Mounties slip past Cosmos

In a game of missed opportunities, it was Mount St. Josephthat finally cashed in and it resulted in a 4-2 win over Springfield Thursday afternoon.
http://rutlandherald.com/article/20140509/SPORTS02/705099910

Published May 9, 2014 in the Rutland Herald Mountiesslip pastCosmos By POODY WALSH Correspondent SPRINGFIELD — In a game of missed opportunities, it was Mount St. Josephthat finally cashed in and it resulted in a 4-2 win over Springfield Thursday afternoon. The Green Wave also got a gritty mound performance from junior Josh Wasilewski as the right-hander hung in there to win his four-hitter. Wasilewski threw the limit of 120 pitches and had to leave the mound with two outs in the seventh. Collin Gilbert came on to get the final out. Both runs off Wasilewski were unearned as the Mounties put their only two errors of the game back-to-back in the third inning that aided Springfield’s only scoring of the day. “He battled,” said MSJ coach Jacob Downey of his pitcher. “And I think our catcher, Nate O’Shea, called a great game.” The Mounties, who left 11 men on, had nine hits and received five walks had Downey wishing for a little more offense. “We’re a better hitting team that we showed today,” said Downey, “But we had just enough offense to get the win.” One player that Downey could not find fault with offensively was leadoff hitter Shane Protivansky who had three crisp singles. “He’s been really crushing the ball,” said Downey. “He was batting second, but he’s been hitting so well we moved him up.” The win lifted the Division IV Mounties to 4-2 while Division II Springfield dropped to 2-5. “We had a lot of chances,” said Springfield coach Archie Farmer of his Cosmos, who left 10 runners on. “We just couldn’t get the big hit when it counted.” Farmer used three pitchers, Cam Blais, Ed Shambo and Brighton Fontaine. “I was looking a little ahead to Saturday’s game with Windsor and trying to conserve our pitching,” said Farmer. After two scoreless innings, MSJ pushed a run across in the third on a walk to Kyle Cassarino and singles by O’Brien and Protivansky. A walk to Gilbert followed to load the bases with one out, but Jonah Farrow hit into a little tough luck when his liner was right at the Springfield second baseman. With one down in the third Springfield scored its only two runs on a walk, a single by Zach Tufts and two infield errors. Springfield left the bases loaded in that inning and the fourth inning as well. The Mounties took the lead in the fifth when Protivansky singled, stole second and came on when Farrow reached on an error. Farrow later scored what proved to be the winning run on a Tyler Billings single. The Mounties got a pad tally in the sixth as Provitansky singled, stole second, went to third on a fly to right and scored on an infield out. The Mounties have a home game Saturday with Leland & Gray.