HAVERHILL — Thanks in part to a four-RBI performance from Richie Arias, the Swampscott Sox will live to fight one more day after taking down the Kingston Night Owls, 9-6, in Game 6 of the NSBL championship series at Trinity Stadium on Friday night. Arias not only knocked in the go-ahead run in the fourth, but he also extended the lead with a two-run single in the sixth.
“We’ve had some trouble holding onto leads in this playoff series,” said Swampscott coach Joe Caponigro, “and tonight it happened again. We fell behind then got ahead then fell behind again. But the guys never stopped battling, and like most days, they figured out a way to get the job done.”
Joe Kasper added three RBI for the Sox, while Clemente Parra contributed one RBI. Junior Santos got the win on the mound, tossing 3 2/3 innings of relief.
“Junior did a great job on the mound for us today,” said Caponigro. “His cutter was really working today and he was able to keep things under control for us while we figured it out offensively.”
Kingston jumped out to an early lead when Nick Comei hit an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the first, but Swampscott was able to answer in the second with a sacrifice fly of its own from Parra to tie the score at 1-1.
Swampscott was able to jump ahead in the third inning. The Sox loaded up the bases with one out for Kasper, who hit a RBI single into left field. Arias followed with a RBI single to right, then Brian Maynard came in to score on a fielder’s choice to make it 4-1.
It didn’t take long for Kingston to answer. Tom Diskin made it 4-2 with an RBI single, then the Night Owls loaded up the bases. That was all Jake White needed, as the Kingston catcher stepped in and roped a three-run double down the right field line to retake the lead, 5-4. Kingston added one more run before the dust settled, on a RBI double from Dan Morin.
But the Sox refused to stay down. They loaded up the bases again in the top of the fourth and Kasper came through again, this time with a two-run single to tie the game at 6-6. Arias was up next, and he knocked home Kasper with an RBI single to take the lead right back.
This time, Swampscott wouldn’t give it up. While Santos settled down on the mound and stifled the Kingston bats, Arias added some insurance runs with a two-run triple in the top of the sixth to make it 9-6.
Kingston threatened again in the bottom of the seventh, even getting the tying run to the plate with two outs, but Santos was able to force a fly out to end the game and continue the series.
The championship will now come down to a Game 7, which will be played Sunday at Swampscott’s home field at Swampscott Middle School.
“This is where you want to be at the end of the day,” Caponigro said. “We’ve played a long regular season and had a long postseason, and now it all comes down to this last game. There isn’t much more you could ask for.”
First pitch for Game 7 is scheduled for 8 p.m.
