Tag Archives: Connor MacRae

June 5, 2013 · 10:19 pm

Opportunistic Whittier defeats Newburyport 6-2 to reach Division 3 North finals

Whittier teammates gather around winning pitcher Andrew Wells

Andrew Wells gets a force-out at home

(Lynn) Whittier Tech made the most of their chances and defeated Newburyport, 6-2, on Wednesday afternoon at Fraser Field.

The victory sends the #5 seed Wildcats to the D3 North finals to be played at Lelachuer Park in Lowell on Saturday.

Whittier (17-6) had two-out, two-run doubles (Ralph Francesconi and Anthony Licciardello) in the first and fifth innings. They also scored a run in the sixth inning on a two-out wild pitch.

Scott Webster scambles into third

Newburyport (15-8) scored two runs but it will be the runs they didn’t score that they’ll be remembering for a while. Let me list the opportunities they had:
(1) First inning – bases loaded with one out,
(2) Third inning – runner on second with no outs,
(3) Fourth inning – bases loaded with no outs,
(4) Fifth inning – leadoff double
(5) Sixth inning – bases loaded with two outs,
(6) Seventh inning – runners on first and second with no outs.

The Clippers did come out of those opportunities with two runs but their chance to have a really big inning was in place over and over again. But it didn’t happen on this season-ending day.

Whittier starter Andrew Wells allowed only six hits. Two of those hits (Colton Fontaine and Connor Wile) came in the first inning when a Connor MacRae fielder’s choice drove home the first Newburyport run.

Anthony Licciardello

The Wildcats set the tone for the afternoon in their half of the first inning. They took what the Clippers gave them (first two batters were walked by NHS starter Connor MacRae) and followed with an infield single by Anthony Licciardello to load the bases with no outs. A fielder’s choice (Jaylin Deveau) brought home one run and a 2-out double delivered two more.

Whittier added to their 3-1 lead in the fifth inning. A bunt single by Connor Manning and an infield error by Travis Wile set the stage for the second 2-out, 2-run double. Anthony Licciardello’s two-bagger to deep center put the Wildcats ahead, 5-1.

The Clippers got a run back in the sixth. Connor MacRae reached on an error and his pinch runner (Caleb Stott) came around on Scott Webster’s triple to left.

The Wildcats put up a run in their half of the sixth. Jaylin Deveau doubled to right center leading off. Evan Habib came on to relieve NHS starter Connor MacRae. Jaylin took third without a throw and with two outs came home on a wild pitch. That gave Whittier a 6-2 lead which they preserved in the seventh inning.

Third baseman Colton Fontaine throws out a bunter

The Clippers ended up stranding eleven runners. The Wildcats stranded just three runners.

Whittier had five errors including two in the final inning.

Terrific execution by Whittier in the fifth inning. After Brian Fiascone doubled to lead off the inning, Connor Wile hit a grounder to third baseman Stefano Zarro. The freshman looked Brian back toward second and threw to first. Brian took off for third when the throw was made but first baseman Jorge Martinez gunned a throw back to Stefano to nail Brian for a double play.

Andrew Wells

Coach Joe Boland opted to walk Colton Fontaine to load the bases in the sixth inning with two outs. That strategy worked as Andrew Wells struck out Brian Fiascone to end the threat with only one run scored.

Anthony Licciardello had two hits and two RBI for Whittier.

Colton Fontaine paced Newburyport with two hits and also scored a run.

The Clippers best game of the season could well have been the 4-0 upset of North Reading yesterday.

Next year looks to be a serious rebuilding year for the Clippers. Seven of their nine starters today are seniors.

The last time Newburyport played at Fraser Field was in 2011 and it was for the D3 state title against Pioneer Valley. It was also on the same day that the Bruins paraded the Stanley Cup through the streets of Boston.

Whittier boxscore

Newburyport boxscore

(All of the pictures above and below enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Stefano Zarro gets a force at third

Alex LoGuidice gets the fifth Whittier run

Andrew Fiascone and Scott Webster

watching warmups

Connor MacRae

Clippers head for final handshakes

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Filed under Newburyport, Whittier

Tagged as Andrew Wells, Anthony Licciardello, Colton Fontaine, Connor MacRae, Scott Webster, Stefano Zarro

May 31, 2013 · 9:34 pm

Newburyport cruises by Charlestown 11-0 in First Round Division 3 North baseball

Connor Wile (#3) is met at home by his teammates in the fifth inning after a long home run.

(Newburyport) You get these mismatches occasionally in the early rounds of the MIAA baseball tournament.

And that’s what this was as Newburyport easily defeated Charlestown, 11-0, on a seriously hot Friday afternoon at Newburyport.

The victory gets Newburyport (14-7) to the North Division 3 quarterfinals. They will face the winner of tomorrow’s North Reading/Swampscott game probably on Monday.

