NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. - Led by four consecutive singles to start off the ball game, the North Attleboro Red Rocketeers capitalized on early chances to take control and then fight off efforts by their rival Attleboro to take a 6-3 win at Community Field Monday as they captured their first ever Blue and Red Cup. The series, which started last year, is now split 1-1.
"[We're] real happy about beating a good team like Attleboro, and I thought we played real well today in all aspects of the game," Rocketeers coach Paul Tobin said. "We had a chance to catch Attleboro playing, I think, their fifth game in six days… so we caught a break there that's for sure but very happy with the game and the effort we made."
The win went to Eric Peterson, as the senior tossed four innings giving up four hits, five walks, and two runs while also striking out three. He was replaced by John O'Donnell, who would finish off the game with two hits and a run while striking out one.
Sophomore southpaw Ernando Espinol came on in relief in the first inning for Attleboro and tossed five no hit innings while surrendering a pair of walks and a pair of runs in his varsity debut, something which Attleboro coach Matt Bosh said he couldn't have been more impressed with.
"We dug ourselves into an early hole there," said Bosh, who credited the North Attleboro offense on their early output to take control of the game. "But I was very impressed with Ernesto [Espinol]. He came in and held them to one run in five innings, that's a great job."
The North Attleboro offense was lead by its designated hitter, Justin Gallagher, as the senior went 2-2 with a run and two RBIs, one of which came off a sacrifice bunt. On the Attleboro side, second baseman Nate Tellier put up a 2-3 showing with a double, walk, and a run.
A hard grounder right up the middle by Dylon Grzenda got the ball rolling for the Rocketeers in the bottom of the first, as the senior captain would find himself in scoring position off a past ball and come in off a single to shallow center by Gallagher a few pitches later to give his team a lead they would never relinquish. Back to back hard hit infield singles by Mark Ventola and Ethan Hebard would load the bases and Ridge Olsen would bring in Gallagher on a single that went off Bombardier third baseman Austin Perry.
A Peterson single to right center would drive in two more and Olsen would come in on Brian Kleczkowski's groundout to third before the inning came to an end one out later, but while they had put an end to the inning, the Bombardiers still found themselves in a 5-0 hole.
After giving up a single to Gallagher in the bottom of the second with no outs, Bosh went to Espinol, who would retire the first two batters he faced, including getting Ventola to hit into a double play. The varsity rookie would continue this dominance for Attleboro for the rest of the game, retiring all but two of the batters he faced, with those coming off walks.
Both pitchers would keep their opposing offenses in check until the top of the fourth, when Peterson walked Tim Christensen and gave up an infield single to Perry that caught up Grzenda at short. After setting down the next two batters he faced, a single to right by Justin Lako out of the nine hole drove in the first two runs to put the Bombardiers on the board, but that would be all they would get as they head into the second half of the ballgame trailing 5-2.
That lead would increase to 6-2 in the bottom of the inning as Poillucci walked on a full count, later advancing to second off a throwing error and would come in from third on the sacrifice bunt by Gallagher.
Despite getting men on base early the next two innings, the Bombardiers weren't able to capitalize on scoring chances while the Rocketeers were sent down in order by Espinol over the next two innings.
In the top of the seventh, after a Will Carter fly out to the second baseman Poillucci, Tellier would hit a deep double to right and steal an uncovered third to set Attleboro up in premier scoring position. A Matt Elliot grounder to second saw Tellier come home but the Bombardiers would denied the comeback chance as a diving catch by Bryan Harris in right denied Attleboor a hit and sealed the cup victory for North Attleboro.
Following the game, Bosh would hand off the trophy at home plate to his counterpart Tobin, congratulating the coach on his victory before he brought the trophy back to his team to celebrate the hard fought win over their biggest rival. The Rocketeers now stand in a two game winning streak, after having defeated perennial Kelley-Rex powerhouse Franklin 4-2 on April 22.
"[Franklin and Attleboro] were two very, very good teams and we're happy to win those games and we just need to try and keep winning our next one," said Tobin.
North Attleboro (3-3) will have that chance Wednesday as they host Foxboro, while Attleboro (4-3) will look to get back in the win column that same day as they play host to Canton.