Phillies drop Game One of NSBL finals

LYNN – If Tuesday evening?s North Shore Baseball League tilt between the North Shore Phillies and Kingston Night Owls is any indication of what to expect in their championship series, then both teams are in for quite the battle.After allowing a run in the first, Kingston starting pitcher Steve Considine silenced the Phillies bats for the rest of the game en route to a 4-1 Game One victory. The visitors? slew of runs came after being shut down through the first three innings by Pitcher of the Year Cory Moore.The hosts grabbed an early lead for their ace pitcher. After reaching on a fielder?s choice, NSBL MVP Chris Blydell would come in to score on an RBI base hit by Matt Sucharewicz.From there on out, however, Considine pitched beautifully, stranding six Phillies runners over his final six frames. He was removed with two outs in the seventh before Brian Wolfendale secured the victory.Considine?s final line featured one run on four hits as well as seven strikeouts and three walks. Moore pitched seven innings, surrendering 12 hits while striking out 10 and walking three.Kingston tied the game in the fourth after stranding four runners through the first three frames. Mike Ferriero led off with a single before advancing to third on a double by Joe Morin. The former would score on an ensuing single by Chris Sarturi.The inning could have proved worse if not for a Houdini act by Moore. After walking Eric Simm to load the bases with no outs, Moore bore down to strike out the next three batters. However, the Owls grabbed the lead in the fifth.After a leadoff walk to Jason Buco, Moore?s first pitch to Mike DelPonte was blooped down the left field line, landing just inside the chalk for an RBI double. The visitors added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh to increase their lead to three.After a leadoff flyout to right, Moore gave up a single to DelPonte before Ferriero lined an RBI double to the right-center gap. Ferriero would come across on a sacrifice fly from Simm. Kingston?s lineup featured seven lefties, a strategy that paid dividends against the Phillies righty.After its solo run in the first, the North Shore offense threatened just twice more off Considine.Jairo Valdez led off the third with a double to right field that Buco lost in the lights. After Kurtis White drew a walk, he was picked off first by DelPonte, the catcher. Valdez advanced to third on the play, but would be stranded there.The Phillies? best chance came in the fifth after Chris Carroll led off with a single before Ryan Beliveau reached on an error by Considine, who threw away a sacrifice bunt.Valdez delivered a rip to right-center that Dan Lagasse made a terrific play on before doubling up Carroll at second. After walking White, Considine struck out Blydell to escape the inning.The Night Owls will host Game Two of the best-of-seven series on Wednesday night at Haverhill Stadium.The NSBL picked its all-star team and among the local players named were Lynners Chris Blydell of the North Shore Phillies and Cory Moore, also of the Phillies. Blydell earned a spot as an outfielder and Moore as a pitcher. The two also garnered top honors last week when Blydell was named the league MVP and Moore the Top Pitcher.Blydell finished the regular season with a .478 batting average. He had 17 RBI, two home runs and two doubles. Moore finished the regular season with an 0.43 earned-run average and a 4-1 record with one save.The rest of the all-star team includes outfielders Mark Shorey, Champions, and Matt Sullivan, North Reading; middle infielders, Derek Lyons and Dave Ruggiero from Champions, and corner infielders Rick Vail, Phillies, and Elvis Rodriguez, Swampscott. Jared Notargiacomo, Newburyport, made it as a catcher and Zach Keenan, Champions, as a designated hitter.The all-star pitchers, in addition to Moore, were Steve Considine, Kingston; Lucas Illges, Beverly, and Dustin Ramey, Newburyport.