Announcement
West Warwick gets ready for Rhode Island Connie Mack State Playoffs!
Tommy Lasorda once said, “There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happened, and those who wonder what happens.” This past summer, many of the players who dedicated themselves to getting better, have simply “made things happen for themselves,” in the all wooden bat Rhode Island Connie Mack League for players 18 and under. West Warwick, which fielded a team mainly comprised of past, present, and future Wizards of West Warwick High School, finished second place in the Southern Division (Cooney Division) with an 8-7-1 league record just one point behind Slocum Baseball Club of North Kingstown (9-7). Due to the limited time left in the regular season, West Warwick, who defeated Slocum twice during the regular season, could not complete a suspended game (6-6 after seven innings) with South Kingstown I. Therefore, West Warwick will be the number two seed out of the Southern Division and play Providence (9-7), the number three seed out of the Northern Division (Dickerman Division). In their only regular season meeting, Providence came from behind in the last two innings to defeat West Warwick, 5-4. The three game Quarter-Final series begins on Wednesday night at McCarthy Stadium (5:30). Game two will be played on Friday night at Davis Park (6:30) in Providence. The third game, if necessary, will be played on Saturday morning (10:00) at McCarthy Stadium.
As the summer progressed for West Warwick (9-7-1 overall), each player participating in the RICML realized that the use of wooden bats were going to be beneficial to the pitchers and defense in the league. For the year, West Warwick, who batted only .226 for the year (OBP of .400), held their opponents to a .184 batting average and an OBP of .382. In 113 innings pitched, West Warwick pitchers allowed only 36 earned runs (2.23 ERA), struck out 170 batters and walked only 79. In 112 innings pitched, West Warwick’s opposing pitchers allowed 53 earned runs (3.31 ERA), struck out 119 batters and walked only 73.
West Warwick’s starting pitching for the upcoming playoffs will include: 17 year olds Kurtis Melvin (1.64 ERA, 54 strikeouts and 8 walks in 33 IP) and Amine Malki (2-1, 0.78 ERA, 29 strikeouts in 15 1/3 IP) and 16 year old Scott Tallo (2-2, 1.14 ERA, 44 strikeouts in 21 IP). West Warwick, also, has a plethora of quality relievers in 15 year old Rich Grenier Jr. and 14 year olds Matt Masse, Drew Doran, and Kyle Beck.
West Warwick’s top hitters, who have been flirting with the coveted batting average of .300 this summer, include part-time player Garrett DeBlois (8/17, .471 batting average, and an OBP of .556), Ryan O’Kelly (15/39, .385 batting average, 5 doubles, 14 runs scored, 8 walks, and an OBP of .542), Kurtis Melvin (10/33, .303 batting average and an OBP of .462), Rich Grenier Jr. (8/28, .286 batting average, 11 walks, and an OBP of .525), Scott Tallo (8/28, .286 batting average, and an OBP of .375), and Nathan LaCroix (11/40, .275 batting average, 7 runs scored, team leading 11 r.b.i.’s, 10 walks, and an OBP of .442). Other players who have contributed offensively are Brent Reed (team leading 12 walks and an OBP of .474), Alex Casey (4/15, .267 batting average), Amine Malki (OBP of .421), Rich McNeil Jr. (3 hits, 7 walks, and an OBP of .323), Matt Masse (4 hits, 4 walks, and an OBP of .303), and CJ Allen (3 hits and 4 r.b.i.’s).
A recap of West Warwick’s second half of their season follows.
West Warwick 5 East Providence 1
Led by the stellar pitching Matt Masse, West Warwick defeated East Providence, 5-1, in the second game of a league/non league doubleheader.Masse (14 years old), who will be a sophomore at West Warwick High School next year, struck out 11 batters and walked three. Out of 74 pitches thrown, he threw 49 strikes.
Offensively, Masse received support from Scott Tallo (1/4, one run scored), Ryan O'Kelly (1/4, two runs scored and one r.b.i.), Nathan LaCroix (1/3, one run scored and one run r.b.i.), Rich Grenier Jr.(two walks, one hit batsmen, and two stolen bases), Greg D'Ambrosca (one walk), Rich McNeil Jr. (two walks and one stolen base), Anthony Indeglia (one hit), and Andrew Hebert (one hit, one run scored, two stolen bases, one walk, and one hit batsmen).
