Carbone Hits for the Cycle to Force Elimination Game; Salve Advances to TCCC Title Game

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Wentworth senior Anthony Carbone (Goshen, Conn.) hit for the cycle in reverse order as a part of a 19-hit attack as the Leopards forced a second game with a 17-5 win over Salve Regina in the fourth round of the 2010 The Commonwealth Coast Conference Baseball Tournament, while in the deciding game the Seahawks received a complete-game win from junior Craig Silva (Marlborough, Mass.) as Salve Regina took an 8-3 win and advanced to tomorrow's championship game.

Needing a pair of wins to advance to their second title game in three seasons, the fourth-seeded Leopards' offense picked up where it left off after Friday's 16-14 win over Curry with a pair of runs in the third inning as Carbone blasted a solo shot to left center, and with runners on first and second, senior Pete Oggeri (Sandy Hook, Conn.) hit a ground-rule double to drive in junior Matt Jordan (Concord, N.H.).  An inning later Wentworth went ahead by a 3-0 score when Carbone tripled home junior Jake McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.), who had led off with a double.

Salve Regina played a run in the top of the sixth inning to cut the lead to 3-1 when senior Riley Diaz (Miami, Fla.) doubled in junior Alexander Melcher (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) who had reached on a fielder's choice.  The home half of the inning would see Wentworth score seven times to take a 10-1 lead as Carbone had an RBI double, Jordan had a two-run double, sophomore Conner Flisnik (Marcy, N.Y.) had an RBI double, and junior Ben Danker (Branford, Conn.) and Mike Diodato (Asbury, N.J.) each drove in runs, reaching on a fielder's choice each.

The Seahawks plated three runs in the top of the seventh, thanks to a two-run double from junior Brandon Bursie (Smithfield, R.I.) and an RBI single from Melcher to cut the lead to 10-4 but Wentworth would score four times in the bottom of the seventh, with two coming on a double by Jordan, and one each on run-scoring hits from Flisnik and Danker.  Jordan's double scored Carbone, whose single to left gave allowed him to hit for the cycle.  Leading 14-4, Wentworth founded out its scoring in the eighth, keyed by a two-run home run from Flisnik, which snuck inside the left field foul pole.  Melcher added a RBI single in the top of the ninth to finish the game's scoring.

Senior Chris Sandini (Upton, Mass.), who was the losing pitcher the first-round game between these two teams, pitched eight innnings, allowing four runs on seven hits, and striking out seven to improve to 4-4.  Flisnik and Carbone each had four hits and drove in four and three runs, respectively.  Jordan was 3-for-5 with four runs scored and five RBI, while Oggeri also had three hits.

Junior Pat Quinn (Middletown, N.J.), who was the winning pitcher in relief in the first-round game between the two teams, was tagged with the loss (3-2).  He allowed six runs on nine hits and struck out four in 5.1 innings.  Burise and Melcher each recorded three hits and drove in two runs.

After surrendering a leadoff walk to Jordan, who was cut down trying to steal, Silva set down 11 Wentworth batters in a row before surrendering a leadoff double to Danker in the fifth inning.  During the span his teammates scored a run in the top of the second inning when sophomore Michael O'Neill (Pawtucket, R.I.) hit a sacrifice fly to center, which scored Diaz who had doubled and gone to third on a wild pitch.  An inning later, junior Charles Matarazzo (Montville, N.J.) blasted a two-run to left field and senior Tom Glynn (Woodbridge, Conn.) had an RBI single to increase the lead to 4-0.

Wentworth got a run in the home half of the fifth when Danker led off with a double and went to third on a McManus groundout.  Diodato flew out to center, which would plate Danker and put the hosts on the board.  The Leopards added a run in the seventh inning when Danker, who led off with a walk, scored on a muffed throw home.  The Leopards would have runners at second and third with one out, but Silva induced a flyout and a groundout to end the threat.

The Seahawks added three runs in the eighth as O'Neill had an RBI triple, which scored Diaz, junior Brendan Tapley (Warwick, R.I.) doubled home O'Neill, and an RBI single off the bat of junior Matt Capone (Barrington, R.I.) scored sophomore Byron Redding (Darien, Conn.), who came on as a pinch runner for Tapley.

Holding a 7-2 lead, Salve Regina got a one-out single from Melcher, who went to third on a single through the right side from Glynn.  Diaz was intentionally walked to load the bases and O'Neill delivered a sacrifice fly to center, which scored Melcher and put Salve Regina ahead, 8-2.

Down to its final at bat, McManus drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a Diodato groundout.  A sophomore Justin Bolla (Newburyport, Mass.) single put runners on first and third.  Carbone singled through the right side to score McManus and freshman Ryan Delgado (Wareham, Mass.) drew a walk to load the bases.  Silva slammed the door on Wentworth's comeback chances, inducing a 4-6-3 double play to end the game and send the Seahawks to the title game.

Silva improved to 8-1 as he allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits while walking five and striking out two.  Diaz was 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, while Capone had three hits as well.  Matarazzo, Melcher, Glynn, and Tapley each had two hits, with Matarazzo driving in two.

Senior Chris Carbone (Goshen, Conn.) dropped to 2-5 on the year, lasting 2.1 innings and allowing four runs on four hits.  Sophomore Kyle Cruz (Burlington, Conn.) pitched 5.1 innings of relief, allowing three runs on eight hits.  Jordan had a pair of hits for the Leopards.

Salve Regina (24-17) advances to its first conference championship game since the 2007 season and travels to second-seeded Western New England, which came out of the loser's bracket on the other side to sweep Endicott, 12-7, and 14-14.  The two-time defending conference champions are making their third straight title game appearance.  Wentworth (27-14) will wait to hear if the program's third straight ECAC Tournament berth will be earned when the tournament bracket is released on Monday, May 10.