Luis Atiles throws wide to first allowing the first Clippers run in the second inning

The Clippers essentially put this game away in the second inning. In that frame, two walks, three hits, and four errors combined to enable the home team to collect seven runs. Newburyport sent twelve batters to the plate in that inning.

Starter Connor MacRae and two relievers (Leighton Paradis and Cameron Beaulieu) combined for a two-hit shutout. Connor went five innings to notch his 6th win of the season.

Newburyport hit Townies starter Luis Atiles hard totaling eleven hits. The one hit they’ll be talking about for a while was Connor Wiles’ blast over the right centerfield fence in the fifth. Connor took a long look at the shot that appeared headed for Hope Community Church on Hale Street.

Connor’s homer was the end of a four-run fifth. Brian Fiascone drove in two of the runs with a shot to the leftfield corner. Colby Morris added the other with an infield groundout.

NHS coach Steve Malenfant took away the bunt and the steal after the seven-run second in an act of sportsmanship that sets a good example. He was also able to get every player in uniform into the game before it was over.

Connor Wile and Colton Fontaine each had two hits for Newburyport. Brian Fiascone and Colton Fontaine each had two RBI.

Ramon Pena had a single to right in the second inning. Donelle Dunn had an infield single with two outs in the seventh inning.

Connor MacRae went five innings for the win.

Connor MacRae registered six K’s getting five of them looking.

Jose Cordero pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for Charlestown.

Charlestown certainly had the best dugout location………in the shade!

Newburyport has now won seven straight games since a 3-1 loss to North Reading on May 14th. A rematch with the Hornets would be very interesting.

Newburyport boxscore

Charlestown boxscore

(All of the pictures above and below enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

wrong hats

Miguel Arias

Ian Michaels started a double play.

Caleb Stott (#8) scores the 9th Newburyport run

Luis Atiles (#5) walked three times

Clippers celebrate victory

Luis Atiles

Connor Wile in the home run trot

Connor MacRae throws to first

Alberto Melo reaches third

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Filed under Charlestown, Newburyport

Tagged as Brian Fiascone, Connor MacRae, Connor Wile, Luis Atiles, Steve Malenfant

May 7, 2013 · 9:18 pm

Connor MacRae (13 K’s) pitches Newburyport past Amesbury 4-1

Chance Carpenter scores the fourth Newburyport run

Connor MacRae

(Newburyport) Have some sympathy for Amesbury, would you!

Saturday afternoon the Indians faced the hitting machine (20 hits) known as North Reading. This afternoon they faced the K-Master Connor MacRae and fanned thirteen times.

Newburyport (7-4) defeated Amesbury, 4-1, on Tuesday afternoon in weather that needed no improvement.

Andy Reidy pitched very well for Amesbury recording eight strikeouts and allowing only six hits.

Senior Connor MacRae not only had the 13 K’s but also had two hits and scored a run for the Clippers.

Amesbury (6-6) errors in the third and fourth innings led to Newburyport runs and questionable base-running snuffed out a promising Indians rally in the last inning.

Ryan Short gets third on an infield error

In the third inning, Ryan Short (2 hits/RBI/run scored) doubled over Devlin Gobeil’s head in centerfield. Third baseman Zack Fitzgerald then fumbled Ian Michaels’ grounder and Ryan reached third with one out. Five days ago the suicide squeeze failed against Manchester-Essex. Not today. Brian Fiascone put a bunt in play and Ryan scored the Clippers first run without drawing a throw.

In the fourth inning two more Newburyport runs would score. A walk by Connor Wile was followed Connor MacRae’s deep-shot double to right. The throw in from the outfield (John Pesci) sailed over third base allowing Connor Wile to score and Connor MacRae to take third. Connor MacRae came home when Mike Sweeney flaired a single over Amesbury’s drawn-in infield.

Down 3-0, Amesbury collected a tainted run in the fifth inning. Zack Fitzgerald reached on shortstop Colby Morris’ bobble to lead off the inning. Zack got to second on Matt Napoli’s single and scored on two passed balls by NHS catcher Connor Wile.

The Clippers added a run in the sixth thanks to the speed of Chance Carpenter. Chance pinchran for Colby Morris. When the speedy junior took off for second, pitcher Andy Reidy threw to first. By the time first baseman Shawn Bannon’s throw reached second, Chance was easily there. Ryan Short’s single to left center drove home the Clippers’ fourth run.

John Pesci reaches third as Tommy Connors single heads for centerfielder Ian Michaels

Amesbury’s questionable base-running happened in the last inning. The Indians had two runners (John Pesci and Adam Ivancic) on with one out down three runs. Tommy Connors singled sharply up the middle to centerfielder Ian Michaels. John Pesci tried to score but Ian Michaels’ throw home was there in plenty of time to record the second out of the inning. So instead of bases loaded with one out, the Indians had two on and two out. Connor MacRae then K’d Devlin Gobeil to end the game.

