(Byfield MA) It was not as if the Newburyport Clippers weren’t in familiar territory.
For the ninth time this season the Clippers found themselves in a one-run game and this time it went their way, 2-1, over Triton on a cloudy/sunny Tuesday afternoon of Cape Ann League baseball.
Newburyport (7-11) is now 5-4 in one-run games.
The loss pushes Triton (7-10) to the brink of elimination from post-season play. The Vikings must win their final three games starting with North Reading on Thursday.
Caleb Stott and Scott Webster combined (twice) to give the Clippers the runs they needed. Caleb reached base in the first and third innings, stole second both times, and scored both times on singles by Scott.
Triton had the makings of big innings in place in the second and sixth innings when they loaded the bases in each inning with one out. The Vikings only came away with one run. NHS starter Cam Beaulieu struck out Michael Talbot and Brad Whitman to end the second. In the sixth, reliever Will Cataldo K’d Jack Germinara and got a ground out from Michael Talbot to keep Triton from getting any runs in that inning.
Junior Adam Chatterton (4-3) certainly deserved a better fate for his complete-game effort. The Triton righty allowed only four hits to go along with ten strikeouts.
Adam was the winning pitcher in Triton’s 4-1 victory over Newburyport in April.
Adam and Billy Mical paced the Vikings with two hits apiece.
Second baseman Matt Short was on the tagging end of Nick Desrocher’s steal attempt in the first inning and came up limping.
Other than Scott Webster’s throwing error in the second inning, the Clippers were flawless in the field.
Chance Carpenter looked like a dead duck when he tried to stretch a single into a double but somehow found a way to get around Brad Whitman’s tag at second. Chance then stole third with one out but Adam Chatterton retired Scott Webster and Ryan Furlong to end the threat.
On Caleb Stott’s single in the fifth inning (that led to Newburyport’s second run) third baseman Billy Mical was in on the grass guarding against a bunt. Billy never had a chance at Caleb’s liner down the line.
Shortstop Caleb Stott was part of Newburyport’s 6-3 double-play that ended the fifth inning.
Junior Will Cataldo set the last five Triton batters down in order to get the save.
Newburyport will host Pentucket on Saturday.
(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)