East Providence keeps baseball playoffs hopes alive with win

Townies likely need to beat Central, get some help to qualify

By Nick Friend, Post Intern
Posted 5/24/16

EAST PROVIDENCE — In a must-win game, the East Providence High School baseball team walked off with a 4-3 victory in the bottom of ninth inning over visiting Barrington at …

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East Providence keeps baseball playoffs hopes alive with win

Townies likely need to beat Central, get some help to qualify

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — In a must-win game, the East Providence High School baseball team walked off with a 4-3 victory in the bottom of ninth inning over visiting Barrington at Pierce Field Tuesday, May 24, to keep its Division I postseason hopes alive.

In order to have a chance at making the playoffs, the Townies knew they had to win both Tuesday's game against the Eagles and the next day against Central.

E.P. delivered on the first part as the Townies fought back from a 3-0 deficit and beat Barrington on a Tyler Midelfort walk-off double in extra innings.

“A close game. Barrington only has one win this year, but they play a lot of good baseball and they stay in the game,” EPHS head coach Bobby Rodericks Jr. said. “We knew that if we don’t win today there is no chance at playoffs.”

To start the game, Adam Duarte gave up two runs off of three hard hits including a two run single down the right field line. The Townies’ offense failed to respond, putting them a 2-0 deficit after the first inning. In the second inning, Barrington scored again, this time on a passed ball that upped their lead to 3-0. This time, E.P. responded as Jordan Gibson hit a single that drove in a run from second. This shrunk Barrington’s lead to 3-1 as the teams headed into the third.

In the third, Duarte struck out two and made quick work of some of Barrington’s best hitters. E.P. then looked like its was going to respond again, but couldn't capitalize on two walks. This kept the score at 3-1 after three innings. In the fourth, Duarte continued to role as he struck out another batter to keep his team in it.

“It is tough to have him throw that many pitches, but if we didn't win today there was no tomorrow,” Coach Rodericks said. “We had to go with Duarte as long as we could. There was one point where I started warming up (Ben) Sears and Duarte personally said ‘I am staying in coach.’”

The Townies then tied the game in the bottom of the fourth after they had the bases loaded. Ben Sears had an RBI single and Riley Cronin hit a sacrifice fly that drove in the tying run. The two starters then dominated in the fifth and sixth inning, keeping both offenses off the board. This kept the game tied at three heading into the seventh.

In the final scheduled inning, Duarte made it a quick 1-2-3 inning, giving his team the chance to walk off with a victory. However, E.P. went down in order which sent the game to extras.

In the top of the eighth, Duarte allowed the first two runners to get on base before he got the next three out in a row, including another strike out. This gave E.P. the opportunity to win the game again, but failed to as two out of the three batter stuck out. With the rain failing, Duarte got all three batters out in a row including a barehanded play of his own to give his team yet another opportunity in the bottom of the ninth. This time, the Townies capitalized as Cronin got things going with a double. Barrington then intentionally walked Duarte, putting a man on first and second with Midelfort due up to the plate. The catcher was hitless on for the game before he drilled the game winning double over the center fielder's head, keeping the Townies playoff hopes alive.

“He came through. He is a catcher and I always say catchers always come through,” Coach Rodericks said of Midelfort. “He has been pretty much consistent all year. This sets us for the show tomorrow and it is senior night. If they can’t rise up for that then it isn't even worth it to go into the playoffs.”

The win was an extra sigh of relief for E.P. as the locals not only kept their chances at a playoff berth alive, but also ended a six game losing streak. The Townies improved 6-11 in Division I play. E.P. then needed to beat a 6-8 Central team at Pierce to remain alive for the playoffs, though it still may not be enough to qualify due to tiebreakers.

“If I have to say anything about tomorrow then we don't deserve the playoffs,” Coach Rodericks said. “They know the magnitude of the game.”

He added that if both Portsmouth and East Providence win their final game they both would have the same record of 7-11 which might not get the locals in due to the breakers, which is something the Townies absolutely do not want as they missed the playoffs last year in the same way.

“An absolutely must win here tomorrow at six and it is senior night,” Coach Rodericks said. “You don't get much bigger than that.”

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.