The little things add up to a big Woodstock win

Little things mean a lot and in Monday’s 8-3 Woodstock win over Springfield, the little things were the difference.
http://rutlandherald.com/article/20140513/SPORTS02/705139863

Published May 13, 2014 in the Rutland Herald The little things add up to a big Woodstock win By POODY WALSH Correspondent SPRINGFIELD — Little things mean a lot and in Monday’s 8-3 Woodstock win over Springfield, the little things were the difference. Woodstock, undefeated with a weird roster of seven seniors and seven freshmen, turned the little things into big things as the defense was errorless and complete-game pitcher Matt Poljacik walked just one. “We’ve been doing this a lot,” said Woodstock coach Jason Tarleton, who in his 14th season has never had a team that started 8-0. “We’ve got freshmen in the corner outfield spots, but we’ve been a team all year that has done the little things to keep this season on a roll. However, next year I won’t have anybody on the team that can drive.” Poljacik needed just 90 pitches for his six-hit victory. His off-speed curveball rescued him from a nasty spot or two before a hiccup in the seventh inning resulted in two Springfield runs. While a lot of the things the Wasps did were impressive, nothing was more impressive than the left side of the infield with Zach Cole at third and Doug Avellino at short. Both players had four assists. Cole was not only sure-handed at third, but his throws across the diamond werre straight and chest high. Avellino was all over the place and particularly adept and coming on slow rollers. “And he’s going into the hole better then I have ever seen him do,” said Tarleton. Avellino is in the midst of one of those seasons that players dream about. He came into yesterday’s game with 15 hits in 20 at-bats. He also has been walked 11 times and hit once with a pitch, which is a lot better than last year when he was hit 12 times. Yesterday the Cosmos kept Avellino to a 1-for-3 game, but he had a sacrifice fly and a two-run single. It was just a 2-1 game until the sixth when Springfield came apart defensively, making four errors in a six-run Woodstock inning. Springfield coach Archie Farmer has been patient with his 2-7 Cosmos and continues to see that the light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train. “We hit the ball pretty well, but we continue to fail at the little things and when you fail at the little things, bad things happen.” Woodstock sent 10 batters to the plate in the sixth, and all six runs the Wasps scored were all unearned. “We continue to show our youth,” said Farmer, who was pleased that his team hung in there and plated a couple of runs in the seventh. Springfield used two pitchers with Cam Blais going the first three, allowing just one run on two hits. Brighton Fontaine followed and gave up just two runs over the next two innings, but his defense abandoned him in the sixth, and the runs came in bunches. When the game was on the line, the Wasps took a 1-0 lead in the second on a wild pitch and another in the fourth on Avellino’s sacrifice fly. Springfield had scored a run in the second on Ed Shambo’s long double. Poljacik allowed just two base runners over the next four innings, but in the seventh, the Cosmos got a two-run single from Zach Tubbs. Woodstock stole seven bases in eight attempts. Poultney hosts Woodstock on Wednesday, and Springfield visit West Rutland on Friday.