The Washington Township Senators always had a philosophy that goes like this: the team on the field Sunday morning is the team. In other words, the players who can't make it on that day don't exist that morning. The Senators got a chance to play that out in South Philadelphia Sunday against the 35+ Royals, as they showed up for their game without their #1, #2, #4, #5 and #7 hitters. The missing included their starting catcher and shortstop.
The result? An exciting 10-5 victory over Steve Porrini and the talented Royals. The Nats used a 7-run seventh to break open a 4-3 game, and John DiPietro tossed a complete game, sucking it up for 157 pitches.
The Senators jumped on Royals starter Scott Waseinko for three runs in the top of the first, with wildness a big factor in the rally. Bill Trotman led off with a single, and one out later, Waseinko hit Mark Alessandrini with a pitch and walked Miles Reader to load the bases. Jim Toth followed with a sharp single to left to bring one run home, but Waseinko fanned Hector Colon looking for the second out.
But Senator skipper Nick Frese came up with a clutch single, dumping a dying quail into short center for two ribbies and a 3-0 Senator lead. Joe Leo grounded to short to end the threat.
The Royals stormed right back in the bottom of the inning. DiPietro nicked Bryan Arner with a pitch leading off, and Jimmy Candelora singled to center. On that play, Candelora moved up to second on the throw, and Michael Resnick stroked a two-run single, also moving up a base on the throw from the outfield.
Resnick scampered to third on an infield groundout, and then he alerted scored on a pop-up to the infield when the Senators were a little lax in getting the ball back in. That quickly it was 3-3.
The Nats stranded five more runners over the next two frames, as Waseinko skated around four walks and an infield error to keep the Senators off the board. Porrini took the hill to start the fourth.
The Royals got Porrini a lead in the bottom of the fifth. Ryan Spill smacked a one-out double, and Steve Kaminski's soft single to left with two outs made it 4-3 Royals.
That's how things stayed until the seventh, when the Senators batted around and broke things open for good off Porrini. And it was the bottom of the order that got the ball rolling.
Dave Parkin led off with a ground single to center, and Mike Fanelli reached on catcher's interference. Trotman attempted to lay down a bunt, failed, and instead singled to load the bags.
Gabe Mastrangelo got an infield RBI single in the 1B/2B hole, and a second run scored when the throw sailed into left field. Alessandrini followed with a walk to re-load the bases, and Reader smoked another RBI single to left to make it 7-4 Senators.
Porrini finally got an out, fanning Toth looking, but Colon then delivered a two-run single to make it 9-4. Frese followed with a tapper over the mound that went for another infield single and a 10th run scored. Porrini stopped the bleeding there despite a two-out walk to Frank Rose.
DiPietro survived a leadoff single by Vince Spagna and a hit batter to start the seventh, but the Royals got a single run in the eighth thanks to consecutive two-out singles by Arner, Candelora and Resnick.
The Senators closed things out with a defensive gem. With runners at first and second and one out, the Nats got a force at second on Doug Powers's grounder to short. Taking the relay, Colon turned and fired to third to catch Rich Callahan wandering off the bag for the game-ending putout.
Each team collected 12 hits on the morning, but the Nats clearly made better use of theirs. Trotman led the way with three singles, and Frese had two hits and three RBI. Candelora had three hits for the Royals, while Resnick and Spill had two each.
DiPietro had just a single 1-2-3 inning, but he managed to bend without breaking all game long. The Royals stranded 10 runners, but DiPietro did not hurt himself with his control, walking just one batter. Porrini threw very well for most of his outing, striking out seven in his six innings of work. But the one bad inning was his Waterloo.
Next up: the Senators have their first look at 45+ competition, facing off against the 45+ Royal. The game was originally scheduled for Roslyn, PA, but is being moved to Washington Township High School because the Roslyn field is not available.
Notes: The Senators used Trotman in the lead-off spot for the first time in quite a while, and the second sacker responded with a three-hit performance...Fanelli played an excellent shortstop subbing for Angel Rivera. He did exactly what a shortstop needs to do: he made all the routine plays without incident. In fact, with the exception of two miscues by DiPietro, the Senators played errorless ball...both teams got offense from both ends of their lineups -- the hits came from just about everybody, as only four of the starters went hitless...the Nats have played some VERY tough 35+ competition this year. Seems like their last three games were against teams as good as any they saw all of last year. They'll be happy to see some older folks next week!
The thermometer read 45 degrees when the game started. Given the results, the Washington Township Senators might have been better off staying in their nice, warm beds.
The Delco Warriors unloaded five loooooong extra-base knocks, including three triples, and whupped the Nats by a 9-3 margin in Collingdale, with the Senators as the home club. Gabe Mastrangelo worked six innings to take the loss.
Wildness got Mastrangelo in hot water in the first, as two walks wrapped around a single lead to a run via a Shawn Nagle sacrifice fly. But Mastrangelo fanned Larry Spedden to avert further damage. He would not be as fortunate in the second.
The Senator lefty started Brenden Naughton with fastball, and he did not miss it, launching a booming triple over the head of Senator right fielder Bob Wood. Bill Langon followed with a majestic liner into right-center for another three-bagger to make it 2-0. Consecutive walks to Neil Hamilton and Chris Hannen loaded the bases, and a throwing error and fielder's choice led to two more runs, giving the Warriors a 4-0 lead.
