The Penfield Patriots JV baseball team opened the 2008 campaign with a solid 6-2 win over the Webster Schroeder Warriors, treating head coach Nick Marcin to a victory in his first contest managing at this level. Robbie Mabee went the distance on the mound for the Pats, pitching a complete seven-inning game, allowing no earned runs, four soft singles, and striking out three against a single walk and a pair of hit batters. Mabee also helped his own cause at the plate with a double to left field in the first inning, driving in Paul Watrobski and Zach Cicero for the first two Patriot runs of the season, giving the home team a 2-0 lead at the end of the first inning.
After Penfield went down quietly in the second inning, Mick Ercole started off the home half of the third with a single and Watrobski walked to put two runners aboard. Cicero followed with a booming double to deep left field to plate Ercole. After a Mabee popout, James Tantalo drove another offering from Schroeder pitcher John Babocsi into the far reaches of left field to bring Watrobski and Cicero home, staking the Pats to a five run lead after three.
The Patriot offense cooled for the next two innings including a brief attempt to push a run across in the fourth. Jake Shattuck reached first after being hit by a pitch and Mark Huddle executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Shattuck into scoring position. Two more quick outs quenched the scoring opportunity, however.
Penfield scored its final run of the contest in the sixth inning with Steve D’Orazio setting the table with a leadoff single up through the middle of the infield. After Trevor Quiel reached first on an infield single, both runners moved into scoring position on a Warriors passed ball. Anthony Flanagan then sent a slow roller to the shortstop which gave D’Orazio enough time to scamper home for the last run for Penfield.
The visitors plated their only runs of the game in the seventh after their first batter grounded out for the first out of the inning. A ground ball error through the wickets of the Penfield third baseman brought the first runner aboard and a single from the next batter put two men on. A weak come-backer to the mound had Mabee throwing to first base for the second out of the inning, but put the first two runners into scoring position with the top of the Schroeder order coming to the plate. That hitter lifted a shallow single just inside the right field foul line to drive in two unearned Webster runs. Mabee then closed the book by striking out Babocsi to end the game.
Coach Marcin was extremely pleased with the effort put forth by the Patriots. “It’s always nice to win the first one. The guys played great. Robbie pitched a great game and I thought we did a nice job of really staying focused defensively. Guys on the bench helping out with hitters’ [previous at bats] – everyone contributing – it was a real team effort. I told them just to stay hungry, because this team can do something special – we’ve got a lot of talented baseball players and I look forward to the rest of the year.” |
