Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

August 6, 2012

Little League Regional: Scarborough loses no-hitter

Scarborough allows just one hit but doesn't get any in a 1-0 loss to Rhode island, falling to 0-2 in pool play at the East Regional.

By KEN LIPSHEZ Special to the Press Herald

BRISTOL, Conn. - A pitcher's duel of monumental proportion developed Sunday as Scarborough traded strikes with its opponent from Coventry, R.I.

The teams combined for just one hit, and a gap double in the fourth inning made all the difference.

Rhode Island pitcher Jarrad Grossguth smacked the only hit and didn't allow any to deal Scarborough a 1-0 setback in the New England Regional.

"It obviously wasn't my thought to throw a no-hitter but it happened," Grossguth said. "I just hit my spots. The fastball was on today. My curveball kept the hitters off balance and most of my strikeouts came on my curveball."

Grossguth threw 81 pitches, struck out nine and walked four.

"We faced some really good pitchers in the states but we've never faced a pitcher like that," Scarborough Manager Neal Pratt said.

"Our guys battled. When they hit it, they hit it right at people, but hats off. That was a tremendous baseball game."

The effort turned in by Scarborough pitcher Connor Kelly got lost in the shadows of Grossguth's gem, but it was just one pitch away from being equally spectacular.

Kelly, whose humpback liner to the left-field gap, snared routinely by Josh Andrade, was Scarborough's hardest-hit ball, walked Joey Barter to start the home fourth.

Grossguth then rifled a 2-1 pitch to the fence in right-center. Grossguth moved to third on an infield out but the next two hitters were unable to push a second run across.

"(Kelly) threw a tremendous game and I'm proud of him," Pratt said. "He battled against a tough hitting team. His curveball was effective and I think he kept hitters off balance."

Pratt said the play that set the tone for the game was the pitcher-to-short-to-first double play Grossguth initiated after walking Morgan Pratt to start the game.

"When he walked Morgan, he had his hands in the air a little bit and was kind of shaking his head. You could tell he was trying to find his game," the manager said. "He was doubting himself a little bit and the double play put the wind back in his sails."

Scarborough generated its best threat in the fourth.

Jared Brooks drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a passed ball. Zoltan Panyi also walked, setting up the No. 5 hitter, Alex Dobecki.

Dobecki tried to push a bunt toward the third baseman, but Grossguth fielded it and made the play at first. Dobecki was credited with a sacrifice but that wasn't the manager's intent.

"He's one of the two best bunters on the team. The third baseman was playing back on him. Three out of five times he places the ball down the third-base line for a base hit," Neal Pratt said.

"He's very fast and frankly, given the velocity, I figure that he has a better chance getting a bunt base hit even though he's a very good hitter."

Scarborough (0-2) next plays Monday night against Fairfield, Conn.

"(The players) are disappointed and we said to them that it's absolutely OK to be disappointed. It's not OK to hang your head or feel any kind of shame," Pratt told them. "I'm proud of the way you played today. You should be proud of the way you played today. This is why baseball's a great, great game."

 

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