Meet the two players who spearheaded Fall River's run to the Mass. Legion state championship
Matt Almeida allowed four runs over six innings, but gave up just three hits over his final four frames.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
The ace
Matt Almeida stepped off the mound Monday after recording a save against Shrewsbury and punching Fall River's ticket to the final.
When the teams met again in the championship game, he was even better.
Starting on the mound and as leadoff hitter, the rising junior from Swansea earned the win and collected two hits, a run, and an RBI to take home tournament MVP honors.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
'It's a team effort,' said Almeida, who struck out four and walked one in six innings. 'We all hold each other [accountable] the whole tournament. It feels great to have this success.'
Advertisement
Almeida was coming off a sophomore season at Diman that saw him named a Mayflower Conference All-Star after hitting .388 and playing elite defense at shortstop.
Almeida opened the game with a statement, striking out the first two batters. Errors and a pair of doubles led to three Shrewsbury runs in the second inning, but Almeida stayed focused and kept pitching his game.
'Just trust your teammates and trust that we're going to pull for each other and trust that we're going to go out on the field and we're going to show our best,' he said.
Advertisement
Almeida settled in, allowing just three hits the rest of the way as Fall River cut its deficit to 3-2 heading into the fourth.
'I just stayed focused on the mound, threw strikes, and let my D play,' Almeida said.
With two runners on in the fourth, Almeida laced a single to right field, driving in a run and cutting the deficit to 4-3. Espinal then plated Almeida for the go-ahead run. Post 464 never trailed again.
Matt Almeida races home with the go-ahead run for Fall River in the fourth inning.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
With bases loaded and a one-run lead in the fifth inning, Almeida forced a fly out. Then he sat down Shrewsbury in order in the sixth — thanks to Espinal's diving catch at shortstop — before giving way to Espinal for the seventh as Almeida neared the maximum pitch count of 105.
After coming up with the game's biggest hit, and making a key defensive play at shortstop, Jeylen Espinal closed the game with a save.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
The veteran
Four years Almeida's senior and a rising sophomore on the Bridgewater State baseball team, Espinal stepped up in his final year of eligibility.
'I'm one of the older guys, so I know I have to lead by example,' he said. 'I'm just trying to do what I got to do, and just lead the guys.'
After walking to force in Fall River's first run, Espinal delivered the biggest hit of the game, a two-run single into center field for a 4-3 lead Fall River never relinquished.
Fall River Post 464 manager Sean Travis celebrates with Jeyden Espinal (left) and Matt Almeida (right).
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
With the game on the line and Almeida facing the innings limit Espinal took the mound for the seventh.
'These kids are willing to play any position, which is huge.' Fall River manager Sean Travis said. 'I [had] my shortstop that isn't a pitcher, [go] into the last inning to close. These kids have got guts.'
Advertisement
Espinal recorded two quick outs before plunking one hitter and walking another. But he maintained his composure and secured a fly out to right field to bring Fall River glory for the second time in the 100 year history of the tournament.
Fall River faces New Hampshire's Bedford Post 221 in the American Legion Region One tournament Wednesday
'We're ready to go,' Espinal said.
Toby Moses can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
29 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Jen Pawol breaks MLB's gender barrier as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game
'She did a good job,' Braves manager Brian Snitker said. 'You can tell she knows what she does.' Pawol said she had a group of about 30 friends and family members, including her father, at the game and she immediately identified a major difference of working in a major league stadium. Those familiar faces were not so easy to find at Truist Park. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'When I looked up they weren't in the lower tier like in the minor leagues,' Pawol said. 'When I looked up it took me a while. Whoa, they're up there! I'll never forget that. That was just awesome. Advertisement 'The dream actually came true today. I'm still living in it. I'm so grateful to my family and Major League Baseball for creating such an incredible work environment … I'm just so thankful.' Pawol's first real test came in the third inning of Atlanta's 7-1 win when she called Braves catcher Sean Murphy safe on a close play. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough did not challenge the call. Pawol also showed she will make animated calls. When Miami's Xavier Edwards grounded into a double play in the third inning, Pawol pumped her fist and lifted her leg when she called Edwards out. Advertisement Pawol couldn't help but notice her debut was being watched closely. Fans responded with a warm ovation when the video board focused on the umpire between innings, forcing her to take a quick glance at her image. Pawol was scheduled to work third base in Saturday night's second game of the doubleheader. She will be in the spotlight when she calls pitches behind the plate in Sunday's final game of the series. As a rover, she'll then be waiting for her next assignment. Related : While she waits, the umpire cap she wore in her first game will be on the way to the Baseball Hall of Fame. 