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Timberlane's Singster shackles his boys of summer

Wednesday, April, 14 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

DERRY, N.H. - Read the scouting report?

Heck, P.J. Singster helped write the darn thing.

A summer with more than a handful of Pinkerton Astros as a member of the Derry Legion team paid huge dividends for Singster and Timberlane Regional in the Class L opener.

The Owls senior put his familiarity with the Astros to exceptional use, spinning a four-hit masterpiece and outdueling Pinkerton's Ryan Feeney in a 2-1 thriller.

"I know most of their hitters, and it definitely helped," said Singster, who opened the 2009 season with a win over Pinkerton as well. "Knowing how to pitch to Zach (Mathieu) and the other hitters I knew were a big part of my success."

Singster was on top of his game and had to be as Feeney matched him pitch for pitch. Each was perfect through the first four, without allowing a base runner.

Astro Steve Curry emphatically broke up Singster's perfect bid in the fifth with a triple. He was cut down at the plate, but the Astros got on the board three hitters later when Feeney tripled home Derek Bird.

Feeney mowed down 16 straight to open the game but a walk in the sixth to Dan Travaglini proved costly when Matt Faia's blooper down the left field line found a home for an RBI hit.

Singster gave up a one-out bloop double to Chris Guerrera in the top of the seventh before his Astro intelligence paid off one more time. With two down and first base open, he asked Timberlane coach Jamie Fish to let him walk Feeney intentionally. The coach agreed and Singster got the last hitter to pop out.

"I knew Feeney, and part of the reason was the bomb he hit earlier," said Singster, who will pitch next year for Colby-Sawyer. "I just felt more comfortable with the hitter after him."

The Owls secured victory in the bottom of the seventh.

With one out, Lucas Alper tripled to deep right. And on a 1-0 pitch, Matt Sheehan got down the perfect suicide squeeze bunt, with Alper racing to the victory at home.

"I knew he'd get it down. Whatever I ask (Sheehan) to do he gets it done," said Fish of the gutsy decision to go with the squeeze from his No. 5 hitter. "I knew he'd get it done."

   Astros coach Ron Manseau couldn't find fault in the performance by the junior Feeney, who finished with a one-hitter, striking out eight with only one walk.

"He did a great job," said Manseau. "You knew it was going to come down to one or two little things, and that's what this game is about. He's only a junior. You hate to lose, but when you get pitching like that ..."

Additional stories:

• Timberlane's Singster shackles his boys of summer