Wildcats seventh inning rally sinks West Bridgewater 7-6

9-3 streak earns Westport a playoff spot

Story and photos by Richard W. Dionne, Jr.
Posted 5/27/22

 The Westport baseball team scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to overcome a 6-4 deficit and beat West Bridgewater 7-6 during their last regular season home game on Tuesday night.

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Wildcats seventh inning rally sinks West Bridgewater 7-6

9-3 streak earns Westport a playoff spot

Posted

 The Westport baseball team scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to overcome a 6-4 deficit and beat West Bridgewater 7-6 during their last regular season home game on Tuesday night.

The crowd was on the  edge of their seats as Wildcats centerfielder Cam Leary broke for home when Luke Finglas hit a roller back to the pitcher, got caught in a suspenseful rundown and then scored the winning run.

“It was fairly lengthy,” Wildcats head coach Jason Pacheco said of the rundown. “Four throws, I believe. Cam managed to slide under the catcher’s tag on the last throw.”

The Wildcats improved their overall record to 10-8 after the win and 6-2 in the Mayflower Athletic Conference. 

Westport starter Max Morotti struck out ten and allowed six hits, three walks and six runs in six innings of work. Max Gallant entered the game in relief, struck out two and held West Bridgewater scoreless in the top of the seventh to set up Westport’s wild finish. 

The game had several lead changes as West Bridgewater took an early 2-0 lead after the first inning. Wildcats clean up hitter, Connor James singled in the bottom of the second inning, then moved to second on a hit by Finglas and scored on a groundout to the left side by Owen Boudria to cut the West Bridgewater lead to 2-1. 

The Wildcats took a 4-3 lead after scoring three runs in the bottom of the third. Ben Boudria, Noah Sowle and Nick Arruda came around to score for Westport. 

Morotti, the Wildcat’s ace tired as West Bridgewater scored a run in the top of the fifth to tie the game 4-4 and scored two more runs in the top of the sixth to take a 6-4 lead.

Big seventh inning

Arruda, Westport’s senior second baseman had been red hot all game before stepping to the plate with one out in the seventh inning. Arruda, 3 for 4,  2 runs scored and 2 RBI, kept it going, smashing a 2-2 pitch into the outfield for a base hit. He stole second base for his third stolen base of the game. Both Morotti and Leary drew walks to load the bases for clean up hitter Connor James who had his own hot streak going. James, 3 for 4, bashed a double to score Arruda and Morrotti to tie the game 6-6.

Leary respresenting the winning run, ran to third base on the play. Finglas hit a grounder back to the West Bridgewater pitcher. Leary running on the pitch, got caught in a rundown when the pitcher threw home. The slippery outfielder was able to out duel the infielders and slide under the catcher’s tag to win the game. 

“We struggled early in the season," said Coach Pacheco. "But we managed to turn our season around over our last twelve games."

The Wildcats who started the season 1-5, went 9-3 to end the season and clinch a playoff birth. The team is expecting to travel for their first playoff game on Friday June 3. But Coach Pacheco said the team will know more after the brackets are released on Wednesday. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.