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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

Newburyport defeats Manchester-Essex 3-0 on James Nutter’s six-hitter

Connor MacRae and Colby Morris both scored on Ryan Shorts single in the second inning.

James Nutter tossed a six-hitter in his first start of the season.

(Newburyport) The Clippers (5-4) put together their second straight shutout as they defeated Manchester-Essex, 3-0, on a chilly Thursday afternoon of Cape Ann League baseball.

Senior James Nutter tossed a complete game, six-hitter in his first start of the season. Another first-time starter (Evan Habib), had a complete game, three-hitter against Ipswich on Monday.

The visiting Hornets (2-7) have now lost six of seven including two in extra innings. They did, however, knock off defending D4 state champs Georgetown last Saturday.

Newburyport collected two runs (one unearned) in the second inning and another run in the third. That turned out to be more than enough on this day.

The Clippers loaded the bases in the second inning on an error (first baseman Max Nesbit throwing), a single down the third-base line (Colby Morris), and a bunt single (Mike Sweeney). Senior Ryan Short hit a ground single up the middle driving in Connor MacRae and Colby Morris.

A throwing error cost Manchester-Essex a run in the second inning

It looked as if the Clippers might add more runs after Andrew Fiascone walked. However, a double-steal attempt nabbed Mike Sweeney at third. Then a popout to first (Ian Michaels) turned into a double play when Ryan Short, who broke for the plate, couldn’t get back to third. But Newburyport did get two runs.

Their third run came in the next inning. Brian Fiascone doubled to right center leading off. Colton Fontaine’s sacrifice fly moved Brian to third and Connor Wile’s fly to center brought Brian home.

Brandon Bartlett

Hornet pitcher Brandon Bartlett allowed just one hit (Mike Sweeney single) over the final three innings but his teammates couldn’t break through against James Nutter.

ME’s Max Nesbit started the game with a double but James whiffed the next three Hornets to escape.

Clippers leftfielder Mike Sweeney, in the fourth inning, tried unsuccessfully to make a running catch but recovered quickly and gunned down the batter (Craig Carter) at second base.

After Corey McCollum singled in the fifth inning with one out, a bunt attempt (Henry Gedney) was caught in the air by James Nutter. His quick toss to first baseman Connor MacRae doubled off Henry Gedney to end that inning.

Second baseman Brian Fiascone took Mike Sweeneys throw and waits for baserunner Craig Carter

The visitors had two men on in the last inning with two outs before leftfielder Mike Sweeney made a running catch in foul territory to end it.

Newburyport’s next game is tomorrow night (6:30PM) at Rockport. ME returns to action next Tuesday at Pentucket.

A little over a year ago (April 26th) on the same site, Manchester-Essex defeated the defending D3 state champs, 5-2, ending the Clippers 18-game winning streak.

Max Nesbit catches a popup as Ryan Short starts back to third

Brian Fiascone and Mike Sweeney each had two hits for Newburyport.

Craig Carter and Corey McCollum each had two hits for the Hornets.

Shortstop Colby Morris made a nice play on a slow grounder in the second inning.

First baseman Connor MacRae made a nice scoop of a low throw (Colton Fontaine) in the fourth. Connor also put his body in front of a grounder in the final inning recording an unassisted putout.

James Nutter was on one of the winning relay teams for the 2013 D4 state indoor track champion Clippers.