By Chad Garner CORRESPONDENT
Worcester’s Alex Trezza hits a solo home run in the third inning. (T&G Staff/JIM COLLINS)WORCESTER —
What started out as a promising four-game series for the Worcester Tornadoes turned out to be pretty mediocre.
While the Tornadoes won the first two games against the American Defenders of New Hampshire, they watched the visitors — dressed in camouflage uniforms — salvage a series split with a ninth-inning rally on Saturday night and yesterday’s 7-4 win at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field.
“We went out there and took two to start off with, it’s just a matter of closing out the series,” said Worcester starting pitcher Matt Weagle, who absorbed the loss. “They are a good team. They’re not just going to lay down and die for us, we’ve just got to finish it.”
While the Tornadoes won the first two games against the American Defenders of New Hampshire, they watched the visitors — dressed in camouflage uniforms — salvage a series split with a ninth-inning rally on Saturday night and yesterday’s 7-4 win at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field.
“We went out there and took two to start off with, it’s just a matter of closing out the series,” said Worcester starting pitcher Matt Weagle, who absorbed the loss. “They are a good team. They’re not just going to lay down and die for us, we’ve just got to finish it.”
Worcester took a 1-0 lead in the second inning off New Hampshire winning pitcher Miguel Flores, who was making his first start of the season. Mike MacMillan flicked a single over the first baseman’s head and hustled around to score on Jeff LaHair’s RBI triple to left field that took a bad hop and skipped past Jerod Edmondson.
But New Hampshire struck for two runs off right-hander Weagle. Argenis Tavarez got aboard on a one-out infield single, and designated hitter Rob Riley lined a single to right. Both scored on Boomer Berry’s booming two-run double off the right field wall.
Worcester catcher Alex Trezza got the Tornadoes back even at 2-2 with a towering solo home run to right.
Weagle labored in the third inning, as Edward Ovalle drilled a double off the right field wall and Edmondson followed with an RBI single up the middle. Weagle’s errant pickoff throw to first base allowed Edmondson to scamper to third on the two-base error, and the left fielder trotted home on Tavarez’s sacrifice fly to left for a 4-2 lead.
Clyde Williams drilled a solo homer to right, and Chris Kelly doubled to the left-center gap in the fifth inning, prompting Tornadoes manager Rich Gedman to call to the bullpen. Reliever Nick Conway came in and served up RBI singles to Ovalle and Tavarez.
Weagle allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 4-1/3 innings.
“I’m very disappointed in myself, but in five days, I’ll get the ball again, and I’ll make up for it,” Weagle said.
Worcester cut the deficit to 7-3 with a bases-loaded walk to Carlos Sosa in the fifth.
The Tornadoes kept chipping away, scoring one run as the hosts trailed, 7-4, after six innings.
LaHair greeted New Hampshire reliever Keith Renaud, a Southbridge native, with a single to center. Heath Keel walk, and Garrett Olson drilled an RBI double to left.
“I think we have a pretty good squad over here, and we’re not going to let these two games get to us,” said LaHair, who went 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Burke Catholic moved into a new neighborhood on Saturday; the NYS High School finals in Utica NY. Never before has a Burke Hockey team reached the 'Final Four' and dispite a tough 3-2 loss to Section 1 Pelham, the Eagles represented John S Burke Catholic and Section 9 with their usual class and grit.