'This is one of the proudest moments in all my career,' crew chief Chris Guccione said. 'I've been blessed with working playoffs, I've worked two World Series, All-Star games, and this is right up there. It gives me chills even thinking about it. And the magnitude, it just hit me just now the magnitude of this thing and how hard she's worked. 'This is just a great role model for girls and women out there and I'm just so proud of her. This is a special moment. I'm so proud of her.' There was much anticipation for her historic debut. A crowd of photographers gathered while waiting for the umpires to walk on the field from their entry ramp near the Marlins dugout. McCullough and Braves bench coach Walt Weiss greeted Pawol when lineups were exchanged at home plate before the game. Pawol then jogged down the first base line. She shook hands with Marlins first base coach Tyler Smarslok before taking her position on the right field line for the first pitch. Advertisement Pawol said Thursday she was 'overcome with emotion' when notified she would make her Major League Baseball debut this weekend. Pawol, 48, has been working in the minor leagues since she was assigned to the Gulf Coast League in 2016. She was assigned the Triple A championship game in 2023 and worked spring training games in 2024 and again this year. 'Anytime anybody grinds their way through the minor leagues, I don't care who it is, that's a tough thing,' Snitker said. 'I'm happy for anybody who grinds it out.' Related : Asked if she is prepared for a confrontation with a manager upset about a call, including some known to kick dirt onto umpires, Pawol said it wouldn't be the first time. 'More than dozens of times,' she said. 'It doesn't go very well for him. The night is usually over for him. It's just part of the game.' Pawol, who is from New Jersey, had only a few days to prepare for Saturday's doubleheader. She said she was told of her long-awaited promotion during a Wednesday conference call with director of umpire development Rich Rieker and vice president of umpire operations Matt McKendry. Pawol was a three-time all-conference softball selection pick at Hofstra. She worked as an NCAA softball umpire from 2010-16. Pawol's rise to make MLB history came 28 years after the NBA gender barrier for game officials was broken and 10 years after the NFL hired its first full-time female official. The men's soccer World Cup first hired a female referee three years ago. The NHL has not had any women as on-ice officials. Advertisement
Boston Globe
29 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Connor Wong has a role with Red Sox because having a second catcher who can produce can be important
Next thing you know Bobby Valentine was manager and Theo Epstein had taken off to run the Cubs. History aside, it's hard not to watch games these days without thinking a little bit ahead. A good example came in the eighth inning on Friday night when Padres reliever Sean Reynolds walked three batters in a row. Advertisement Connor Wong, who has struggled at the plate all season, expected the rookie to throw him a first-pitch fastball to get ahead in the count. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up He did and Wong lined it down the left-field line for a three-run double. Believe it or not, that gave him four RBIs this season in 111 at-bats. The Sox cruised to a 10-2 victory. 'There's a guy that we trust. He calls a good game [and] defensively he's a lot better than last year,' Sox manager Alex Cora said. With rookie Carlos Narváez piling up innings, the Sox have made it a point to give Wong more starts. 'The more he plays, you can see the results,' Cora said. 'We need everybody. You can see the quality of the at-bats are much better. . . . Happy to see him perform because he's a big part of what we're trying to accomplish.' Advertisement Narváez has been terrific, catching far more games than expected and boosting the offense early in the season. Acquiring him from the Yankees in December was a coup for Craig Breslow. But Narváez has hit .111 with a .393 OPS since the All-Star break and is dealing with a sore right knee. Wong is 6 for 24 with three doubles since the break and struck out twice. His uptick offensively has come at the right time. 'You don't want anybody to get hurt but it has been nice to get some better swings lately,' Wong said. 'You work so hard and try and put good at-bats together and sometimes you don't get the results. 'It feels like you went fishing and didn't catch anything. You thought you did everything right. But you have to keep trusting it and keep working hard.' Think back to the 2013 playoffs. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was the primary catcher all season, starting 111 games. But he went cold at the plate in the postseason and manager John Farrell turned to David Ross to start the final three games of the World Series. Ross had two hits in Game 5 in St. Louis including a go-ahead double in the seventh inning off Adam Wainright. Having a second catcher who can step in and produce can be important. The Red Sox also have some questions about first base. Abraham Toro, who platoons with Romy Gonzalez, has a .570 OPS since the All-Star break. Gonzalez has an .807 OPS since the break but the Sox are still looking at options. Advertisement Triple A outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia has started working at first base before games with Triple A Worcester. The 22-year-old has no experience at first base but is a righthanded hitter who has a .961 OPS over 58 games with Worcester. Xander Bogaerts made his major league debut on Aug. 20, 2013, and played in 12 postseason games, shifting from shortstop to third base. He was 8 for 27 in those games and scored nine runs. It seems unlikely Garcia could become the regular first baseman but he could show enough to merit a spot on the roster. A No. 5 starter isn't needed in the postseason. But the Sox will be looking at candidates who would pitch multiple innings when needed. Cooper Criswell, Richard Fitts, Steven Matz, and Dustin May are among the candidates. The Sox have work to do before these questions have to be answered. But every swing and every pitch is a bit more meaningful with the postseason a growing possibility. Peter Abraham can be reached at
