Sports Brief: JHS Over Prout, 11-7

Senior Dylan Pingatore held The Prout School's varsity baseball team to five hits over six innings and tallied eight strikeouts to held to an 11-7 victory and a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three Division II finals on June 6 at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket.

Johnston led 9-1 after four innings and carried an 11-4 margin into the seventh.

Prout's Crusaders staged a late rally against Panther relievers Joe Bongiovanni and Steve Perfetto, bringing in three runs in the top of the seventh before Perfetto closed out the game on a strikeout.

The potential comeback for Prout wasn't the only drama on June 6.

Following the contest, Prout coach Mike La Barbera declined to send out his squad for handshakes after Johnston's players had already lined up along the first base line — causing a group of Johnston parents to voice their displeasure at the apparent slight.

La Barbera — who tried to plead his case to the parents from the field — approached Panther coach Steve DeMeo to offer apologies and explain that he's planning the post-game handshake at the conclusion of the series.

"That's fine," DeMeo told La Barbera. "Don't listen to my parents."

The teams are scheduled to face off for Game 2 on June 8 at 3:30 p.m. at McCoy Stadium.

Watch for a full game report with more photos and video tomorrow morning on JohnstonPatch.