Manchester American Legion Fails to Hold Lead in Rockville

Manchester American Legion visited Rockville for their first meeting of the season only 16 hours before their arrival in Rockville.

Both teams entered the game below .500 and looking to get some momentum in the early part of Zone 8 competition. Coming into the game, Manchester's young Senior team has struggled at the plate only hitting the ball nine times in three games, committing 14 fielding errors and scoring just four runs. Rockville under first year head coach Nick Wheelock came into the game without a home win.

Both teams scored single runs in their respective first innings. Leadoff batter Ben Digregorio walked, stole second base and scored when Manchester catcher Manraj Sandhu grounded out to the pitcher, to manufacture Manchester's first run. Rockville answered quickly in their half of the first inning. Scoring their run the old fashioned way, leadoff hitter Ryan Cohen walked, advanced to second on a Kurt Anelli sacrifice bunt, and scoring on a Pat Witham RBI single to left field.

Walks and allowing opposing leadoff hitters continued to bother Manchester pitching. Rockville's second inning leadoff hitter, Nick Vanek reached first with a single, advanced to second via the sacrifice, followed by Nate Decker being hit with a pitch by Manchester started Bryton Ferris. Both Vanek and Decker would score in the inning.

Things remained quiet through the next three innings. Rockville's starting pitcher Kurt Annelli had an easier go of it, keeping his pitch count through the end of the fifth inning to 63, while Manchester's Bryton Ferris got up to 92.

Manchester's afternoon to a turn for the better in their half of the sixth inning. Manchester's first three batters singled off Annelli and would eventually score on RBI singles by Nolan Cardwell and Colin Cassidy, taking the lead for the first time in the game. Rockville took the lead back again, taking advantage of a dropped third strike that slid away from the Manchester catcher, allowing Chris Watts to reach first base. Manchester's started Bryton Ferris managed to get the next two Rockville batters out giving up fly balls to left and center field by the next two Rockville batters. Nolan Fleming, who had played for Manchester's Fall Legion Baseball team, flew out to left field, and Ryan Cohen flew out to Center. Ferris got the count to 2-2 against Rockville's Kurt Annelli before Annelli singled to short left field. Manchester brought in reliever Cody Crickmore who got the count to 1-1 to Rockville's clean up hiiter, Rami Jadallah, whose bat had been quiet all day (strike out, fly out, and infield ground out), Jadallah put the game away, dropping a single to left field, scoring Watts and Annelli.

Manchester had the right batters coming up in the top of the seventh inning, but couldn't get anything going, with an infield fly out, a strike out, and a ground out.