Wizards Baseball

After completing their regular season with only four wins, there was optimism among the members of West Warwick’s Connie Mack team that they could play the role of Cinderella in the Rhode Island Connie Mack State Playoffs. West Warwick, which had the youngest team in Rhode Island, almost pulled off an upset against Pawtucket (2nd Seed) in the Preliminary Round. 

West Warwick 3 Scituate 1:

As the 2011 Rhode Island Connie Mack regular season winds down, West Warwick is peaking at the right time year.

After losing two consecutive games against divisional leaders Coventry and Flood Ford, because they could not hold off late game rallies by their opponents, West Warwick held on to a 3-1 victory over Scituate.

Ryan Lawton, who worked the first four innings, struck out five batters and allowed no runs on two hits. Rich McNeil, who worked middle relief, struck out two batters and allowed only one earned run on one hit and three walks. Kurtis Melvin picked up the save by inducing a pop out and striking out a batter.

West Warwick received all the runs they would need in the top of the third inning. Nate LaCroix led off with a double and Tyler Boisclair followed with a base on balls. After one out, Ray Zincone reached on an infield hit. Matt Grenier, hitting from the right side, followed with an r.b.i. single to centerfield to give West Warwick a 1-0 lead. West Warwick made it 3-0 when Kurtis Melvin's ground ball to third base was thrown over the first baseman, scoring Zincone and Grenier.

Offensively, West Warwick received support from Zincone (1/3, one run scored), Matt Grenier (1/3, one run scored, and one r.b.i.), Rich Grenier (1/2), Nate LaCroix (1/2, one double), Rich McNeil Jr. (1/1), and Tyler Boisclair (1/2, one run scored).

Coventry 9 West Warwick 8:

Despite building a 7-1 lead after 3 1/2 innings, West Warwick, whose pitching staff was forced to challenge the Coventry hitters with runners in scoring position, could not hold off Coventry and lost 9-8.

Offensively, West Warwick was led by Ray Zincone (2/3, one double, two runs scored, and one r.b.i.), Matt Grenier (2/4, one run scored, and one r.b.i.), Kurtis Melvin (1/2, one double, one run scored, and one r.b.i.), Rich Grenier Jr. (1/3, one walk), Brent Reed (1/3, one double, one walk, and three r.b.i.'s), Greg D'Ambrosca (1/3, one run scored), Nate LaCroix (1/4, one run scored), and Tyler Boisclair (1/4, one run scored).

For the year, Coventy, who is locked in a first place battle with Flood Ford and defeated West Warwick, 4-2, earlier this year, swept the seasonal series against West Warwick

Flood Ford (Hendricken) 8 West Warwick 3:

Trailing 3-2 after 4 1/2 innings, Flood Ford scored six runs on six hits in the bottom of the fifth inning and held on to defeat West Warwick, 8-3. Flood Ford, who defeated West Warwick, 1-0, two weeks ago, swept the season series against West Warwick.

Offensively, West Warwick received support from Nate LaCroix (0/2, one run scored), Amine Malki (1/2, one double, one walk, and one run scored), Brent Reed (1/2, one walk, and one run scored), Rich Grenier Jr.(1/2, one walk), Ray Zincone (1/3, two r.b.i.'s), and Matt Constant (1/1, one double).

Anthony Indeglia, who pitched the first four innings, struck out four batters and allowed only two earned runs on three hits and two walks.

West Warwick 4 Diamond Baseball 3:

Led by the strong pitching of Ryan Lawton, West Warwick won their second game of the year, over Diamond Baseball, 4-3. Lawton, who went the distance, struck out ten batters and allowed only three earned runs on five hits and five walks.

Offensively, West Warwick was received hits from Ray Zincone (2/4, two runs scored), Ryan Lawton (2/4, one run scored, and one r.b.i), Rich Grenier Jr. (2/3, one r.b.i.), Brent Reed (1/4, one r.b.i.), and Alex Casey (1/2).

Diamond Baseball 3 West Warwick 0:

Led by the three hit pitching of Toll Gate graduate, Spencer Willette, Diamond Baseball defeated West Warwick, 3-0. Willette, who went the distance, struck out nine batters.

Offensively, West Warwick's only hits of the game came from Ray Zincone (1/3), Rich McNeil Jr. (1/3), and Alex Casey (1/1, one double).

Rich McNeil Jr., who worked the first four innings, struck out five batters and allowed just two earned runs on two hits and three walks. Kurtis Melvin, who worked two innings in middle relief, struck out six batters and Rich Grenier Jr. pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

West Warwick 7 Chariho 3 (8 innings):

Led by the strong relief of Kurtis Melvin, who struck out five batters in 2 1/3 innings, West Warwick won their first game of the summer over Chariho, 7-3.

Anthony Indeglia, who struck out four in the first three innings, allowed only one run on one hit and four walks.

Matt Constant, who pitched 2 2/3 innings of middle relief, allowed only one earne run on four scattered hits. Out of 48 pitches, the lefty threw 33 strikes.

Offensively, West Warwick received hits from Kurtis Melvin (1/3, one double, one walk, and one run scored), Brent Reed (1/2, two walks, three runs scored, and one r.b.i.), Rich Grenier Jr. (2/3, one walk, and one r.b.i.), and Greg D'Ambrosca (1/3, one double, and two r.b.i.'s).