Baseball adds W against Manchester

NEWINGTON — Chalk up another win for the Newington baseball team.

But it was by no means an easy win for the Indians who were locked in a back and forth affair with visiting Manchester through the first 3½ innings of the game on a windy and chilly Saturday afternoon. It would come down to a two-run fourth spurred by a couple of Manchester errors broke a 6-5 deficit that would give Newington the lead for good, propelling the team to a 9-6 victory.

“We talked about it like a boxing match,” Indians manager Ben Alaimo said. “They punch, we punch, they punch, we punch. I was just hoping we were still standing when the bell rang in the end and luckily we were today.”

The win now gives Newington its third victory of the young season and two straight.

“It feels really good,” Indians senior Ben Maycock said, who went 2 for 2 with a stolen base, RBI, two runs scored and a couple of walks. “The team’s looking good, but we still have some stuff to work on. Other than that we’re looking sharp. Three and one feels great and the sky’s the limit really. We have a talented team.”

After the visiting team drove in a run to start the game off, Newington answered with three of its own in the bottom of the inning. But Manchester was able to get to Maycock in the top halves of the second and third for five runs thanks to a combination of singles and walks.

It was a bit of a struggle for Maycock on the mound, who allowed six runs on five hits while walking seven and striking out four, but Alaimo said his starter’s 3.2 innings of work in his first outing of the season was long it enough to turn it over to reliever Joseph Zawisza, who pitched the remaining 2.1, allowing no runs in the process.

“Obviously I let up a couple of runs here and there,” Maycock said. “I didn’t have my best stuff, but the guys behind me picked me up. Next time I’m going to try to bring my best stuff.”

When Manchester took a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the second, the Indians took it right back after back-to-back RBI singles by Maycock and shortstop Lenny Ogando. But Alaimo’s squad was unable to answer the visiting team’s two-run third and trailed 6-5 heading into the fourth inning.

With Manchester starting pitcher Spencer Fox coming off an impressive third inning, it looked as though the tide had turned for Newington.

That was, however, not to be the case and with a little help from some poor glove work and some errand throws from Manchester, the Indians began putting runners on base.

Nick Gallicchio led the inning off with a walk and three batters latter Maycock was put on first intentionally. The very next batter, Ogando, reached first on a throwing error from Manchester second baseman Max Larmett, who was forced to rush his throw after juggling the ball. As a result Gallicchio was able to cross home plate safely, despite an on target throw to catcher Jason Frankovitch. Not a minute later Maycock strolled on home after Frankovitch’s throw skipped under the third baseman’s glove into left field.

Two errors in the span of a minute had cost Manchester its slim lead and given it to Newington. The Indians would not look back for the remainder of the game.

“I think our discipline at the plate helped us out today,” Alaimo said, whose team walked nine times in the game. “It gave us long at bats. But ultimately that’s a good team and they’re well coached and they just made a couple of miscues in the middle innings that allowed us to get in front and I think that probably was the difference in the long run. But also just the no quit attitude from my guys and I’m really proud of them. Ben Maycock didn’t necessarily have his A-plus stuff today, but he battled.”

Newington added two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth for good measure after Zawisza and Nick Guadarrama touched home plate after a series of errors by Manchester, bring the score to 9-6.

Zawisza then retired the side in the top of the seventh inning to seal the win for Newington.

“It just shows how much heart we have really,” Maycock said after the back and forth game to get the win. “Never giving up. I was really happy with the guys today, the energy in the dugout. It was great.”

The Indians return to the field on Monday when they travel to University/Classical Magnet.