Sports

Gallery: Stoughton Legion Baseball Doubleheader

The Stoughton Legion Post 89 baseball team hosted Hyde Park this past Sunday for a doubleheader, dropping both games by just a single run. Take a look at photos (by Justin Braga) from the first game.

The Stoughton Legion Post 89 baseball team hosted Hyde Park this past Sunday for a doubleheader, dropping both games by just a single run.

Stoughton (4-5-1) is next scheduled to play at Braintree on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Take a look at photos from the first game of the Hyde Park doubleheader in the media gallery of this article (photos by Justin Braga).

The following recap of the doubleheader was submitted to Stoughton Patch:

***

The Stoughton Legion Post 89 baseball team dropped two games by a single run to first place Hyde Park in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday.

Post 89 fell behind 3-1 in the early going, but rallied for 5 runs in the fourth inning.  

The key hits in the inning were delivered by Nic Panasci and Mike Gallagher who each hit 2-run doubles and third baseman, Matt Provost, who smacked a long triple over the centerfielder's head to score the fifth run of the inning to give Stoughton a 3 run cushion, 6-3.   

Sam Werman allowed just 2 hits from the 2nd inning through the 5th, before Hyde Park began the 7th with consecutive bloop singles, followed by a walk to load the bases.  

Werman retired the next 2 hitters but Hyde Park cut the lead to 6-4 on a seeing-eye single before their cleanup hitter laced a triple down the right field line to clear the bases and give Hyde Park the lead, 7-6.   

Post 89 threatened in their last at bat, putting runners on second and third with one out with the middle of their order due up, but couldn't push across the tying run.

Provost, Panasci and Gallagher led the Post 89 offense with 2 hits apiece.   

"We only had 2 available pitchers for the doubleheader and Sam delivered a gutsy performance," Manager Jim Derochea said. "He put us in a position to win the game and that's all you can ask of a pitcher."

In game 2, Hyde Park jumped out early, taking a 4-1 lead after 2 against Stoughton pitcher Will McGrath.   

Post 89 got back into the game in the 3rd inning, scoring a run on a 2-out Werman single.  

Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the 6th, Stoughton struck for 2 runs to tie the game. McGrath singled home Jamie Connors, who had doubled, to cut the deficit to one.  

McGrath began the game having a Designated Hitter batting in his spot in the order, but Derochea decided to let McGrath hit for himself in that situation and it paid off.  

"A lot of our guys played 3 games in an AAU tournament on Saturday and weren't available to pitch, so we were looking to conserve our pitcher's energy in this heat by DH'ing for them, but Will was the right bat at the right time, in that situation," explained Manager Jim Derochea on his decision to forego the DH in the 6th inning.

After pinch hitter Kaleb Ballou reached on a fielder's choice, Gallagher tied the game with a long double to left field that one hopped the fence.

Like Sam Werman had done in game 1, McGrath cruised through the third through sixth innings before hitting the first Hyde Park batter in the 7th inning with a pitch.

After the runner moved to second base on on a ground out, the Hyde Park leadoff hitter hit a soft blooper just over the leaping attempt by Gallagher at shortstop to plate the go ahead run for Hyde Park.  

Stoughton went quietly in the bottom of the 7th to give the league leading Hyde Park squad a sweep of the double header, with the visitors taking game 2 by a score of 5-4.

"Those were two really tough losses to swallow.  We played them, at worst, even through both games and we just ran out of gas," said Assistant Coach Jim Gallagher.  

Derochea added, "We told the boys to hold their heads high and draw the positives from these games. We put ourselves in position to beat the top team in both games and if not for a depleted bullpen, we should have swept them.  We know we shouldn't have conflicts with the other leagues once we get closer to the playoffs, so we should have a full, rested pitching staff which will help us in games like these."


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