Cosmos turn tables on Mill River

The Cosmos, who lost to Mill River 22-4 a week ago, held on for a nail-biting 5-4 win over the Minutemen in a Division II game at Birsky-Wyman Field Friday.


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Cosmos turn tables on Mill River Rutland Herald | May 18, 2018 By POODY WALSH CORRESPONDENT SPRINGFIELD – The Cosmos, who lost to Mill River 22-4 a week ago, held on for a nail-biting 5-4 win over the Minutemen in a Division II game at Birsky-Wyman Field Friday. Trailing by a run in the seventh, Mill River loaded the bases with one out against Cosmo reliever Levi Perham. However, Perham got back-to-back strikeouts to end the game. “What happened here today is a reflection of how far we have come as a team,” said first-year Springfield coach Jim Winslow. It was a frustrating loss for Mill River, which received 11 bases on balls, but could get just three hits off Springfield starter JJ LeCouffe and Perham, who pitched the final two innings. “We just hurt ourselves,” said Mill River coach Sam Major. “We couldn’t get the big hit.” It’s been a struggling season for both teams, which are now at 3-10. However, it looked like the Minutemen had the makings of a big inning in the seventh. Trailing 5-3 when the frame began, the Minutemen quickly put one run across the board as Justin Kingston scored on a passed ball with one out. Two bases on balls followed and a passed ball put runners on second and third with one out. But Perham, who was battling the strike zone in his two innings of relief, got Aidan Botti swinging and Matt Roberts looking and the game was over. “He did the job when we needed him the most,” said Winslow. “This was tough, but I won’t lose any sleep over it,” said Major. Both starting pitchers struggled. Springfield’s LeCouffe gave up only three hits in going five innings, but he walked seven along with seven strikeouts and had to leave the game when his pitch count got high. Will Farwell went three-plus innings for Mill River, but he was roughed for seven hits and he also hit Springfield’s John Stafford twice. He left in favor of Josh Bishop after the first two batters reached in the fourth. The big inning for Springfield was the fourth, when it scored two runs to break a 3-3 tie. A single by Jake Stepler was followed by a long triple for Connor Starr. Starr was cut down in a rundown, but Dylan Merrow walked, stole second and was driven on a Matt Veysey double. Bishop was tough through the final two innings, retiring the final five Cosmos in order. Springfield got two runs in the second as Greg Otis (single and a double) smacked a double and came the rest of the way on a passed ball and wild pitch. Also in the, inning Jake Stepler walked, stole second and scored on Merrow’s base hit. Mill River got a hustle run in the first when John Graves walked, stole two bases and scored on a wild pitch. Graves, who walked again in the third (he would three times) again stole two bases and scored on a wild pitch. A balk produced the third Mill River run in the fifth. Botti had two of the three hits for Mill River, which stranded nine runners. Both teams play again on Monday with Mill River going to Rutland and Windsor coming to Springfield.