HINGHAM — When a shot down the line got past Craig Stewart to allow Hingham Post 120’s first run of the game to score in the opening inning, it seemed like it would be a long evening for the third baseman.
Two innings later, when Stewart made a diving, over-the-shoulder snag in the outfield near the third-base line, the evening’s end was just a matter of when the umpire would postpone the game due to darkness.
Brockton Post 35 led, 6-3, after four innings Wednesday at Cronin Field when the umps, who arrived late, called the game.
Brockton (3-1) and Hingham (5-0-1) will finish the game at 5 p.m. on July 1 before playing a scheduled game at Campanelli Stadium.
After Brockton gave up the first run on a play that Stewart believed was a foul ball down an unchalked base line, his team batted around in the second to scored five runs. Brockton led, 5-1, when Stewart made the dazzling play in the third.
“I didn’t agree with the call on the first one, but what are you going to do?” Stewart asked. “Just come back and don’t even worry about it and make a good play.
I saw it come up and I ran back for it. I didn’t think anyone else was going to get to it so I thought I’d try. I just ran after it and dove for it and got it.”
Brockton coach Dave Seropian said that type of play can change a game.
“Thats what we expect from Craig,” Seropian said. “He’s one of three returning starters and that’s what we expect.”
The play sparked a 1-2-3 defensive inning for Brockton.
“The other team played great defense and we hadn’t committed an error in two games,” Hingham coach Vin Murray said after his team committed two errors. “It was the first time we had an error in 14 innings.”
Stewarts web gem wasn’t Brockton’s only ESPN-worthy play. Brockton’s Jack Buckley also converted a suicide squeeze bunt in the second inning. Ryan Young took an early jump from third base before making the score 3-1.
“I saw him running out of the corner of my eye,” said Buckley, who added that it was his first-ever successful suicide squeeze. “On a suicide squeeze, you just have to get anything on it. It was kind of out of the strike zone, but it worked out.”
The final two runs of the inning came on a two-run double to right hit by Stewart, who noted that the team hasn’t been hitting the ball as of late. He can only hope it continues when the game resumes on July 1.
“I think we’ll be fine. Mike [Rodriguez] was pitching good and we’ll do what we do,” Stewart said of the starting pitcher, who allowed three runs on three hits and struck out one.
As well as he pitched in the beginning of the game, Rodriguez started to struggle in the fourth. He walked Matt Henrikson before giving up a double to Eric MacIver. A wild pitch scored Hetrikson and an Alex Cruscivocos fielder’s choice ground ball scored MacIver.
“It was nice they came out and scored those two runs in the fourth inning,” Murray said. “Those two runs are the difference between a 6-1 game and 6-3 game. So hopefully our bats will come alive and we can get more runs when we go back to Brockton.”
Hingham starting pitcher Zack Walker (1-0), who allowed all six runs on nine hits and struck out three, said he struggled to get going after the delay.
“It was pretty hard to keep warming up my arm,” he said. “My arm got tired. That was pretty tough. Hopefully, we’ll start good (on July 1) and get a couple runs back.”
Seropian also hopes his team picks up where it left off when play resumes.
“It’s tough when you had the momentum and were playing good baseball,” he said, adding that the two teams decided to play as much as possible before nightfall. “It’s too bad, but we had a gentlemen’s agreement before the game.”
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