Sophomore catcher Matt Gale provided the winning run for the Huskies, smacking a two out, RBI single, to score Cam Connor in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Mt. Hope baseball team edged Westerly, 3-2, in a Division II crossover game on Friday evening. The win boosted the Huskies record to 8-1, with the team’s only loss, a 3-2 heartbreaker to Rogers, at Cardines Field on Wednesday night. 

“Matt came up big for us,” said Huskies head coach Mike Mazzarella. “He’s been a key part of our success this year.”

Junior pitcher Dayton Van Amberg struck out Westerly second baseman Nick Fiore with the bases loaded and two out in the top of the sixth to preserve the tie. Fiore came back out for the seventh and shut Westerly down 1-2-3, to earn the win. 

“I called Dayton into a tough spot in top of sixth,” said Coach Mazzarella. “He was able to close the door. He’s been rock solid all year.”

Senior pitcher Ethan Leary struck out six, and gave up 2 runs on 2 hits in 5 2/3 innings of work. Leary held the Bulldogs scoreless, till he tired in the fifth. “Ethan pitched great in his first start back with us,” said Coach Mazzarella. “He located well and really used his off speed stuff to keep a tough Westerly offense stagnant for most of the game.”

Huskies offense

The Mt. Hope bats collected 7 hits and scored three runs against Westerly pitching. The bottom of the order scored a run in the second inning. Leary drew a walk. Jerome Lucas pinch ran for the pitcher. Sophomore right fielder AJ Jones singled, putting runners on first and second base. Gale put the ball in play with a grounder to third. Westerly attempted a 5-4-3 double play. The Bulldogs got Jones at second base, but Gale beat the throw to first, giving the Huskies runners on the corners. Designated hitter, Ryan Hopkins hit a deep grounder to shortstop. Westerly got the Huskies designated hitter at first base, but Lucas was able to score on the play for a Mt. Hope 1-0 lead. 

Senior shortstop, Ryan Nappi led off the third inning with a single. Nappi stole second base on the first pitch. The throw from Westerly catcher, Travis Costa, scooted into centerfield. The speedy Nappi got up in a cloud of dust and broke for third base. He beat the throw and scored on Brackett’s grounder to second base to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead. 

In the bottom of the sixth inning with the score tied 2-2, senior third baseman Cam Connor led off with a single. He stole second base and scored on a two out single by Gale. 

“It was a good bounce back win for us after our tough loss at Rogers on Wednesday” Coach Mazzarella said. “We needed to win this game. The boys had a very good practice on Thursday and that rolled over to the game on Friday night.”

Next Up: 

The Huskies have four games left before playoffs. On Tuesday the team hosts West Warwick at Guiteras Field at 4 p.m. and travels to West Warwick on Thursday.