Clutch Plays Cinch Mariners ITL Title

This is what we do. We never quit. We play hard. That’s exactly what this team is all about. We never give up. We play hard to the end every time, and it showed today.”

Cory Burnham

Whatever it takes turned out to be just enough for the Manchester-Essex Mariners.

The Mariners capped a remarkable summer Wednesday night with a 7-6, extra-inning victory over Rowley, clinching the Intertown Twilight League championship after a game that seemed to demand a little bit of everything from them.

The Mariners' championship win required nearly everything they had.  After Brett Moore, one of the team's top players, went down with an injury in the first inning, Zack Abbott came off the bench and shouldered the pitching load for the rest of the game, keeping Manchester-Essex in position to win through eight innings.

“We called on Zack Abbott.  He jumped right off the bench, came in and pitched one of his best games he’s ever had for us,” said Mariners player/coach Cory Burnham after the game.  “It was everything and anything I could’ve asked of all these guys. It took a total team effort for this one, and we got it done.”

That effort finally paid off in the bottom of the eighth.  

Theo Masella drove a hit up the middle for a single and then stole second, putting the winning run in scoring position.  Then Kevin McKenna worked a walk, extending the rally and setting the stage for Caulin Rogers, one of the Mariners' top hitters this season.  Rogers delivered the decisive single, bringing Masella home for the 7-6 victory and the ITL championship.

For Burnham, even the composition of the final rally reflected the character of his team.  McKenna, generally not a starting player this season, had been called upon to play much of the championship game and came through when the Mariners needed him.

“It’s poetic justice,” Burnham said.  “If you know Kevin McKenna, he gets the call to go into this game, plays the majority of the game, has a huge at-bat, gets on base.”

More broadly, Burnham said the dramatic finish was simply another example of what the Mariners had done throughout their championship season.

“This is what we do. We never quit. We play hard. That’s exactly what this team is all about,” Burnham said. “We never give up. We play hard to the end every time, and it showed today.”

That resilience carried directly into the championship series against Rowley.

The Mariners opened the best-of-five series with a decisive 9-2 victory at home before following it with a gritty 2-0 road win that showcased exactly the type of baseball they had played all season.

In Game One, starter Zack Abbott struck out six and allowed only three hits over five innings, while Mike Harris added two innings of no-hit relief. Brett Moore and Burnham collected two hits apiece, and EJ Field reached base twice after being hit by pitches as Manchester-Essex broke the game open with a seven-run third inning.

Game Two required a different formula.

Starter Caz Ostrowski blanked Rowley for 5 2/3 innings before developing a blister and leaving with the bases loaded. Tom Elliott entered and struck out the final batter of the inning to preserve the scoreless tie heading into the seventh.

After six innings, the Mariners finally broke through.

Brett Moore collected Manchester-Essex's first hit before Ostrowski laid down a successful bunt. Rowley's throw to first struck Ostrowski's helmet, allowing Moore to race all the way home amid the confusion. Lucas Albano followed with an RBI single to score Ostrowski and give Manchester-Essex a 2-0 lead.

The defense finished the job.

“We got a double play with no outs in the bottom of the seventh, and then we got the final out,” says Burnham. “It was a perfectly turned ground ball. We’ve had more double plays this summer than the past couple of summers combined.”

The ability to win games in different ways became the defining characteristic of the Mariners' season.

Whether it was timely hitting, dominant pitching or airtight defense, Manchester-Essex consistently found the answer when it mattered most.

“After six innings, the bats woke up, and that’s the story of the season for us,” says Burnham. “We do what it takes to win. We find a way, and [Sunday] was very telling of that.”

In the end, Burnham credited the team's veteran leadership and chemistry for carrying the Mariners through one of the league's most competitive seasons, saying the players "found a way" whenever they needed a big hit, key defensive play or dominant pitching performance.

For Burnham, the championship caps quite a week.  The longtime Mariners player/coach is getting married this coming Saturday, just three days after watching his team complete its championship run.

Time to trade in his spikes for a tux.