Tag Archives: David Cusack

June 8, 2011 · 9:42 pm

Newburyport Defeats Bishop Fenwick 3-0 to Reach D3 North Finals

The scoreboard at Fraser Field at the end of the game Wednesday afternoon.

Pitcher Ryan O’Connor (#14) in the midst of the celebrating Clippers afterwards.

(Lynn) Newburyport is on its way to the D3 North finals on Saturday at LeLacheur Park in Lowell at 2PM after defeating Bishop Fenwick, 3-0, on sunny Wednesday afternoon at Fraser Field.

The Crusaders (18-7) were limited to four hits by Ryan O’Connor and only one of their runners reached second base.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth.

The Clippers (20-5) run came as Sam Barlow singled up the middle, stole second, and scored on Colby Morris’ single to right center.

Newburyport added two insurance runs in a wild sixth inning. Brett Fontaine and Jim Conway started the inning with singles. Drew Carter tried to sacrifice bunt the runners along but ended up with a single when the catcher (Gianni Esposito) chose to go for the force at third and was unsuccessful. That loaded the bases.

Drew Carter’s sacrifice bunt attempt turned into a key hit in the Clipper 6th.

Connor Wile fouled off a number of pitches before drawing a walk that forced in Run #2 (Brett Fontaine).

With one out, David Cusack tried a safety squeeze that nearly worked but went foul. Then the runner (Jim Conway) he was trying to squeeze got picked off third. Now taking a normal swing, David singled through the right side of the BF infield and speedy Drew Carter scored from second with Run #3.

With Ryan O’Connor pitching, those three runs held up. Ryan had six strikeout victims including the last batter of the game – Gianni Esposito.

Yankee Hall-of-Fame pitcher Lefty Gomez was credited with saying, “The secret of my success was clean living and a fast outfield.” That quote came to mind when I reflected on this game. Newburyport outfielders David Cusack and Sam Barlow made running catches that saved runs.

David Cusack had a great catch in the second and an RBI in the 6th.

David’s was in the second. Mike Cipriani was on first when Jake Bugler hit one deep into the right center gap. David brought that shot in on the dead run. On the Fraser Field turf that ball could easily have been a double with a run scored.

Sam’s turn for a great catch was in the seventh. This time it was a liner by Mike Cipriani that Sam speared on his way toward center field. If that ball gets into the gap it’s a double and possibly a triple. That catch was especially important because the next batter (Jake Bulger) hit a single.

In my opinion, those two outfielders saved at least two runs. In a 3-run win those plays were crucial to say the least. David Cusack was back at the top of the order after missing two games with an ankle injury.

Colby Morris, Brett Fontaine, and Jim Conway had two hits apiece for Newburyport.

Jake Bugler singled in the 7th

Dave Ruggiero, Mike Davis, Jake Bugler, and Kevin Church had the hits for Bishop Fenwick.

Ryan O’Connor is 9-2 for the season and has 109 strikeouts in 74 2/3 innings. He’ll be attending Bentley University this fall.

The last time the Clippers played at LeLacheur Park was two years ago and I was there. They played Georgetown and lost a heartbreaker. This link is to my pictures from that game. Georgetown is in Division 4 this time around.

(I put together my own stats and take my own pictures. Mistakes happen ….. unintentionally.

Mike LaChance – BF starter

Colby Morris reaches 3B in the fifth inning

Matt Mottola tagged out at 3B in first inning

David Cusack and Brett Fontaine after game

Blaise Whitman Leads Triton Past Newburyport 8-2

: Winning pitcher Blaise Whitman scores a run in the decisive sixth inning.

(Newburyport) The visiting Triton Vikings did their part to slow the Clipper march to Coach Bill Pettingell’s 600th win by defeating Newburyport, 8-2, at chilly NHS on Tuesday in Cape Ann League play.

The NHS coach holds at 598 wins thanks in a large part to the pitching and hitting of 2010 CAL All-Leaguer Blaise Whitman.

Blaise pitched a complete game five-hitter with seven strikeouts. He also hustled to cover first in the last inning to record the last out.

At the bat, Blaise was part of a seven-hit attack, going two-for-four, scoring a couple of runs, and driving in a run in the 4-run sixth.

That 4-run sixth pushed this game into the comfort zone for Triton as their lead increased to 7-1.

The Vikings (3-2) put up three runs in the first on Newburyport (5-2) as a walk by starter Brett Fontaine and a string of errors turned into three runs. Mike Fish drove in two of the runs with a double to left center.