Newburyport has now won four straight and five of their last six games. They next play on Thursday at Georgetown.

Andy Reidy allowed six hits and struck out eight.

Amesbury has now lost two straight after winning three straight. They will be hosting Triton on Thursday.

Tommy Connors and Matt Napoli led Amesbury with two hits each.

I distinctly heard Amesbury assistant coach Thom Connors tell his team as they watched Newburyport go through pregame practice, “Good arm in center.”

Devlin Gobeil had the Golden Sombrero.

Connor MacRae struck out at least one Indian in each inning. He K’d the side in the third.

Andy Reidy struck out five Clippers in a row including three straight in the fifth inning.

Former AHS principal Les Murray found time in his busy schedule to take this game in.

Newburyport boxscore

Amesbury boxscore

(All of the pictures above and below enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Zack Fitzgerald fields a grounder as Ian Michaels races to third

Zack Fitzgerald reacts to a high throw

Colby Morris looks for the handle

dust or high heat?

Shawn Bannon

Mac Short

Connor Wile

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Filed under Amesbury, Newburyport

Tagged as Andy Reidy, Chance Carpenter, Connor MacRae, Mike Sweeney, Ryan Short, Tommy Connors

April 30, 2013 · 8:47 pm

Evan Habib pitches 3-hit shutout as Newburyport downs Ipswich 3-0

Evan Habib congratulated by catcher Connor Wile after pitching a 3-hit shutout against Ipswich

Connor Wile races home with the third Newburyport run

(Ipswich) Evan Habib tossed a 3-hit shutout as Newburyport defeated Ipswich, 3-0, on a very pleasant Tuesday afternoon.

Evan (making his second start) permitted only one runner to reach second and issued only two walks. The defense behind him was flawless.

The Clippers (4-4) took advantage of four Tigers errors to get the runs needed for the win.

Ipswich pitching (Ryan Law and Sean Whooley) was solid and allowed only four hits but the defense did in the Tigers (2-6).

Newburyport picked up it’s first run in the third inning. Three Ipswich errors (Josh Guertin, Sean Whooley, Mike Savoie) set up Ian Michaels for the first Clippers score. On Colton Fontaine’s single to deep short, Ian reached third and kept going home as the throw from short to first was low.

Colton Fontaine ready to put the tag on Alex Amoroso

This was a one-run game into the top of the sixth inning with the outcome far from figured out.

In the sixth, Ipswich starter Ryan Law gave up a single to Colton Fontaine and a walk to Connor Wile. Ipswich coach Gardy O’Flynn brought in Sean Whooley to replace Ryan. Sean got Colby Morris to pop out but next batter Connor MacRae lofted a long fly to right center. Rightfielder Austin Rubino raced after it but the ball bounced off his glove and both Colton Fontaine and Connor Wile crossed home. Connor MacRae ended up at third.

Connor MacRae had two hits.

In Connor MacRae’s two previous at-bats he had singled down the rightfield line each time. In the Connor’s third at-bat (in the sixth inning), rightfielder Austin Rubino was positioned closer to the line. That placement cost him a couple of steps as Connor’s deep fly went to right center.

Sean Whooley was able to get the next two batters (Mike Sweeney and Ryan Furlong) to ground out. The damage, however, had been done.

The Tigers had tough luck in the fourth inning after Alex Amoroso singled and reached second on a passed ball. Alex was on the move toward third when teammate Henry Sacco hit a grounder directly to third baseman Colton Fontaine. Colton had plenty of time to tag Alex and then throw to first to complete the double play.

Ipswich has now lost four of their last five.

Colton Fontaine and Connor MacRae each had two hits for the Clippers. Colton also had two stolen bases.

Jordan Thibault

Alex Amoroso, Jordan Thibault, and Austin Rubino had singles for Ipswich.

Newburyport turned a 5-4-3 double play to end the third inning.

The Tigers had a double play in the fourth when shortstop Mike Savoie speared Ryan Furlong’s liner and Connor MacRae was picked off second to end that inning.

The weather was terrific for late April.

This game took less than two hours to play.

On Thursday Newburyport will host Manchester-Essex while Ipswich visits Triton.

Newburyport boxscore

Ipswich boxscore

(All of the pictures above and below enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Ian Michaels scores the first NHS run

Henry Sacco

Newburyport coach Steve Malenfant

Brian Fiascone handles the middle of a 5-4-3 double play.

