Projo Sports Blog

WEST DEPTFORD, NJ - Nick Moniz's single just inside the third base line broke a 5-5 tie and lifted Barrington, RI to a 7-5 win over Suncook, NH in the opening game of the 2008 Senior Little League Baseball Eastern Regional.

Moniz's single plated Brenden McNaught, who had singled and stole second.
Moniz followed with a steal of second and then broke for third as Zach Conte singled through the left side. Moniz scored easily with the insurance run.

Gil Whalen retired Suncook in the 10th to earn the win. Whalen pitched the final 2-2/3 innings to earn the victory. Whalen allowed just two hits and struck out one.

In the 3-hour, 51-minute marathon, the teams combined for 22 hits, 10 errors, and 28 runners left on base.

Brenden McNaught finished 4-for-5 at the plate to lead Barrington.

A wild seventh inning saw Barrington score four times to take the lead, only to see it disappear on a throwing error - their seventh of the game - with two out to tie the game. Barrington's Zach Conte keyed their rally with a two-run single and then scored the tying run on a single by Austin Brown.

Suncook used three hits and a pair of errors to break a 1-1 deadlock in the sixth. Derek Daniels started things with a leadoff single. One out later, Kyle Cooper hit a two-hopper up the middle that took a wicked hop at the infield cut out and caromed into center field. Daniels wound up on third and Suncook had something going.

After a sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third, Zach Gauss, the No.
9 hitter in the order, fisted a single into shallow center field, plating Daniels and Cooper, who scored when the ball was bobbled in the outfield.
Gauss added another insurance run when he scored on a throwing error later in the inning.

Both teams had chances early, but it was Suncook that broke into the scoring column first in the third inning. A frame after failing to score with the bases loaded and no outs, the New Hampshire representatives scored on what was scored a double by Matt Gosselin.

With a runner on first, Gosselin ripped a line drive over the head of left fielder Steven Crawford that one-hopped the wall. Zach Noel rounded third and came home easily when Crawford's throw sailed over both relay men.
Gosselin moved up to third on the error, but was left there as Suncook grabbed a 1-0 advantage.

Barrington countered with a run of its own in the fourth, taking advantage of a Suncook error and a wild pitch. Austin Brown walked and moved to third when Nick Panarello's grounder to first was misplayed. Brown scored on a wild pitch two pitches later to even it at 1-1.

Barrington will face West Salisbury, Md. at 1 pm on Saturday.

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