The Clippers got a run back in the second as Sam Barlow’s single drove in Colby Morris. However, NHS ran themselves out of possibly a bigger inning when CF Mike Fish gunned down Sam, for the final out, at second trying to stretch that single.

Triton left the bases loaded in the third as Brett caught Tim Cashman looking to end it.

Newburyport stranded two in the fourth as Blaise got a fly-out to left by Colby Morris for the final out.

The Vikings took a tenuous 3-1 lead into the sixth inning and came out of that inning with breathing room.

In that sixth with two outs, Triton put together two singles (Rich Fecteau & Blaise Whitman) and two doubles (Cam D’Agostino & Mike Fish) to collect four cushion-providing runs.

Coach Pettingell and the home plate umpire did not always see eye-to-eye on balls and strikes.

Now down 7-1, the Clippers got a couple of base runners before Blaise retired the very dangerous Ryan O’Connor on a ground out to end the threat in the bottom of the sixth.

Triton capitalized on reliever Drew Carter’s wildness (two walks and two wild pitches) in the seventh to get their 8th run scored by Ace Knowles.

A couple of walks by tiring Blaise Whitman led to an RBI single by Colton Fontaine in the last of the seventh.Weather conditions continue to be tough to take.

No rain but the faithful experienced a persistent breeze with temps in the low 50s. Winter clothing would have made perfect sense.

The Clippers were probably convinced that it wasn’t their day in the bottom of the 6th. David Cusack hit a very high popup in front of the Newburyport dugout. Tim Cashman raced in from third and had the ball bounce off his glove into the hands of the Viking’s hustling catcher Cote Wolcik.

Blaise Whitman and Mike Fish had two hits apiece.

Drew Carter led the Clippers with two hits.

The wind may have kept a deep fly to center in the first in the park hit by leadoff batter David Cusack. Also in the first, Ace Knowles’ popup, that fell between fielders for an error, appeared to be wind influenced.

(I collect my own stats and take my own pictures and try very hard to be accurate.)

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Filed under Newburyport, Triton

Tagged as Ace Knowles, Bill Pettingell, Blaise Whitman, Brett Fontaine, Cam D'Agostino, David Cusack, Drew Carter, Mike Fish, Newburyport, Rich Fecteau, Tim Cashman, Triton

April 14, 2011 · 9:15 pm

Ryan O’Connor K’s Thirteen and Drives in the Winning Run for Clippers 4-3 over North Reading

David Cusack heads for home with the winning run as Keith Linnane awaits the throw.

Ryan O’Connor – 13 strikeouts plus game-winning hit

(Newburyport) He didn’t do everything….but he came awfully close. Who? Ryan O’Connor.

Newburyport (3-1) defeated North Reading, 4-3, as Ryan struck out thirteen Hornets and drove in the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh.

A walk by Dave Cusack and a sacrifice bunt by Jim Conway put Ryan into position to end it for the Clippers. His grounder against reliever Ryley Warnock, in the hole between first and second, did the trick. With first base open you had to wonder why the Hornets opted to pitch to the other team’s cleanup hitter who already had two hits. But they did……and paid the price.

North Reading (1-1) took a 3-1 lead in the top of the 5th on a 2-run blast over the fence in left center by Nick Moscaritolo.

The Clippers tallied single runs in the 5th and 6th on misplays by the Hornets to draw even.

In the 5th, a two-base throwing error by NR shortstop Chris Cincotta put David Cusack in scoring position and from there he was driven across by Brett Fontaine’s single to left.

In the 6th, Colby Morris doubled down the third base line with one out and got to third on a fielder’s choice. NR sophomore starter Ryan McAuliffe then tossed a 2-strike wild pitch that allowed Colby to tie the score at 3-3.

The defensive play of the game was a diving catch by Hornet right fielder Chris Kavanaugh to rob Brett Fontaine in the 7th inning.

Eric Popp was 3-for-3 for North Reading, including a double off the right centerfield fence. He also scored a run.

The Hornet’s top returning hitter (Ben Harrow) had a rough afternoon striking out three times to end innings and stranding five runners.

The Clippers squandered a glorious chance with two outs in the 4th after they loaded the bases with a collection of hits and walks. Connor Wile then hit a laser toward short that might have driven in two runs but instead caught base runner Drew Carter in the leg to end the threat.

Ryan O’Connor struck out the side in the first inning and had at least one strikeout in every other inning. The lefty also struck out four of the last six batters he faced.