CUMBERLAND – A great starting pitcher only goes so far.
More is required to be a contender in the Division I baseball postseason. Cumberland knows this through its recent history and Moses Brown is still attempting to find its way into the conversation.
Will Haggerty did enough to win it for the Quakers on this gray afternoon at Tucker Field on Monday, May 11, but the Clippers found a little extra to come out on top. Ryan Harris managed a run-scoring single, Micah Cousineau came around from second on a throwing error and Paxton Chenevert nailed it down out of the bullpen after Liam Monahan reached his pitch limit.
It was Cumberland prevailing in a 2-1 squirmer that took barely 100 minutes, a result the Clippers hope will snap them out of a recent malaise. They entered suffering defeats in four of their last five, and Monahan was personally looking to get back on track after a couple recent challenging outings. He was sharp over 6 2/3 innings while earning the decision against Haggerty, a Florida commit who allowed a lone earned run and struck out 10.
The Clippers (7-7) conjured a second run in similar fashion in the bottom of the sixth. Cousineau chopped a two-out infield single, stole second and was on the move again when Gabe Niman fanned swinging. The ball rolled to the backstop and was thrown into right field, with Niman reaching on the dropped third strike and Cousineau never breaking stride to make it 2-0.
“We’ve been slumping a little bit, so heading into the playoffs it’s a great momentum-shifter,” Harris said. “I think we’re going to use this and feed off it a lot.”
The Quakers (8-9) received a pair of singles out of the leadoff spot from Haggerty, avoiding a similar fate to their road trip Friday night. Potential first-round draft pick and Texas commit Brody Bumila dominated for Bishop Feehan (Mass.) in a 5-1 win, striking out 20 and holding Moses Brown without a hit. Haggerty scored on a passed ball in the top of the first to avoid a shutout against the 6-foot-9 left-hander.
Moses Brown 000 000 1 – 1 4 2
Cumberland 001 001 x – 2 3 1
Will Haggerty and Luke Wesner. Liam Monahan, Paxton Chenevert (7) and Chase Austin.
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Result, score of Cumberland vs. Moses Brown baseball game on May 11