Riding a three game win streak, the Knights travel to Malden to face off against the powerhouse Braves club. Known for their formidable pitching staff, the Knights would have a difficult time generating any offense throughout the game. The last time the Knights and Braves met was the second round of the playoffs where the Knights swept to advance to the championship.
Eduardo Colmenares (CG W; ER, 5H, 4H) faced off against Manny Powers in this low scoring affair. The braves struck first as their second batter walked, advanced on a passed ball and then scored after consecutive singles. Colmenares settled down and didn’t allow another hit until the fourth inning. Colmenares also provided the only hit of the game singling in his first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning. The only other batter to reach base before the sixth inning was John Scull (0-3; 2K).
The Knights finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth when pinch hitter Dan Richard (0-0; BB) drew a walk and Geoff Harris (0-2; HBP) followed up getting hit by a pitch. Replacement 3rd baseman, Dan Moran (0-0; SacB) dropped down a bunt and reached first after the pitcher, Powers, threw it away allowing Richard to score and Harris to move to third base. Colmenares walked and Raul Alverez (0-3; RBI) grounded into a fielders’s choice to score the Knight’s third run of the inning. Colmenares induced the last three outs in the top of the seventh after two errors in the field put runners at second and third.
The Knights improved to 7-3, one and a half games behind the Indians in the division. They have a twin-bill against the Gators next Sunday, June 30th.
The Knights and Titans have faced off 7 times since East Boston has joined the RRBL. After the Titans handed them a 6-3 loss in the inaugural season and once last season, the Titans have dropped the last 5 to the Knights. This rematch of last season’s championship, which the Knights swept the Titans in three games, would pit two of the toughest teams in the RRBL. The Knights have won 4 of their 5 games while the Titans had lost only 1 game this season while playing with a short squad.
The Knight’s ace, Justin Wojcik (6 IP, 9K, 3H, 2BB 0ER) would face off against the perennial Cy Young contender Mark Blake (4-1) in a pitchers duel to the very end. After escaping a bases loaded jam in the first, Wojcik struck out the side in the second after the Titans put a man on second with no outs. He would replicate the feat in the third with runners on second and third to start the inning.
The Knights threatened in the first and third with runners on second and third but came up empty both times. Both times it was Geoff Harris (2-2; BB, HBP, 3SB) getting things started reaching base by getting hit in the first and singling in the third. The first run of the game didn’t come until the fifth when Aiden Freeburg (0-3; R) dropped a bunt down the third base line and drew an errant throw by the pitcher Blake. Freeburg proceeded to score on a passed ball giving the Knights the only run that they would need.
With two out in the top of the seventh, Geoff Harris singled and stole second base. This set up the two insurance runs the Knights scored when Eduardo Colmenares (2-3; 2B, SB, RBI) doubled scoring Harris and then scored himself after the Titan’s right fielder dropped a Jarett Kell (0-3; HBP) flyball. Branden Eaton (1IP; 3K) would shut the door in the bottom of the seventh striking out the side. The Knights improved to 6-3, one game behind the Indians for the division lead. The next game for the Knight’s will be Wednesday night (6/19) against the Spirits at Brandeis University.
The Knights made the trip up to Salem, MA to take on the Brewers only to find Palmer Cove Field in too rough of shape from the weekend’s storms to play. The Knight’s weekend off didn’t stop them from moving into 2nd place in the division after the Red Dogs were swept for the second time in as many weeks at the hand of the Braves. The Knights now sit 2 games back of the Indians for the top spot.
The RRBL game of the week this week features the Knights and Indians Friday at Brandeis University. The Knights will send Justin Wojcik (2-0) up against a Indians team that has been struggling to score runs of late. Their string of success has come primarily due to likely starter, Mark Infurna (5-0) who is looking at another Cy Young caliber season.
The Knights traveled to Pepperell for a double header against the division leading Red Dogs. Dan Moran (3IP; 4H, 3R, 3K) started the game for the Knights and ran into trouble early. 3 runs scored in the first with one out before Moran struck out the last two batters to stop the bleeding. The knights got on the board in the 2nd when John Scull (3-4; 3B, 2B, 2RBI, 2SB) doubled to left-center, stole both second and third, and then scored on a Tim Antonellis (0-1; RBI, SacB) fielder’s choice.
The Red Dogs will score 2 more runs in the third making the score 5-2. The Knights answer back with 2 in the fourth inning sparked by singles by Scull and Joe Vitale (2-3; R, BB). Antonellis moved them over with a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Eduardo Colmenares (2-4; 2B, 3RBI) and single from Jaret Kell (3-5; RBI). Colmenares would go on to tie the game by knocking in Geoff Harris (2-4; SB, HBP) in the 6th.
Scull collected his third hit on the game in the 7th on a triple that scored Aren Eaton and Patrick Donohoe giving the Knights all of the lead they would need to cruise to victory. Sean Perkins (4IP; W, 6K, 1H) held the Red Dogs scoreless over 4 frames to collect his first win of his RRBL career, a 10-5 come-back victory.
The second game of the double header between the Knights and Red Dogs got off to a quick start with Justin Wojcik (4IP; W, 3H, 4K) retiring the 5 of the first 6 batters. A fly out in the 3rd would be the only ball out of the infield for the Red Dogs against Wojcik. After scoring 1 run in the second by way of three consecutive errors, the Knights broke the game open with a 12 run third inning. The knights sent 16 batters to the plate with Eduardo Colmenares (3-3; 2B, 4RBI, SB) and Omar Ortiz (2-3; 2B, 2RBI) doing most of the damage by way of a combined 4 hits and 6 RBIs while each scoring twice.
The Red Dogs would score again in the 5th off Patrick Donohoe (1IP; K, BB, HBP) before he struck out the lead-off batter to end the game. The Knights improved to 5-3 on the year with their sweep of the Red Dogs.