MILFORD, Mass. – It was a game of “anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better” between Sharon's Will Ginsberg and Milford's Cameron Cossette as both pitchers baffled the opposing hitters, but the Eagles took advantage at opportune times to shutout the Scarlet Hawks, 4-0.
Ginsberg was nearly perfect in a complete-game shutout effort for the visiting side. He held the Hawks without a base runner until the third inning, when Tommy Thomas drew a walk. It would take until the final out of the following inning for a Milford player to record a hit, as Michael Cafarella laced a single to right field. It would be the Hawks' only base hit of the contest.
The senior southpaw faced just one true scoring threat, as Drew Wilde reached on a walk and advanced to second with just one out on a stolen base. Ginsberg did not waver however, retiring Matt Hastings and Dylan Moretti to end the threat. No other runners would advance past first base for the Hawks.
Sharon head coach Joel Peckham praised the effort from his left-hander, saying “He had good command, he was throwing both his fastball and curve ball for strikes. He's a really good pitcher, he pitched well for us last year, but that was the best game I've seen from him.”
For his part, Milford's Cossette was electric in the early part of the game, striking out eight hitters, including six through a dominant first three innings. He was resilient in the losing effort, pitching himself out of a first and third jam in the second inning with two strikeouts to end the threat.
An error would cost Cossette in the fifth inning however, as he put runners on first and second after dropping a pop up that would have been the second out of the inning. Cossette faltered after the error allowing three runs on three hits and a wild pitch.
Milford head coach Paul Pellegrini complimented Cossette's efforts but recognized the significance of his pitcher's error, saying “He pitched really well to start it off. He always keeps us in the game, he's a good pitcher. The problem today was he dropped a ball in the infield and that started it all. It’s been our issue all year, not making plays on defense.”
Meanwhile, Peckham spoke to his team's ability to take advantage of one the scarce scoring chances either side had in the contest, saying, “We had timely hitting, and that’s what you need to do. When you're in a tight game, you need to get it to 2-0, 3-0, and it's those big base hits that really count.”
Drew Maidment started it off for the Eagles in that fifth inning, lacing a single to left field. He was removed in favor of pinch runner Jacob Milley. It would prove to be an effective move by head coach Joel Peckham, as Milley stole second before Andrew Filipowski reached on Cosette's error.
Max Bauman would finally break the tie, plating Milley before Filipowski scored on a wild pitch. Ginsberg would help his own cause, driving one to deep centerfield to score Bauman to take the 3-0 advantage.
Cossette would remain in the contest to pitch the sixth, rebounding from the big inning to retire the Eagles in order.
Sharon would add another run to their lead as they entered the final frame, as Bauman – who reached on a walk – came around to score on a triple from Frank Sullivan.
Ginsberg would cap off the complete-game shutout with an impressive final inning, finishing off the Hawks in order, adding another two strikeouts to his total, giving him an even 10 on the day. He allowed just three base runners on one hit and two walks.
After the contest, Peckham summed up his team's excellent performance calling it, “the best game we've played all season.”
Brendan Murray can be contacted at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @MurraySportTalk.