Sports Brief: Oh, Mercy! Panthers Secure 10-Run Win After Early Battle In Bristol

Scoring 10 runs in three innings would typically be enough for the Panthers varsity baseball team to wrap up a game — but the April 27 contest against the Mt. Hope Huskies wasn't a typical game.

The Panthers, 8-0 entering the game, had to slug their way out of an early back-and-forth battle in Bristol against the 3-5 Huskies (2-0 at home), with Mt. Hope tying the game at one point before Johnston pulled away for the eventual 20-10 victory. Officials called the game following the bottom of the sixth under the Rhode Island Interscholastic League's mercy rule.

Johnston secured a ninth straight victory and sent Mt. Hope to its first home loss and a 3-6 overall record.

After posting a 7-0 lead in the top of the first, Johnston added two more in the top of the second, but Mt. Hope roared back for 7 in the latter half of the inning.

With no outs and the score 9-6 in the second inning, coach Steve DeMeo sent senior right-hander Steve Almagno to the mound in relief of freshman lefty Joe Bongiovanni.

With the score 9-7, Johnston senior Bret Simas (3-12, .250 on the season) hit a single to bring in his team's tenth score of the game in the top of the third. It still was not enough to scare the Huskies, though, as the home squad tacked on three more runs to bring the score even, 10-10, in the bottom of the third.

The Panthers responded yet again, adding three more scores in the fourth and another four in the fifth inning for a 17-10 lead. After extending the margin to 20-10 in the sixth, Johnston sent senior lefty closer Dylan Pingatore to the mound to close out the game — and he did just that, stranding two Huskies en route to the victory.

Watch for Jared Sugerman's complete report tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. on JohnstonPatch.

Reports from this game were provided in-progress by Jared Sugerman.