In a game that reinforced the budding rivalry between the two teams, Norwood American Legion Post 70 edged Norfolk Post 335 5-4 last night.
"Every time we play it's a good game," said Norfolk manager Mark Gafur. "It's one of those chess games where both teams really battle."
In a classic late game situation, Brian Williams stood at the plate for Norwood with two outs and two men on in the bottom of the sixth. The last time the two teams met, Williams hit into a double play to end the game in a 2-1 defeat. Last night, ahead in the count, 2-1, Williams cracked a line drive into right field that gave Norwood the go ahead run, as both Sean Keady and Alex LiDonni crossed the plate to give Norwood a 5-4 lead.
Exciting down to the end, Norfolk (7-6-1) began the seventh inning with runners at the corners, and no outs. But Ryan White closed the game out unscathed to preserved the third straight win in as many days for Post 70, propelling them from fifth place to second.
"It was a great baseball game," said Gafur, "A see-saw battle where if one ball rolls one way, it's a whole different ball game."
Sean Keady went 4-for-4 last night and came home for one of Norwood's runs.
"Keady gets a chance and delivers," said Norwood manager Paul Samargedelis. "We're finally seeing the depth that I thought we had. I'm 100 percent confident that we can beat anyone."
Norwood's performance over the weekend would agree with Samargedelis' claim, as they won swept the weekend slate of games. Against Needham Friday, Norwood grabbed an 8-5 win that ended with a diving catch from Keady. Norwood produced a 10-1 rout against Canton Saturday as Eddie Rydzewski pitched a complete game three-hitter.
Norfolk started the back-and-forth scoring in the top of the second. Chris Horne began with a single and advanced to third on an error by Norwood's Brian Williams. A simple single from Garrick Cronin brought Horne home, and Norfolk drew first blood, making it 1-0.
But Post 70 responded immediately in the bottom half. It started out shaky for Norwood as Cory Sennott was caught stealing second by Norfolk catcher Taylor Larsen. However, a walk and a single later, Joe Trahon drove in Pat Eckhardt. Kyle McCabe, the next batter, singled to bring home Christos Ferrera as Norwood took the lead, 2-1.
The defense for both teams showed up in the third inning. Off a ground ball blast from Norfolk's Taylor Larsen to short, McCabe ran the ball down and gunned it across the diamond with the throw barely beating Larsen to the bag for the out.
Norfolk scored again in the fourth, capitalizing off of a few mistakes from pitcher Chris Foley. Tony Trafecanty reached first on a single followed by a walk to Sam Adler. Foley then threw two wild pitches that brought Trafecanty around to score. Cronin was hit by a pitch. Paul Everett knocked an RBI single that scored Adler putting Norfolk back in front 3-2.
Jesse Shaughnessy picked up his bat in the bottom of the fifth ready to put on a show. Amidst shouts of "Tie it up here Hammer!" Shaughnessy did just that, crushing a pitch over the left field fence to tie the score 3-3.
"I think Shaughnessy's run hit John Carroll in Town Hall," said Samargedelis.
Norfolk wasn't quitting in the top of the sixth. A walk, an error and a wild throw to first scored Cronin and Norfolk was back in front, 4-3, part of a five-error night for Norwood.
"To beat Norfolk with five errors and 10 men left on base means we must be doing something else right," said Samargedelis.