Blackstone (Mass.) 3 West Warwick 0
Led by the pitching of 18 year old Tyler Heilsel, Blackstone (Massachusetts) defeated West Warwick, 3-0. Heilsel, who pitched seven innings, struck out 13 batters, walked two, and limited West Warwick to three hits. Josh Simard, who earned the save, struck out three batters in two innings of work.
Kurtis Melvin, West Warwick's starting pitcher, struck out 16 batters, walked three, and allowed just one earned run on three hits in seven innings of work.
Warwick 9 West Warwick 2
The defending Rhode Island Connie Mack Champions held off a tough West Warwick nine in nine innings, 9-2.
In the top of the first inning, West Warwick took an early 1-0 lead when Ryan O’Kelly singled, stole second base, and scored two batters later on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the first inning, Warwick tied the game, 1-1, on four consecutive walks.
West Warwick’s starting pitcher, Drew Doran, settled down nicely after the first inning. In fact, the sophomore to be, struck out four batters and allowed just one run on four scattered hits in four innings of work.
In the top of the fifth inning, West Warwick tied the game, 2-2, when alternate Anthony Indeglia singled, and scored after back to back two out hits by Nathan Lacroix (single) and Amine Malki (double).
West Warwick received two innings of solid relief from freshman to be, Rich McNeil Jr. In two innings of relief, the lefty struck out two batters and did not allow a hit to the older Warwick nine.
Offensively, West Warwick received this from O’Kelly (two singles and one run scored), McNeil Jr. (one single), LaCroix (one single), Malki (one double), Rich Grenier Jr. (one single), Alex Casey (one single), and Indeglia (one single).
Providence 5 West Warwick 4
Despite the solid pitching of Kurtis Melvin, West Warwick allowed Providence to come from behind in the last two innings for a 5-4 victory. Melvin, who did not allow an earned run in 5 2/3 innings pitched, struck out nine batters and walked one.
Trailing 1-0 in the top of the first inning, West Warwick tied the game at 1-1 when Amine Malki (hit by a pitch) moved to second base on a walk (Matt Masse), advanced to third on a fielder’s choice (Brent Reed), and scored on a sacrifice fly by CJ Allen.
In the top of the fifth inning, West Warwick took a 3-1 lead when Alex Casey (single) Drew Doran (hit by a pitch) scored on Ryan O’Kelly’s towering two run double to left field.
In the top of the sixth inning, West Warwick upped their lead to 4-1 when Kurtis Melvin doubled, moved to third base on a balk, and scored on Nathan LaCroix’s sacrifice fly to deep center.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Providence tied the game at 4-4 with three runs on two singles, one walk, and three errors.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Providence scored the winning run on a lead-off double and an error.
West Warwick 10 South Kingstown II 0
Led by the five-hit pitching of a quartet of West Warwick pitchers, West Warwick won their seventh game of the summer over South Kingstown II, 10-0.
Rich Grenier, who was making his first appearance in three weeks, struck out two and allowed three hits in three innings of work. Out of 55 pitches thrown, he threw 35 strikes. Kyle Beck allowed only one hit in one inning of work. Alex Casey followed Beck by striking out three in two innings. C.J. Allen, who threw only 10 of 23 pitches for strikes, pitched out of a seventh inning jam by striking out two batters. Scott Tallo struck out five batters in the final two innings.
Offensively, West Warwick received hits from Ryan O'Kelly (1/4, two runs scored), Kurtis Melvin (1/4, two runs scored and one r.b.i.), Nathan LaCroix (1/3, one run scored and two r.b.i.'s), Amine Malki (2/4, one double, one run scored, and one r.b.i.), Rich Grenier (1/4, two runs scored and one r.b.i.), Alex Casey (1/5, one r.b.i.), and Brent Reed (1/3).
West Warwick 6 South Kingstown I 6
In a game suspended because of darkness, West Warwick tied South Kingstown I, 6-6.
In the top of the first inning, West Warwick jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Kurtis Melvin singled, stole second base, and scored on Nathan LaCroix’s r.b.i. single to right center.
In the bottom of the first inning, South Kingstown lashed out with three consecutive doubles and took a 3-1 lead.
In the top of the fourth inning, West Warwick tied the game at 4-4 when they scored three runs on three walks (Kurtis Melvin, Brent Reed, and Rich Grenier Jr.) and three hits by Rich McNeil Jr., Matt Masse, and Nathan LaCroix (two run single).
