ESSEX — The Manchester Essex Mariners have exacted a bit of revenge in the Intertown Twilight League playoffs.
The Mariners, who wreaked havoc over the league with three championships from 2008-2010. That reign of terror came to a halt in 2011 at the hands of the Rowley Rams, who knocked out the Mariners in the playoffs en route to the 2011 ITL Title.
Monday night, however, the Mariners sent the Rams packing with a 2-0 win on the road and a 2-0 series sweep.
With the win, the Mariners move on to the ITL finals where they will face Ipswich on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Memorial Field in Essex, Game 2 will be played on Sunday at 2 at Memorial Field, and Game 3 will move to Linebrook Field in Ipswich on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
If necessary, the best-of-five series would move into the next weekend. The Mariners are going for four titles in the last fives seasons.
The Mariners took home Game 2, thanks to a complete game shutout from Rusty Tucker. Game 1 was a tight 4-3 Mariners’ win, with Mike Cain picking up the win on the hill.
Manchester Essex is also looking to bring the ITL title back to Cape Ann, where it had been housed the previous dozen years, with either the Mariners or Rockport Townies winning the title before Rowley’s 2011 championship.
Nick Curcuru can be reached at 978-283-7000, x3444, or at ncurcuru@gloucestertimes.com.
