NECC Observer

The student news website of Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill and Lawrence, Mass.

Sweeney tosses a one hitter on the road

In Game 2 of a doubleheader with Central Maine Community College, the Knights were looking to finish off what they started in game 1.

The Knights won Game 2 8-0, a one hitter performance of Alex Sweeney of Raymond, N.H.

In the first inning Richie Williams of Georgetown walked and stole second when Chris Bear of Boston singled to left center field. The Knights scored the first run of the game on a double steal with runners in the corner. Williams was waiting for the catcher to throw to second so he could score from third in the first inning. Nicholas White of Townsend connected on an opposite field double to the corner on left and White went to third on a pass ball. Joseph Settle of Melbourne, Fla., walked. The runners in the corner for Kyle Hsu of Brookline, N.H., hit a sac fly that scored White from third. Settle didn’t re-tag the second base as he was going back to first on the fly out as a result. Central Maine appealed it and Settle was out for not re-tagging.

“Yep yeah it happens you know he did everything right the ball was deep enough he rounded second well he just missed it on his way back to first base…,” Coach Jeff Mejia said.

Alex Sweeney was on the mound for game 2 of this double header. Sweeney struck out two of the three batters that he faced for a 1,2,3 inning.

Nick Panzini of Methuen walked and stole second. The Knights had runners in scoring position with no one out. Kevin Rodriguez of Manchester, N.H., struck out. Panzini went to third on the wild pitch and the next pitch Will Bean of Milton, Maine, threw it was a wild pitch that allowed Panzini to score. Kameron Levesque of Hooksett, N.H., walked and Richie Williams hit a come backer to the pitcher that threw to second to try to get the forced out, instead it was a throwing error. The Knights had the runner on the corner when the Central Maine manager made a pitching change and brought Hunter Warren of Phillips, Maine, to pitch. Williams stole second and Chris Bear hit a 2 run single to make it 6-0. Hit and run for the Knights, Bear was stealing second and White hit a base hit up the middle. Runners were in the corner when Jarred Coppola of Lynn was at the plate. White was running when Coppola hit a base hit that scored the seventh runner of the game. Coppola was called out for interference with the shortstop on a fly ball.

 

Photo by Editor-in-Chief/ Sports EditorJose Rodriguez

NECC Knights celebrating a win

“Yeah it happens….It was a pop fly the shortstop kinda misread it, or the wind possibly took it, so Jared was trying to get around him and that kid jumped back to try to catch the ball. It was contact so it is automatic interference call once again the umpire got it 100 percent right,” Mejia said.

Sweeney gave up a single in the first and he was trying to steal second when Sweeney stepped off the rubber, he threw to second and the runner was out. Corey Armstrong of Monmouth, Maine, got hit by a pitch and Caleb Valliere of Sabattus, Maine, ground out a double play to the pitcher.

In the third inning the Knights didn’t score as Warren struck out two of the three batters for a clean 1,2,3 inning. Sweeny stuck out the side to end the third inning.

In the fourth inning with one out Bear hit the ball to left field. Warren threw the ball to first and the first baseman didn’t caught it. It went passed him and that allowed Bear to go to second White singled and stole second without a throw. Coppola hit a sac fly to center field that made Bear score from third to make it 8-0. Settle struck out for the third out of the inning.

Central Maine went 1,2,3 in the fourth inning.

In the top of the fifth inning with two outs Rodriguez walked and stole second. Levesque singled to right field. The runners were first and third when Levesque went to second on a passed ball not that deep for Kevin Rodriguez to score from third. Williams ground out to the third baseman.

In the bottom of the fifth a nice defense play by Rodriguez took away a base hit from Corey Armstrong of Monmouth, Maine, as Central Maine went 1,2,3 again.

In the sixth inning after the first two hitters for the Knights got out Coppola, Settle and Hsu walked. Panzini hit a high pop out to the second baseman and the Knights didn’t score that inning. Sweeny retired the side in order.

In the top of the seventh inning with one out Levesque walked and with two outs in the inning he stole second on a throwing error by the third baseman Caden Truman of Norway, Maine. White grounded to end the inning.

Coppola told me how they were able to beat this good Central Maine team.

“We played as a team, we start together, we hit the ball like what we did really well we played solid defense and overall it was a good win,” Coppola said.

Sweeney pitched a complete game shutout striking out six batters and giving up just one hit.