Portsmouth, Coventry convene for second day to settle the outcome of playoff baseball game
The Portsmouth High School baseball team needed two days to try and beat Coventry but it successfully completed the task on Wednesday. The Patriots and Oakers played five innings of their Division-I preliminary round playoff game on Tuesday before darkness ended the contest. Portsmouth got the win, 11-8.
Portsmouth High golfer Kyle Bielawa had the best finish among locals who qualified to play in the individuals’ portion of the state meet. The Tiverton High tennis team ran into unbeaten and top seed North Kingstown in the Division-II playoffs and fell to the Skippers as its season ended around short of playing in the championship match.
John Mass and Matt Nolan, Portsmouth baseball
Host Portsmouth overcame a pair of multiple-run deficits to defeat Coventry 11-8 in a preliminary round playoff game that started Tuesday and finished Wednesday.
The game was halted by darkness on Tuesday after five innings with Portsmouth leading 9-8. Coventry returned to Portsmouth on Wednesday but failed to get a hit against Patriots’ pitcher Oliver Rey in its two at-bats. Rey also cracked a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth to give his team some breathing room.
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Coventry had leads of 5-1 and 8-5 on Tuesday but the Patriots responded with four-run innings each time. John Mass led Portsmouth’s 13-hit attack with a double and three singles. Matt Nolan had two hits and three RBIs, Casey Cord had two singles and Nick Spaner and Caleb Banks had a hit and two RBIs apiece.
Portsmouth advances to play Division I-D regular-season champ Cumberland in the double-elimination portion of the bracket on Friday.
Kyle Bielawa, Portsmouth golf
Bielawa, Joe Nardolillo and Vincet Milici all qualified for the state individual tournament and sophomore Bielawa turned in the top effort at the two-day event that ended Wednesday at Cranston Country Club.
Bielawa was the lone member of the Portsmouth trio to make the first-day cut and play the second day. He shot 79 on the opening day over the par-71 course, made a birdie on the second hole and carded nine pars.
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He was consistent with his effort on the second day as he birdied the 16th hole and made nine pars for an 80. His 159 total left him in 29th place among the 45 golfers who qualified to play both days. Nardolillo shot 88 and Milici shot 99 in Tuesday’s opening round.
Ben Pacheco and Connor Nobrega, Tiverton boys tennis
Tiverton’s first doubles team of Josh Guillemette and Ryan Poland, No. 1 singles player Pacheco, No. 2 singles player Nobrega and No. 3 singles player Ben Sowa each lost in straight sets as the Tigers saw their Division-II season end with a 4-0 semifinal playoff setback to host and No. 1 seed North Kingstown on Wednesday.
All five of the senior players mentioned, as well as classmates Adam Costa, Tom Costa, Nick Rielly and Nate Sama, finished their high school tennis careers. No. 5 seed Tiverton closed with a 10-5 record.
“This group of seniors has had a great run,” Tiverton coach Bill Phillips said. “This group has been in the playoffs the last three seasons and lost one season to COVID.
“This group has played in three semifinal matches and that is a testament to their hard work and dedication. We exceeded our expectations for the season.”
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Portsmouth High baseball team earns 2-day playoff win over Coventry