Sean Whooley

Connor Wile chases an infield nubber

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Filed under Ipswich, Newburyport

Tagged as Alex Amoroso, Connor MacRae, Connor Wile, Evan Habib, Ryan Law, Sean Whooley

April 18, 2013 · 7:57 pm

Newburyport gets first win 9-5 over Saugus in baseball

Colton Fontaine had three hits and scored three runs against Saugus

Connor MacRae picked up the win for the Clippers

(Newburyport) Newburyport picked up its first win of the season as they defeated Saugus, 9-5, on a lovely Thursday morning in a nonleague baseball contest.

Lefty Connor MacRae went the distance for the Clippers (1-2) allowing five runs (one earned) on five hits. The senior K’d six.

This game was a struggle for both teams in the field.

Saugus (1-3) paid heavily for their miscues in the first two innings and fell behind, 7-0. It was Newburyport’s turn late in the game to pay for their mistakes but the Clippers early advantage was too much for the Sachems to overcome.

Shortstop John Prentice (back on his heels) had trouble with two grounders

The Clippers turned a nifty 6-4-3 double play in the first inning but that was the last time “nifty” would be used to describe either team’s defense.

Both teams had four errors and they were the costly kind. Of the fourteen runs scored, four of them were earned by my figuring. Equally stunning (shocking?) was the total inability of either team to throw out runners attempting to steal second. Again, by my unofficial count, eleven runners were able to make that first-to-second move and there was never a close play!

There were also walks (five for each team) and several wild pitches.

You get the point: there were plenty of lowlights but for the home team it was Win #1 of the young 2012-13 season with plenty of games left to get better.

Shane Ripley starts his slide into third as Colton Fontaine waits for a throw

Tom Trainor pitched the first two innings for Saugus when Newburyport built a 7-0 margin.

Shortstop John Prentice had two-out boots in both innings that accounted for three of the Clippers runs.

Colton Fontaine reached the leftfield fence in the first inning driving home teammate Ian Michaels with the first NHS score.

Later in the second inning Tom Trainor walked in two runs and tossed a wild pitch to allow yet another Newburyport tally.

Down 7-0 after two innings I started to wonder if there might be a mercy rule in a few innings. (Saugus had lost the day before to Danvers, 20-7, in a game both coaches stopped after six innings so that they would have pitchers available for today’s game.)

The Sachems picked up a run in the fourth inning. Tom Trainor singled past short to deliver Dante Deltorto.

Dante Deltorto had two hits and pitched three strong innings

Dante Deltorto pitched innings 3-5 and limited the Clippers to one run and one hit. But even that run (#8) was tainted as Colton Fontaine (3 hits/3 runs) was able to score from second on a fielder’s choice. Give Colton credit for taking advantage of the Sachem defense.

Saugus added two runs in the fifth to close to 8-3. Victor Dematteo’s sacrifice fly brought Shane Ridley (2 hits/2runs) home. The throw home by rightfielder Ryan Short went past catcher Connor Wile out of play and another Sachems run (Peter Pulicari) was allowed home.

Two more Saugus tallies were recorded in the sixth inning. Newly entered shortstop Caleb Stott threw away a 2-out, bases-loaded grounder and the Sachems moved to within three (8-5).

Shane Ridley pitched the Newburyport sixth. Ian Michaels was hit by a pitch leading off. Ian broke for second drawing a throw from catcher Victor Dematteo that sailed into centerfield allowing Ian to get third. A Shane Ridley wild pitch enabled NHS to add an insurance run.

That four-run spread (9-5) looked tenuous in the Saugus seventh after the first two runners reached – one on a dropped throw by first baseman Travis Wile.

Nick Enos and Travis Wile near the end of the game

However, on the next ball in play Travis made a big defensive play. Third baseman Colton Fontaine fielded a grounder and tagged the runner (Dante Deltorto) going from second to third. However, Colton decided to also try and throw the batter out and his throw was in the dirt. Travis made the block and prevented the ball from going out of play and giving Saugus another score.

Pitcher Connor MacRae then struck out Tom Trainor and got Nick Sweeney to pop to first ending the game.

Ian Michaels had a hit and scored three runs.

Catcher Connor Wile walked three times, had a hit, and scored two runs.

Dante Deltorto had two hits for Saugus and scored a run.

The weather was terrific for April – temps in the 60’s, with plenty of sun and a nice breeze.

Colton Fontaine caught in a sixth inning rundown

The next game for both teams will be on Saturday. Saugus is at Swampscott (10AM) while Ipswich will host Triton (10AM).

Saugus will be completely in the Cape Ann League next year.

Saugus in 2011-12 had enough wins in the Northeastern Conference to qualify for the Division 3 state baseball tournament. They reached the D3 North semifinals where they lost to eventual state champ North Reading.

Newburyport was 15-6 last season.

Newburyport boxscore

Saugus boxscore

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)