Midnight special: Mariners defeat last year's state champs in extra innings thriller

There were plenty of heroes in this one, but suffice to say that the Swampscott American Legion Post 57 baseball Mariners are now just one win away from clinching a spot in the state championship game after defeating Milton, last year's state champs, in 10 innings, 8-7 at Hudson's Riverside Park Aug. 5.

There was Chris Nemeskal's clutch pitching performance after relieving Dan Glabicky, who turned in a very game effort for 2.1 innings, but luck just wasn't on his side.

Swampscott had the lead after scoring four runs in the top of the third, but Milton scored six times when they came to plate. They were helped along by three uncharacteristic errors by the local nine. While he was in there, Glabicky gave up four hits and five walks, but also fanned four.

Milton returned the favor by giving away a run in the fourth to trim the deficit to one, 6-5. The game then settled down between these two well-schooled teams. Nemeskal was matching Milton's starter, Mark Gormley, pitch for pitch. Gormley pitched all 10 innings, allowing seven hits and three walks, while fanning nine. He also hit two batters during Milton's sloppy third.

"It would have been a shame to lose this one after playing just one bad inning," coach Jeff Newhall said. "These kids are playing good ball, and they all believe in themselves. They are not just happy to be here. They have more goals in mind for this year."

Coach Newhall couldn't say enough about Nemeskal's performance.

"Chris [Nemeskal] has been playing on this team for three years, and I've known him for six years, and this game is by far the best one that he has pitched in his life," coach Newhall said. "He came on in a crucial situation in this game, when [Milton] loaded the bases, but he struckout [Marc] Perdios to prevent them from causing any further damage. That was the biggest play of the game, in my opinion."

Nemeskal whiffed nine batters, and issued just three walks and seven hits throughout his 7.2 innings on the hill. But things got scary in the 10^th when with two outs Milton loaded the bases, and Dan Mullan hit a rising line drive to third. Phill Witt, however, timed his leap perfectly to snare the line drive, and then promptly fired the ball into right-field in celebration of the win, while the clock was inching closer to the midnight hour at Hudson's Riverside Park.

"I used to be an outfielder, and on that play I just wanted to knock it down," said Witt after the game. But the University of Miami-bound freshman did more than that to keep his teammates undefeated since the state tournament started at 6-0, 2-0 so far in the state finals.

And there was also Andrew Dewing's heroics, starting with his game-tying homer to left in the eighth and his bloop single to right in the 10^th that scored a hustling Doug Shribman from first. Dewing then scored what turned out to be the game-winning run on Witt's double down the right-field line.

"Dewing is getting into his groove right now after not playing that much college ball this past spring," Newhall said.

It all adds up to a winners bracket showdown with Walpole Monday night at 7:30 p.m. with Andrew Borseti on the mound for the Mariners.

"We're just one win away from clinching a spot in the state championship game, and at this stage of the game we'll take a win, and it doesn't matter to us how we get it," said Newhall after this thriller in Hudson.