Advance celebrates during the midst of a four-run fifth inning. (Photo by Chris Putz)
WESTFIELD – Don’t look now, but the Police pulled a heist last night at Bullens Field.
Second-seeded Police scored five unanswered runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to stun Advance Manufacturing 5-4 in the Babe Ruth City Cup playoffs on yesterday.
Chris Sullivan drove in the game-winner, a two-run single to cap the comeback.
“I was just trying to get on base to let the veterans get a hit,” Sullivan said of his game-winning hit. “We were pretty down on ourselves. We couldn’t find any holes, but we came through at the end. Our team stayed in the game. We have a lot of fight. We kept coming back.”
Cody Niedig started the Police rally, reaching on an infield error to start the home half of the seventh. Niedig eventually came around to score on another error. Chris Riga doubled, and Jake Barbieri drilled an RBI single up the middle for the team’s second run. Chris Gentile drew a one-out walk. Adam Collier hit a run-scoring hit with two outs, setting up Sullivan’s dramatics.
Police pitcher Adam Hosmer scattered five hits, struck out eight batters, and benefited from his team’s offense to earn the victory on the mound.
It was a roller coaster ride for Hosmer, who allowed just a Sam Blake second-inning single through the first four innings.
In the fifth, Advance manufactured its four runs. Tommy Pepek singled. A pitch hit Brendan Gawron. Sam Blake laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Nick Nihill hit an RBI base hit. Jimmy Stinehart reached on an error to make it 2-0. With one out, Liam Flaherty hit a two-run single down the first base line.
Hosmer retired the side in the sixth, and allowed just one hit in the seventh.
“I was confident for most of the game,” Hosmer said. “I was a little shaken up in that one inning. …After we got a couple of hits in the last inning, I felt that we had that.”
Advance pitcher Kenny McLean finished with six strikeouts.
