Leadership lacking in Spartans' Senior Day loss


East Longmeadow's Chris Sattler (11) laces a double down the left field line to score Jeff Klofas, right, in the second inning of the Spartans' 6-3 loss to West Springfield on May 16. Reminder Publications photo by Chris Maza

May 21, 2012

By Chris Maza

chrism@thereminder.com

EAST LONGMEADOW — If the East Longmeadow High School baseball team wants to make any hay in the postseason, the Spartans' head coach thinks they will have to have better focus than they had on Senior Day.

Mental lapses in the field, at the plate and on the base paths cost the Spartans dearly in a 6-3 loss to a West Springfield team trying to finish the season above .500.

"I think a lot of it had to do with Senior Day," East Longmeadow head coach Scott Whelihan said. "They were trying to do too much and weren't focusing on what they do best. They are certainly not playing to their ability right now."

A poor decision cost the Spartans a key double play in the third inning that proved costly as the Terriers plated five runs to erase a three-run East Longmeadow advantage and give West Side a lead it would not relinquish.

After giving up a leadoff walk to Brendan Martin, Spartans pitcher Garrett Baker induced a grounder to shortstop from Jake LaBranche. Instead of attempting to turn the double play himself, Matt O'Neil tossed the ball to second baseman Anthony Santiniello, whose throw to first was off the mark, allowing LaBranche to reach first base safely.

Baker then induced a pop up that would have ended the inning had the double play been turned. Instead, Baker walked Nick Bosseau and an infield single to Dan Jonah that got caught up in the long, wet infield grass to load the bases.

LaBranche scampered home on a wild pitch and Taylor Black and Brandon Magni delivered RBI doubles to take the lead.

"Garrett should have been out of that inning," Whelihan said. "This loss is not on him. He pitched well enough to win."

Baker did appear to be cruising, striking out three in the first two innings and setting down five straight batters heading into the third. He finished the day by going five innings, allowing six runs on six hits and five walks while striking out five.

Offensively, the Spartans scuffled as well. Things got off to an inauspicious start when Ryan Casey failed to deliver on a bunt attempt in the first inning when he stepped out of the batter's box prior to the ball making contact with the bat.

East Longmeadow appeared to get back on track in the second when the team recorded its only runs of the game. Chris Sattler slashed an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Jeff Klofas, who led off the inning with a double, from third. Tom Mazza added an infield single and Baker helped his own cause with a single through the right side to plate two runs.

But after West Springfield took the lead, the offensive woes continued. The heart of the Spartans' lineup was sent down in order in the bottom of the third and in the fourth, two base-running plays cost them.

Mazza led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a walk, then stole second to get into scoring position. After Dan McGuill flied to center, Baker hit a hard grounder to short and Mazza unwisely took off for third, where he was gunned down. Baker was then thrown out attempting to steal second, ending the inning.

More errors on the base-paths plagued the Spartans in the later innings.

Sattler and Mazza both singled with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning, setting up a first and third situation, but West Springfield starter Riley Green wriggled his way out of it with the help of another base-running gaffe.

McGuill hit a line drive to left that may have scored Sattler, but he failed to tag up while the ball was in the air, giving himself no opportunity to score. Anthony Geary then flied to right field to end the inning.

Nick Lambert led off the seventh inning with a single to left-center, but made an ill-advised decision to try to stretch it out to a double and was easily thrown out at second. Casey popped up to the pitcher and Matt O'Neil flew out to center to end the game.

While talented, the Spartans need to have someone step up and contribute one key characteristic if the team wishes to make a deep run in the playoffs, Whelihan said.

"It's leadership," he said. "We need some guys to step up and take charge. They need to be less selfish and do what they need to do to win."

The Spartans face a tough test in defending Western Massachusetts Division I Champion Minnechaug Regional High School on May 21 before finishing off the regular season under the lights at MacKenzie Stadium against Holyoke.

The Spartans defeated the Falcons 1-0 in a barnburner in April on the back of Steve Moyers, who hit a solo home run in the fourth inning in support of his complete-game two-hitter with 14 strikeouts.

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