West Warwick

Ten years ago, the 14 year old West Warwick All Star team came out of loser's bracket to take 2 games from Warwick PAL and win the Rhode Island State Championship. Jeremy Reisner pitched the championship game with a broken nose which was sustained while saving the game the night before at third base.

Players:

David Alves

Erik Brouillard

David Fitzgerald

John Gates

Tom Kelly

Chuck Kennedy

Tyler Legault

Matt MacKillop

Jarod Marsocci

Adam Molnar

Anthony Politelli

Nick Ray

Jeremy Reisner

Note:  Players in bold print later played on State Championship teams at WWHS.

Coaches:

Harry Rotenberg

Bill MacKillop

Jack Kelly

Slocum (NK) 6 West Warwick 4

On Wednesday night, Slocum of North Kingstown defeated West Warwick, 6-4. 

Both teams are now 1-1 on the season.

Led by the hitting and relief pitching of Michael O’Connor, Slocum was able to hold off a late game rally by West Warwick. 

After allowing three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, O’Connor (3/4, double, home run, two runs scored, and one r.b.i.), settled down in the seventh inning to hold on for the save.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning, West Warwick tied it at 1-1 when Nathan Lacroix walked, moved to second on an infield hit by Dillon Coffua, advanced to third on Ross Coffua’s fielder’s choice, and scored on Rich Grenier’s r.b.i. groundout to shortstop. 

After falling behind 6-1, West Warwick scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on hits by Ryan Lawton (single), Matt Grosso (r.b.i. double), Chris Franklin (infield single), and one two run error. 

Offensively, West Warwick was led by Chris Viveiros (1/3, double), Ryan Lawton (1/4, one run scored), Matt Grosso (1/3, double), Chris Franklin (1/1, one run scored), Dillon Coffua (two infield hits, Rich Grenier (one r.b.i.), and Nick Carney (one double).  Pitching well for West Warwick in relief were sophomore to be Ryan Lawton and freshman to be Matt Masse.  Lawton allowed one earned run on three singles while striking out five in two innings of work.  Masse worked a scoreless seventh inning. 

Flood Auto 15 West Warwick 5

Flood Auto, Bishop Hendricken's Connie Mack nine, took advantage of several early inning walks and defeated West Warwick, 15-5.

Offensively, West Warwick received contributions from Chris Viveiros (one run scored), Dillon Coffua (3/3, two runs scored), Ryan Lawton (one run scored and one r.b.i.), Matt Grosso (1/2, one run scored), Charles Parent (one r.b.i.), and Nathan LaCroix (2/3, two r.b.i.'s).

Although West Warwick walked seven batters in the first three innings (four of six runs scored via walks), West Warwick received steady relief pitching from freshman to be, Rich Grenier Jr.  The burly right hander pitched two innings of one hit relief.  Out of the 28 pitches he threw in the fourth and fifth innings, 17 were strikes. 

It was not a surprise to many when the West Warwick PIC Athletics captured the 2008 WWCRL championship.  In 2009, however, they surprised many teams as they finished 9-8 (second place in the Eastern Division) during the regular season and 10-10 for the year (1-2 in the playoffs). 

Instead of rebuilding the Athletics reloaded and became of the WWCRL’s most competitive teams, losing to the league’s best regular season team, the Titan Sports Orioles, three times by one run and splitting four games with the league champion, the Centreville Bank Red Sox. 

Although the Athletics received some quality play from several of their players, two players who led the team this year were veterans, Evan Barrera and Matt Grenier.  Evan Barrera, a twelve year old who played a key role on last year’s team as the backstop, helped the A’s on the mound in 2009.  In 13 appearances, Barrera (4-5) struck out 68 batters and allowed only 27 earned runs in 41 1/3 innings pitched.  Grenier (3-1), an eleven year old who has played four years in the Major Division, led the team in pitching this year.  In 27 1/3 innings pitched, Grenier struck out 61 batters, walked 15 (two intentionally), allowed 16 hits (WHIP of 1.13), and gave up only 8 earned runs (1.76 ERA). 

In addition to the Barrera and Grenier’s work on the mound, Michael Carley, Jon Vincent, and Andrew In helped the A’s during the season.  Carley, whose work behind the plate was instrumental in the Athletics’ competitive season, struck out 15 and allowed only 7 earned runs in 11 innings pitched.  Eleven year old Andrew In struck out 34 batters, walked 19 and allowed only 10 earned runs in 23 1/3 innings pitched.  Twelve year old Jon Vincent struck out 10 batters in 8 2/3 innings pitched.

