Less than a year ago, Sean Murphy was playing in nationally-televised baseball games. He was part of the Westbrook team that competed in the Little League World Series. He was on ESPN.
Murphy knows what pressure feels like.
So when he came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning of Saturday’s District 6 Babe Ruth baseball 13-year-old championship game against Scarborough, Murphy knew what he needed to do. And he did it.
Westbrook’s starting right fielder delivered the game-winning hit to lift a team that is mostly made up of last summer’s New England Little League champions to its second straight District 6 title. Westbrook beat Scarborough, 2-1, and moved on to the state tournament.
“It’s pretty much all the same kids who went down to Williamsport last year,” said Westbrook coach Mike Russell. “We added a few kids for depth. It’s just a great group of kids. They know how to play in big games, and they don’t get nervous in these 1-1 games and 2-1 games.”
Aside from the knowledge that has been gained through experience, though, this year’s Westbrook team doesn’t think too much about last year.
“We just take it game-by-game and take it in stride,” said Murphy.
Scarborough may not have the same kind of resume, but it was approaching the game the same way. On July 17 the same two teams met, and Westbrook won, 2-1. Using that experience, but also moving past it, Scarborough went into Saturday’s game knowing that it was capable of winning and forcing a winner-take-all game.
The game plan was simple.
“I figured we wouldn’t have a prayer to steal a base unless we got lucky,” said coach Scott Curit. “So we were going to have to move guys around. Try to be aggressive, play small ball, move some runners around and hope they make some mistakes.”
Westbrook made a mistake in the top of the third inning, and Scarborough capitalized to go up, 1-0.
Cam Brown led off with a single to left field. The next batter, Paul Reny, attempted a sacrifice bunt, but Westbrook pitcher Scott Heath fielded the ball cleanly and got the lead runner, Brown, at second.
It didn’t matter when Ryan Curit doubled Reny to third. Kyle Piscopo followed with a cue shot to first. Joey Royer fielded the ball, but went home with it instead of taking the sure out at first.
Reny scored easily, and there were now runners at first and third. Heath worked his way out of the jam, though, by getting a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.
Crisis averted.
“Our pitchers did a great job, throwing strikes, getting out of the tough situations and just getting the outs,” said Murphy.
That made it so the Westbrook offense could stay patient. The hits weren’t coming in the early going off of Scarborough starter Jamie Ross, but Westbrook remained confident.
“This is too good of a hitting team to not eventually get a hit through or something to go their way,” said Russell.
In the bottom of the fourth, things did go Westbrook’s way. Zach Gardner walked to lead off the inning, then stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice groundout by Zach Collett. Gardner scored when Nick Finocchiaro’s grounder slipped under the glove of the shortstop, Reny.
Just like his counterpart did in the top of the third, though, Ross was able to wiggle his way out of the jam and limit the scoring to just one run. Catcher Zack Bean saved the day when he tagged pinch runner Jarred Martin during a failed suicide-squeeze attempt.
“In all-stars it’s pitching and defense,” said Curit. “It’s not typically a lot of offense as a rule of thumb. We played defense, they played defense. We didn’t make a play, they didn’t make a play. It just could’ve went either way, the whole game.”
Eventually, it went for Westbrook.
Scarborough threatened with back-to-back hits by Steve Hodge and Brown to start the top of the seventh, but relief pitcher Zach Gardner didn’t let either runner score.
Westbrook loaded the bases with a single, a bunt and an intentional walk in the bottom of the inning. Heath made the first out before Murphy came to the plate and delivered a seeing-eye-single to right field.
“It was all defense today,” said Murphy. “The offense was definitely not as good, but everyone knew it was going to come around.”
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