Chester gets back on track
Toolbox
By POODY WALSH Herald Correspondent - Published: July 13, 2009
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Hartford pitchers walked 12 and hit four more as Chester broke a four-game losing streak with an 8-4 Southern Vermont American Legion win at Neal Field on Sunday.
Post 67 also stole 13 bases as they are hoping to make a move to get one of the four playoff spots.
Chester coach Eric Anderson said his team was in fifth place at the start of the day and Sunday's win could be the turning point of the season.
"I hope this will get us going again," said Anderson of his team that is now 5-4.
Both teams are having some numbers issues, each dressing just nine players. Hartford also had just nine for a game at Brattleboro on Saturday.
"Back-to-back games with just nine players," said Hartford Express coach Jarrod Grassi. "That's not good."
Grassi took the nine players he had Sunday to Rutland later in the day to complete a suspended game and beat Rutland 13-7.
Grassi admitted that dealing with a lack of players has him thinking about using more younger players in the future that will bolster the Hartford High School program of which he is also the coach. He was also candid about the 12 walks, four hit batsmen and 13 stolen bases.
"That's not a very good formula for winning." he said.
Jason Albert was the winning pitcher for Chester, going the first eight innings. He gave up nine hits, but he walked just one and picked two runners off. He struck out nine. David O'Neil pitched a clean ninth.
"He needed a game like this," Anderson said of Albert's effort.
Both teams are faced with nasty schedules with just a few days off until the regular season draws to a close on July 21.
In the most immediate games, Chester has a doubleheader with Windsor on Tuesday that will be played in Ludlow. Then on Thursday they go to Bellows Falls.
Hartford is at South Royalton Tuesday, home with Windsor on Thursday and at Bennington on Friday.
Chester led all the way. Taking a 4-0 lead after two innings and 7-1 after seven. Hartford cut the gap to 7-4 with three runs in the eighth, but they could have had more as they had a runner thrown out at the plate and stranded runners on second and third.
Seven of the Chester runners that scored reached base via a walk or being hit with a pitch.
Luke Mayer was the starting hurler for Hartford. He only gave up four hits in six innings, but he walked seven and his sidearm delivery resulted in four hit batsmen. David Isley hurled the last three innings, walking five more
Ian Rebhan knocked in Chester's run in the first with a single and former Black River teammate David O'Neil knocked in two more with a double to the fence in left in the second. Mayer then sailed through the next three innings, but Chester got to him for two more runs in the sixth as O'Neil had an RBI single and Rebhan a sacrifice fly. Chester closed out the scoring with single runs in the seventh and ninth innings.
In Hartford's three-run eighth Nick Avery had a two-run single and Mike Avery drove in the third run of the inning with a double. Sean Fernandes had an RBI single in the fourth.
Ryan Wetzel, Fernandes and Nick Avery all had two hits for Hartford while O'Neil and Rebhan had two each for Chester.
Hartford 13, Rutland 7
At St. Peter's Field in Rutland, Hartford went from a 3-0 lead to 9-0 with six runs in the third in the completion of a suspended game. Already holding the 3-0 edge when the game resumed, the Express quickly expanded the lead.
Rutland fought back to 9-7 before Hartford pulled away. Ryan Wetzel led the way for the 3-9 Express, going 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Eddie Lewicki took the loss for Post 31, which got a two-run homer from Ryan Carter and two hits from Aaron Bloomer.
Rutland 7, SoRo 0
Earlier in the day on the same field, Rutland blanked South Royalton. Chris Mack threw a dominating six innings to earn the win, fanning eight.
Matt Merritt had two hits and Lewicki smacked a double for 11-4 (10-4 league) Rutland.
40