It was sandwiched between two quiet days at the plate, but last Thursday’s game against Cranston East was just what the doctor ordered for the Johnston baseball team.
On the heels of a 4-2 loss to Woonsocket, the Panthers went five more innings without a run against the ’Bolts before breaking out for six runs in the sixth inning on their way to a 6-2 victory at Johnston Memorial Park.
“We’ve been waiting about three weeks to have an inning,” head coach Steve DeMeo said with a laugh.
The Panthers couldn’t get another one on Monday as Cumberland shut them out 7-0 to drop them to 2-2 on the season, but the victory over East kept Johnston from what would have been a frustrating losing skid. The Panthers won their first game of the season over St. Raphael before the bats went cold in the loss to Woonsocket.
DeMeo was happy to see them heat up again Thursday.
“We’ve been putting the ball in play, but we haven’t been able to string anything together,” DeMeo said. “It’s just keeping their confidence up. We know we can do it.”
Senior Joe Bongiovanni allowed two runs – one earned – in five innings against the ’Bolts, but he departed with his team trailing after East scratched across single runs in the third and fifth innings. Harold Corniel singled and stole second base in the third inning, then came around on a base hit by Alex Figueiredo. In the fifth, Alex Whitney reached on an error and Alex Corvese plated him with a double.
Meanwhile, Johnston managed just two hits off Figueiredo through five innings. East’s defense didn’t make an error and Nick Croft made a diving snag of a line drive to start an inning-ending double play in the fifth.
But Johnston finally had its inning in the sixth.
Figueiredo walked Joe Bongiovanni on four pitches then hit Korey Fijal with the first pitch of the next at-bat. Corvese came on in relief but didn’t have any more luck. Nick Raposo, who’s been Johnston’s leading hitter thus far, greeted him with an RBI single to score Bongiovanni and cut the lead in half. James Picchi then smacked a double – Johnston’s only extra-base hit of the day – to score Fijal with the tying run.
“James’s hit was humongous,” DeMeo said. “We’ve struggled with guys in scoring position, and he came through. He basically opened the game up with that. His hit got everybody pumped.”
With runners on second and third and nobody out, Mike Caparco laid down a squeeze bunt. Raposo raced home with the go-ahead run and Caparco was called safe on a close play at first.
After Jake Coro drew a walk, East got an out at home and another on an infield fly call. Caparco did score on the infield fly, which dropped in shallow right field. With two runners still on, Steve Pennacchia gave Johnston some insurance with a two-run single to right.
“Steve’s been the cursed one – he’s been hitting scorchers to everybody,” DeMeo said. “He had a big hit today.”
East put two men on in the seventh with the top of the order due up, but reliever Ryan McKeon worked out of the jam to preserve the victory for the Panthers. He froze leadoff man Mike Castillo with a curveball, induced a ground ball for a force at second and got Corniel to fly out.
“Ryan came in and threw strikes,” DeMeo said. “We got out of it.”
Johnston struggled again in its return to action Monday, getting just one hit off Cumberland pitcher Nate Mercure, who tossed a complete-game shutout. James Picchi gave up three runs through the first six innings, but the Clippers pulled away with four in the seventh.
The Panthers were scheduled to play La Salle on Wednesday, with results unavailable at press time. Heading into that game, they were one of seven 2-2 teams in Division I.
Despite the ups-and-downs, Johnston remains optimistic.
“They’re a resilient bunch,” DeMeo said. “There’s a lot of pride there, with Ryan and Joe as our leaders. They just carry themselves tremendously.”
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