The Senators managed to get one back in their half. With one out, Hector Colon walked, Wood singled, and Mastrangelo helped his cause with a bloop RBI single to center. But Warrior lefty Bob Shaw closed the door, whiffing Mike Fanelli and inducing a 1-3 tapper out of Chris Johannes.
Both pitchers settled down, and the next three innings featured no scoring. Mastrangelo danced around four hits and an error during that span, while Shaw seemed to get really loose, fanning seven Senators during the span and allowing just two hits, doubles by Bill Trotman and Mark Alessandrini.
The Warriors upped the ante in the sixth, though, getting three unearned runs.
Nagle reached on an error with one out, and Spedden singled. The Warriors then executed a double steal, with Nagle scampering home on the throw down the second. One out after a John Carr walk, Hamilton blasted another majestic double, this one sending two more runs across to make it a 7-1 game. Mastrangelo fanned Hannan to end the inning, but his day was over after 118 pitches.
The veteran Frank Rose too the hill to start the seventh, and he also received a cold reception.
After fanning John Spencer looking, Jerry Werndl single, Pete Alex blasted yet another triple, and Dennis Spencer's single closed out the scoring for the Warriors. Angel Rivera tossed two shutout innings in relief of Rose.
The Senators staged a mile uprising in the bottom of the eight, but it was clearly too little, too late.
Nick Frese got a one-out infield single on a ball that hit the rubber and bounced straight up in the air. Wood followed with a single to center, and a Mastrangelo walk loaded the bags in front of Fanelli's sharp two-run single to left. But there were no more bullets left in the Senators' gun; that was the last hit they would collect on the cold morning.
Shaw did a very nice job in his eight innings of work, scattering nine hits, walking three, hitting a batter, and fanning 10. Dennis Spencer led the Warrior offense with three hits, while Werndl, Alex and Hamiton each had two.
The Senators got two more hits out the red-hot Alessandrini, plus two from Wood.
Next up: another challening game for the Senators, as they travel to South Philaelphia to face the 35+ Royals.
Notes: It was a gusty morning not fit for man nor beast. You wonder how the pitchers were able to grip the baseball in such conditions...the Senator offense was stymied by the strikeout bug. Not gonna win too many games when you achieve double-digit Ks...Hector Colon sustained what appeared to be a high ankle sprain in a collision near the bag at second. His status will be evaluated during the week...Mastrangelo's first start for the 45+ Senators was probably not what he had envisioned. But the lefty battled in tough conditions, and his next start will certainly be a step forward...Alessandrini is torried in the early going, with seven hits in eight trips to lead the team...Shaw contained the top and bottom of the Senator order, with one through six collecting just two hits, both by Alessandrini; same story at the bottom, as 11 through 14 put up an ugly 1-for-11 number with five strikeouts. Well, mama said there'd be days like these.
John DiPietro tossed a 3-hit, complete game and Miles Reader and Mark Alessandrini supplied lots of offense as the Washington Township Senators tamed the Philadelphia Zombies 11-3 at Delsea Drive Park. DiPietro was masterful, allowing just three singles, none after the second inning.
The Zombies started off on the right foot against DiPietro, plating two first-inning runs. Steve Moffitt reached on a DiPietro error, and one out later, Scott Hamilton walked and Kyle Hunt ripped a single to left to load the bags. Brian Greever singled in a run, and a second run scored when Bill Horst was retired on a 1-3 groundout. But the Zombies could manage no more.
The Senators had lots of quick answers, putting up seven runs over the next three frames.
In the bottom of the first, singles from Bob Wood, Kurt Ley, Alessandrini, Reader and Hector Colon plated two Nat tallies. In the second, Chris Johannes and Mike Fanelli singled to start things, and a Dave Parkin single made it 3-2. Later in the inning, Wood and Fanelli executed a double steal, Fanelli swiping home as Wood took second. It was 4-2.
In the third, the heart of the order took charge. Alessandrini and Laudisio singled, and Reader sent them both home with a booming double off the top of the fence in left-center. Colon then singled him home, and it was a 7-2 ballgame.
The Undead had a few innings if peace, but another Senators uprising occurred in the sixth off reliever Brian Greever. Alessandrini and Laudisio again started things with singles, and walks to Reader and Colon made it 8-2. Jim Toth lofted a sacrifice fly to make it 9-2, and a 10th run scored on Fanelli's grounder to short. The Senators added a final run in the seventh.
While the Senators offense was tearing down the walls, the Senator starting pitcher was building one of his own. The right-hander allowed a lead-off single to Rick Samarco to start the second, and that was all she wrote — all the Zombies could muster thereafter were a couple of walks and a HBP.
Alessandrini led the Senator offense with a 4-for-4 day, while Colon (2 RBI), Reader (3 RBI), Laudisio and Parkin each contributed two hits. DiPietro's line was impressive, as he allowed just three hits and three walks while fanning 10.
Next up: the Senators travel to Collingdale for a match with the tough Delco Warriors.
Notes: DiPietro had his usual period of "getting loose," and once he got there, it was all downhill for the Zombies. It was a great performance...the Senator offense collected 18 hits, but a lot of them were balls that simply found holes. And they'll take ever one of them...Parkin got his first Senator hit in the game...the 3-6 hitters put up 10 hits for the Senators.