South Kingstown, however, scored two runs on two singles and one double to take a 6-4 lead.
West Warwick came right back in the top of the sixth inning on one error and two extra base hits by Brent Reed (triple) and Kurtis Melvin (double).
In the bottom of the seventh inning, West Warwick secured at least a tie with the defensive play of the game. With runners at first and second base, Mike Thomas hit a deep drive to right center, which Alex Casey caught. After Casey fell down making the catch, he threw the ball into Kurtis Melvin, who rifled the ball to Nathan LaCroix for the third out of the inning.
West Warwick received a fine effort in relief from Drew Doran. Doran, who worked the final two innings, struck out one and did not allow a hit.
Offensively, West Warwick received contributions from Brent Reed (one triple and two runs scored), Matt Masse (r.b.i. single and one run scored), Kurtis Melvin (one single, one double, two walks, and two runs scored), Nathan LaCroix (two singles and three r.b.i.’s), Rich Grenier Jr. (three walks and one r.b.i.), and Rich McNeil Jr. (one single and one run scored).
West Warwick 5 Slocum Baseball Club (NK) 2
Led by the tremendous pitching effort of 17 year old Amine Malki, West Warwick clinched a bye into the Rhode Island Connie Mack Quarter-Finals with a 5-2 road win over Slocum Baseball Club of North Kingstown.
Malki, who gave up two runs on one walk, one error, and a two run double in the bottom of the first inning, was simply brilliant from that moment on. After surrounding his only hit of the game, Malki retired 15 consecutive batters (11 via strikeouts). In seven innings of work, Malki struck out 15 batters, walked two, and threw 64 of his 93 pitches for strikes.
While Malki was locked into the strike zone, West Warwick took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Nathan LaCroix led off with walk, advanced to second when Kurtis Melvin singled, and scored when Malki reached on an error. Then, Melvin scored when Matt Masse single to right field and Malki scored on a perfectly executed suicide squeeze by Kyle Beck.
In the top of the seventh inning, West Warwick scored two insurance runs on one hit (Ryan O’Kelly), one error, and three stolen bases.
Offensively, West Warwick received hits from O’Kelly (two singles), Garrett DeBlois, Kurtis Melvin, Matt Masse, and Alex Casey.
Chariho 1 West Warwick 0
In an old fashion pitcher’s duel, Chariho opportunistically defeated West Warwick for the second time this summer. The loss paved the way for Slocum Baseball Club (North Kingstown) to edge out West Warwick for the Southern (Cooney) Divisional Championship by one point.
Kurtis Melvin pitched an outstanding game for West Warwick. In eight innings of pitching, Melvin, who did not give up an earned run, struck out 11 batters, walked one and allowed just four singles. Out of 99 pitches throw, Melvin threw 69 strikes.
Jake Marchessault was equally impressive for Chariho. The lanky righty, who did not allow a run, struck out 13 and walked one in eight complete innings. Kyle Audette picked up the save by striking out one in the top of the ninth inning.
In the top of the first inning, West Warwick put runners at first and second when Scott Tallo and Brent Reed led off with back to back singles. Kurtis Melvin, then, hit a high fly ball to right center, which dropped in at the last second between two Chariho outfielders. Centerfielder Kyle Audette alertly threw out Reed at second base on the force out. Marchesseault, then, induced one ground out and struck out a batter to get out of the inning. Unfortunately for West Warwick, that would be their best chance to score until the final inning.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Chariho scored an unearned run with one of the most bizarre plays. After Kyle Audette reached on an error, Melvin struck out the next two batters. With two outs, Audette attempted to steal second. On Nathan LaCroix’s throw to second, the ball hit Audette’s cleat and ricocheted fifty feet into left center. Audette, then, raced around third and just beat the throw to the plate for the game’s only run.
West Warwick, who did not have a runner advance past second base after the first inning, rallied in the top of the ninth inning. Kurtis Melvin singled to lead off the inning and moved to second on a broken bat fielder’s choice by Amine Malki. With two outs, Rich Grenier Jr. hit a slow roller to second base which got past Chariho’s charging second baseman, John DeCataldo. DeCatalo, then, quickly recovered, picked up the grounder which was heading into right field and threw a perfect strike to catcher Tyler Parenti, who blocked the plate as Melvin was sliding in.