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Yankees survive late scare for much-needed win thanks to Trent Grisham's clutch homer
Access the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Try it free The 2000 World Series club that the Yankees celebrated Saturday lost 15 of its final 18 regular-season games. It limped into the postseason, ditched its crutches and sprinted to a title. In the ballpark was living proof that slides that threaten to end seasons don't always end seasons. 'We're certainly hoping for that kind of a run,' Aaron Boone said. 'It's been a tough couple months for us.' On an Old-Timers' Day that featured a brief alumni game and plenty of star power in The Bronx, the Yankees experienced what has become rare: a nice afternoon during which potential heartbreak morphed into euphoria. After the pregame festivities, the Yankees grabbed a lead, predictably blew it in gut-wrenching fashion and then watched Trent Grisham blast the tie-breaking home run in a 5-4, exhale of a victory over the Astros in front of the 2000 Yankees and 45,738 in The Bronx. The Yankees (62-55) won for just a second time in eight games and can bounce back from a two-series losing streak with a rubber-game victory Sunday. After mostly Camilo Doval, partly rough defense and partly David Bednar coughed up a two-run edge in the top of the eighth, Grisham provided the needed swing in the bottom of the inning. 3 New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil reacts after he is pulled from the game in the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, on August 9, 2025. JASON SZENES/ NY POST The outfielder demolished a no-doubter against Bryan King and did not watch the ball land. Grisham remained in the batter's box, stared into his dugout and began his trot as the ball sailed into the second deck. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS Bednar — asked again to record five outs — threw a scoreless ninth to seal a game that had teetered just a few minutes earlier. In the eighth inning, the seemingly daily Yankees collapse began. With Cam Smith on first, Doval fielded a one-out comebacker from Jesus Sanchez that should have ended the inning. But Doval's errant throw to second pulled Anthony Volpe off the base, recording zero outs instead of two. The door swung open, the Astros took advantage. Jose Altuve reached out his bat and sent a single into left that Jasson Dominguez chased down and came up throwing. The strong throw probably did not have a chance to nab Smith, but Ryan McMahon did not cut the ball off — which may have surprised catcher Ben Rice, who then saw the ball travel right by him. The run scored, Sanchez advanced to third and Altuve to second. 3 New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton hits an RBI single in the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx on August 9, 2025. JASON SZENES/ NY POST After Doval walked Carlos Correa to load the bases in a one-run game, Aaron Boone tried Bednar for a five-out save again, this time less effectively. Bednar got ahead of Christian Walker, 0-2, before throwing four straight balls to tie the game. The new closer bore down from there, though, striking out Yainer Diaz and Taylor Trammell to escape. A Yankees lineup that housed both Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hit Framber Valdez hard, managing four runs on eight hits and four walks in 5 ⅓ innings from the Astros star lefty. They struck in the first inning, when Paul Goldschmidt (single), Judge (walk) and Cody Bellinger (single) loaded the bases before Stanton walked to score the first run. Rice's sacrifice fly gave the Yankees a lead that would last until the fourth, when Houston tied it up. The Yankees went ahead in the fifth, when Judge walked without seeing ball four, Valdez ticketed for a pitch-clock violation. Bellinger singled to put a pair on before Stanton hammered a ground ball into left-center for the go-ahead run. Rice followed by at least putting his bat on the ball, a double play adding an insurance run. Luis Gil served up a leadoff home run to Jeremy Peña on his fourth pitch of the game but settled in from there. 3 New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice hits an RBI ground-rule double in the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. JASON SZENES/ NY POST He struck out the side in the third — three of his seven strikeouts — and allowed just one more run on a fourth-inning RBI single to right field from Carlos Correa. Giancarlo Stanton, making his season debut in the outfield, came up with a strong, one-hopped throw to the plate that was a split-second too late to nab Jesus Sanchez. Otherwise, Gil scattered six hits and walked one in 5 ⅓ inning in which he built up to 91 pitches and was able to steal an out in the sixth, with Boone attempting to coax as many outs as he could to save an overworked bullpen.
