Reds Beat Navs in 8th IBL Championship

By Dougald Parkinson

The Island Baseball League’s eighth season came to a close Sunday night, September 11, at Cardine’s Field, with the Portsmouth Reds defeating the Narragansett Navigators 12 to 7.

Navigator’s starter Rusty Forgue scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first as Josh Carlisle knocked in two to give the Nav’s an early start. Reds Stephan Billings singled to put the Reds on the board in the 2nd, and Rob Burns scored in the 3rd to tie the game at 2. The Navigators came right back in the bottom of the 3rd scoring Tony Stall.

Reds Justin Hackley would rip a double to deep left to score Jon Desrosiers to tie the game in the 5th. The Navigators, playing in their 5th Championship game in the league’s eight seasons, pulled ahead again as Brody Karn and Steve Schneider led off the bottom of the 6th with singles and both came around to score.

It seems appropriate that on September 11, Portsmouth Police office George Grassi would start the winning rally for the Reds by scoring the first run of 4 as Reds manager Dutch Dutcher, Patrick Cole and Max Buerman all singled to give the Reds a two-run lead. Navigators Manager Mark Brown would single to lead off the bottom of the 7th and scored, but the Navigators would leave the bases loaded without adding another run. The Reds would add another run in the 8th and go to the 9th with a 2 run lead.

Portsmouth fireman Dan Smith hit a opposite field double with two out and the bases loaded to score two as the Reds added another 4 runs to their lead. Navigators Jim Pierce singled and scored but it was too little to stop the Reds from winning their 2nd Island Baseball Championship.