Tag Archives: Ryan McAuliffe

June 4, 2013 · 9:40 pm

Newburyport upsets North Reading 4-0 to reach Division 3 North semi-finals

Pitcher Colby Morris celebrates after the final out

Ian Michaels dives into third with an RBI triple in the sixth inning

(North Reading) Newburyport lost twice to North Reading during the regular season but it didn’t matter as the Clippers upset the #1 seed Hornets, 4-0, in the Division 3 North quarterfinals at North Reading on a sunny Tuesday afternoon.

Newburyport (15-7) scored two unearned runs in the fourth and two insurance runs in the sixth and, combined with the shutout pitching of Colby Morris (6 hits/5 K’s), had enough to stun the D3 defending champions.

The # 8 seed Clippers have now won eight straight and return to action tomorrow (Wednesday) at Fraser Field in Lynn (4PM) to face Whittier in the D3 North semi-finals.

The last time Newburyport played at Fraser Field was when they won the Division 3 state title in June of 2011.

Ryan McAuliffe took the loss for the Hornets. Ryan had defeated Newburyport, 9-1, on April 17th striking out fifteen Clippers in a special victory that was Coach Frank Carey’s 700th win. This time around Ryan registered eight strikeouts but surrendered eight hits including a triple (Ian Michaels) and two doubles (Colton Fontaine and Scott Webster).

Winning pitcher Colby Morris struck out five while allowing six hits. The key for Colby was keeping the ball down as he limited NR to two flyball outs.

A low throw from shortstop Ryley Warnock gets away from Mike Brandano

A throw from Mike Brandano goes wide of Ryley Warnock

The unearned runs (4th inning) came after both Colby Morris and Connor Wiles singled with one out. First baseman Mike Brandano tried for a force at second, after fielding Connor MacRae’s grounder, but threw wide left of shortstop Ryley Warnock allowing Colby Morris to score. Later shortstop Ryley Warnock took a chance at getting Scott Webster on a slow roller and his throw went past Mike Brandano enabling Connor Wiles to come home with the second Clippers run.

Coach Carey visits Ryan McAuliffe in the sixth inning

The 2-0 lead grew to 4-0 in the sixth inning. Connor MacRae reached on a fielder’s choice with two outs. Ian Michaels, who had struck out twice previously against Ryan McAuliffe, blasted a high 2-strike pitch over Dennis Rollfs’ head in left field for a triple scoring Connor MacRae. Next batter, freshman Scott Webster, singled to left bringing Ian Michaels home.

The Hornets put two on with two out in the bottom of the sixth but Eric Gordon grounded out to second to end that threat.

In the bottom of the seventh, Shane Driscoll singled to lead off. However, Colby Morris struck out Ryan Sanborn looking and got Dennis Rolffs to ground into a 6-3 double play to end it.

NR had two on and two out in the third inning. However, Colby Maiola’s hard shot down the first baseline was snared by Travis Wile.

Scott Webster caught in a rundown

Newburyport tried a suicide squeeze in third inning but the bunt didn’t happen. Scott Webster, however, found a way to get back to third.

North Reading caught Colton Fontaine (he had doubled) in a rundown in the first inning.

An interference call on Hornets baserunner Dennis Rollfs turned a force-out at second into an inning-ending double play in the NR fifth.

The Clippers loaded the bases in the seventh inning but Ryan McAuliffe whiffed Connor Wile and got Connor MacRae to fly to centerfield.

North Reading was 22-4 in 2012. This season ends for them at 19-3. Coach Frank Carey’s career record now stands at 716-273.

Scott Webster had three hits for Newburyport and drove in a run.

Dennis Rollfs led NR with two hits.

Newburyport boxscore

North Reading boxscore

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

Keith Linnane steals second

Colton Fontaine caught in a rundown

Steve Malenfant and Frank Carey discuss the rules

Travis Wile stretches for the last out

Colby Morris

Newburyport dugout

Ryley Warnock gets a forceout at second base

Connor Wiles crosses with the second Newburyport run

Undefeated North Reading coasts by Amesbury 18-0 in Cape Ann League baseball

Ryan McAuliffe scores on a wild pitch

Riley Warnock struck out six in four innings

(Amesbury) Undefeated North Reading is good…….very good.

The Hornets (11-0) won their 19th straight game, extending back into the 2012 season, as they coasted past Amesbury, 18-0, on a windy Saturday afternoon.

The visitors whacked twenty hits against three different Amesbury pitchers (Zack Fitzgerald, Kyle Arseneau, and Matt Napoli).

The Indians (6-5) made a game of it for two innings before the defending D3 champs put up fourteen runs over the next two innings.

There is no mercy rule in Cape Ann League baseball so this game went seven innings. There is a mercy rule in the state tournament.

URI-bound Riley Warnock went four innings for NR giving up two hits and striking out six Indians. The fourteen-run cushion prompted Hornets coach Frank Carey to use Scott Allan over the final three innings. Scott only allowed one hit.

Amesbury’s best chance to score was in the third inning. Adam Ivancic and Tommy Connors both singled with one out but Riley Warnock got consecutive grounders to third baseman Tom Day to end the threat.

Zack Fitzgerald catches a popup

Zack Fitzgerald, making his third start, held NR hitless through two innings.

The third inning didn’t go nearly as well for Amesbury. The Hornets collected seven runs on five hits. The Indians didn’t do themselves any favors when they couldn’t make two plays on foul balls.

The Hornets sent twelve men to the plate. Ryan Sanborn had two RBI while teammates Colby Maiola, Ryan McAuliffe, Alex Schaefer, and Dennis Rollfs had one each.

North Reading came back with seven more runs (on six hits) in the fourth inning. Four of those runs were unearned as rightfielder John Pesci dropped a two-out fly ball. Ryan McAuliffe, Shane Driscoll, Ryan Warnock, and Keith Linnare collected RBI.

The final three innings had a bit of the pro wrestling flavor to them as North Reading stopped being aggressive on the base paths. Doubles became singles. Wild pitches led to no base advancement. Run scoring happened when there was no other option. With that approach, the Hornets stranded nine baserunners over the last three innings while picking up four runs.

NR coach Frank Carey has 708 wins over a 46-year career

NR coach Frank Carey now has 708 wins in a 46-year career. His teams have won four state championships.

He told me that he had a team win 33 straight games over several seasons.

He also told me that last year’s championship was a surprise because they didn’t have much power. This year has been different. It certainly doesn’t hurt the Hornets to have Riley Warnock and Ryan McAuliffe back pitching. Those two accounted for twenty-one of the Hornets twenty-two wins in 2012.

You would want to believe that North Reading has the team to make a serious run at a second consecutive Division 3 state championship.

Shortstop Ben Cullen leaps for a high bouncer

I saw Newburyport win the D3 title against Pioneer Valley in June of 2011. Ironically, the game was on the same day as the Boston Bruin’s championship parade after winning the Stanley Cup.

I learned that Tommy Connors will be attending Endicott College next year to play football. Tommy had two hits today against Riley Warnock.

Amesbury next plays at Newburyport on Tuesday afternoon. The Hornets will host D4 champs Georgetown on the same day.

The sun may have been shining but the wind negated the warming effects considerably.

North Reading boxscore

Amesbury boxscore

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

Colby Maiola (#10) scores the fifth NR run

A try for a forceout in the third inning

Riley Warnock

NR catcher Kevin Linnare

Mike Brandano tracks down a foul pop

Scott Allan

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.