A’s eliminated from Stan Musial playoffs

Momentum wasn’t on the side of the Canton A’s this weekend as they lost a pair of very close games to fall out of the Stan Musial playoffs. Canton lost 2-1 to Kingston, NH, in extra innings in Haverhill on Saturday and 1-0 to Horan Building of Rhode Island at Canton High Sunday afternoon.

Canton A's Chuck Erickson, MVP of the Cranberry League All-Star game

The A’s, who ended the season at 13-11-1, were one of five Cranberry League teams entering the Stan Musial double-elimination tournament. Other teams included representatives of the Northern League and the Sunset League of Rhode Island.

The weekend didn’t start out well for the A’s when their expected opening game starter, Alex Palioca, did not show up for Saturday’s game, which forced Sunday’s starter Mark Nelson into action.

Nelson pitched brilliantly, striking out six and giving up one earned run on six hits. Kingston went ahead 1-0 on an unearned run in the second inning, and Canton tied it in the fifth inning on an RBI single by John Garabedian. Kingston, the home team, won the game in the eighth inning on a single, a sacrifice, and another single.

“Mark was great,” said A’s head coach Kee Arguimbau. “He kept us in the game, pitching in very hot conditions. We had some shots. We hit a lot of drives right at people.”

The next day, Canton hosted the Horan Building team, and the game was another pitching duel with Brian Bodjiak pitching for the A’s. Despite hosting the game, the team with the last at bats is decided by a coin toss, which landed in favor of the visitors.

Bodjiak pitched well, giving up just one hit and striking out seven in four innings of work. But an elbow injury flared up and he was forced to leave the game in the fifth as Drew Larusso came on in relief.

In the top of the seventh inning, Canton loaded the bases with no outs on a single by Alex Rossi, an error on Garabedian’s bunt, and a sharp single by Joe Belmosto. But Rossi was thrown out at the plate attempting to score on a sacrifice fly, and the inning ended with the game still scoreless. In the bottom of the seventh, two singles and a bunt by the visitors put men on second and third. An intentional walk then loaded the bases, and a single past the dive of Canton’s third baseman Chris Puliafico ended the game.

“We just didn’t get the hits when we needed them,” Arguimbau said. “The timely hitting didn’t happen today.”

Both Arguimbau and A’s general manager Cab Devoll said it was still a successful season for the team, which came together and won eight straight games after starting the season 0-3-1.

“It was a great season because it was chemistry which made the season,” said Devoll. “We had a great bunch of guys. Some veterans and some new players, they just jelled together.”

Both Devoll and Arguimbau agreed that Nelson was the team MVP because of his consistency as a pitcher and his great work ethic throughout the season.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Jul 27 2011. Filed under Beyond CHS, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.