Offensively, the Athletics, who ended up as the third leading scoring team in the league, batted .281 as a team this spring.  Contributing to the A’s offense were Evan Barrera (32/60, .533, 12 doubles, 4 triples, 26 runs scored, 21 r.b.i.’s, and OBP of .685), Matt Grenier (22/49, .449, ten doubles, 1 triple, 22 runs scored, 20 r.b.i.’s, 17 walks, 5 hit batsmen, and on OBP of .648), Mike Carley (17/51, .333, 5 extra base hits, 19 runs scored, 11 r.b.i.’s, 9 stolen bases, and an OBP of .561), Andrew In (18/55, .327, 4 extra base hits, 16 runs scored, 14 r.b.i.’s, 10 stolen bases, and an OBP of .592), Kyle Baxter (15/50, .300, 4 doubles, 11 runs scored, 17 r.b.i.’s, and an OBP of .531), Ryan Johnson (6 hits and an OBP of .371), Alex Hernandez (6 hits, 9 runs scored, and 4 r.b.i.’s), Jon Vincent (5 singles, 2 doubles, and 8 r.b.i.’s), Matt Reid (5 hits, 4 runs scored, and 6 r.b.i.’s), David DeCosta (3 runs scored, 5 r.b.i.’s and 10 walks), and Luis Salazar (6 runs scored, 10 walks, and an OBP of .435). 

WWCRL Playoffs:  First Round - Athletics 7 Yankees 0 

 Led by a nine hit attack and the combined no hit pitching of Evan Barrera, Andrew In, and Michael Carley, the West Warwick PIC Athletics were able to defeat the Gordon Orthodontics Yankees, 7-0. 

Twelve year old All Star, Evan Barrera, pitched the first three innings and struck out five batters and walked one.  Fellow 12 year old All Star, Mike Carley, who came into a bases loaded situation in the top of the fourth inning, struck out two and walked two in 2 1/3 innings pitched to preserve the victory for the Athletics. 

 In the bottom of the first inning, the Athletics scored two runs on hits by Evan Barrera (lead off triple), Matt Grenier (single), Jon Vincent (r.b.i. single), and a fielder's choice by Mike Carley.  In the bottom of the second inning, the Athletics broke open the game with five runs on five hits for a 7-0 lead.  Providing the hits for the Athletics were Alex Hernandez (single), Evan Barrera (single), Matt Grenier (two run double), Andrew In (two run triple), and Kyle Baxter (r.b.i. single).   WWCRL

Playoffs:  Winner’s Bracket Semi-Final:  Orioles 4 Athletics 3

 For the third time this year, the Titan Sports Orioles (16-1 regular season record) were able to hold off the surprising Athletics (9-8 regular season record) by one run, 4-3.   Led by the pitching of 11 year old All Star Matt Grenier, the Athletics (last year's playoff champions), kept the Oriole and Athletic faithful at the edge of their seats for six innings. 

 Grenier, who threw 58 of his 78 pitches for strikes, struck out 12 and walked one (intentionally) while allowing two earned runs on four hits.  During the first five innings, Grenier allowed one hit (Ray Zincone's lead of single in the fourth inning) and faced only 18 batters.

 Oriole 12 year old All Star Nick Morel was equally impressive in middle relief.  Morel, who pitched three innings allowed only one hit and struck out one.  While Morel was able to keep the Athletics offense in check, the Orioles were able to stay in striking distance.

In the top of the second inning, the Athletics scored three runs on three walks (Andrew In, Kyle Baxter, and Alex Hernandez), one perfectly executed suicide squeeze (Matt Reid), and a clutch two out, two run double by Evan Barrera. In the bottom of the second inning, the Orioles opportunistically scored a run, despite striking out three times, on two errors and a passed ball to cut the lead to 3-1.

  In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Orioles scored another run when Ray Zincone singled, moved to second on a passed ball, and scored on an error. 

After Trevor Lawton held the Athletics scoreless in the top of the sixth inning, the Orioles were able to score two runs and escape with a heart pumping, 4-3, playoff victory. 

Nick Morel reached second base when his fly ball was misjudged and landed over an Athletic outfielder.  With Morel on second and the count reaching 1-2, Ray Zincone hit a "Baltimore chop" up the middle tying the game at 3-3.  After Trevor Lawton reached on a fielder's choice and stole second, Cullen Kirchmeyer was intentionally walked to set up the force out.  Unfortunately for the Athletics, the clock struck midnight early, as Hunter Dean lined a single to center, ending any hopes of a "Cinderella" date for the Athletics against the Red Sox in the Winner's Bracket final of the West Warwick Cal Ripken Playoffs.  

15 Year Old All Stars

Scott Correia 

Eric Cruz

Tyler Desrosiers

Chris Franklin

Cam Genest

Nathan Lacroix

Alex Machado

Mark Maglioli

John Morrison

Richard Russell

Cam Sechio

David Skurka

Scott Tallo

Dan Waterman