Townie Baseball & Softball in Friday Wins

Townie baseball defeats Smithfield 2-1 in chaotic extra inning finish. Now 11-2 on season. Desrosiers tossed in controversial ruling.

The East Providence High School baseball team is at 11 wins, 2 losses after an extra inning win on the road over Smithfield High. The teams played evenly throughout with the game tied at one after 7 innings. The Townies jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the 2nd inning with a leadoff line drive single to center by Kyle Desrosiers. Lefty Hallene sacrificed Desrosiers to second and next JJ Renaud moved Desrosiers to third with another sacrifice grounder. Up to the plate came Chris Charbonneau who lined a double to deep center field scoring Desrosiers.

With Renaud on the mound, the Townies held off Smithfield until they tied the score at one in the bottom of the fourth inning. Smithfield benefitted from a couple of scratch hits and error as the game stay tied after 7 innings. The game got a little strange when Renaud was relieved on the mound by Desrosiers in the bottom of the seventh with Renaud having just 6 or 7 pitches left in a mandatory pitch count. Smithfield didn’t score and EP came up again in the eighth inning. Extra-inning games place a runner on 2nd base automatically to start the inning. Renaud was put on second base. Charbonneau, who had knocked in the game’s first go ahead run, then sacrificed Renaud to third base. Gavin Palombo grounded out softly to third and on the throw to first, the speedy Renaud raced home and beat the throw with a headfirst slide to push the Townies ahead 2-1. Aidan Martins lined out to deep right field to end the frame.

Smithfield mounted a comeback in their half of the eighth inning. A leadoff bunt single moved the runner from second to third. Smithfield attempted what looked like a suicide squeeze to tie the game, but the batter missed the ball and EP catcher Jamison Sydney ran up the line and tagged out the runner trying to steal home. At that point the game reached several minutes of confusion as the umpires huddled to review the play. In a surprising ruling, the Smithfield runner trying to score was indeed called out, but Townie pitcher Kyle Desrosiers was ejected from the game after the play at home. According to the umpire, Desrosiers fired up, was tossed for “taunting” after being excited after Smithfield’s failed suicide squeeze attempt.

With Desrosiers out of the game, Renaud returned to the mound under the re-entry rule, as he never left the lineup. The sophomore pitcher only had about 7 pitches left but he held off Smithfield and the Townies won the game in an exciting but strange finish. Kyle Desrosiers earned the win for East Providence over one and one-third innings, striking out one and walking none. JJ Renaud, got credited with a save, opened the game for East Providence striking out 10 and walking none. Chris Charbonneau, Aidan Martins, Gavin Palombo, and Kyle Desrosiers each had a hit for East Providence with Charbonneau and Palombo with RBI’s.

The win moved the D1 Townies to 11 wins and 2 losses. EP is scheduled to play Portsmouth in a 10:00 am game Saturday at Portsmouth.

Townie Softball defeats Coventry on Back of Clutch Display From Bernard

Audrey Bernard drove in four runs on three hits to lead East Providence past Coventry 8-3 on Friday. Bernard singled in the first scoring two, singled in the fourth scoring one, and doubled in the sixth scoring one.
East Providence got on the board in the bottom of the first inning after Trinity Provencher doubled, scoring one run, and Bernard singled, scoring two runs.

East Providence extended their early lead with two runs in the bottom of the second thanks to RBI singles by Caroline Welch and Marianna Pina. The Townies added a run in the third after Maura Roche singled to center field on an 0-2 count.

Cassie Dulude earned the win for East Providence. The hurler surrendered five hits and three runs over seven innings, striking out six and walking one. East Providence had 13 hits in the game. Pina, Welch, and Avery Duarte each had two hits and Bernard had three.

East Providence will host Smithfield for their next game on Monday at 4:30 pm.