Dead silence. That was the sound heard after Canton A’s shortstop Rico Sullivan and second basemen Chris Kagan collided hard in the top of the second inning chasing down a bloop single in a game against the Taunton Knights Wednesday night at Canton High School. After a nerve-racking 15-minute delay, both Canton players would be forced to leave the game. Sullivan may have broken his nose and Kagan’s cheekbone and jaw were being examined at a local hospital, A’s manager Cab Devoll said. This was not the time for Canton to lose two key players. With the Cranberry League regular season ending next Thursday, the A’s (15-9-1) entered the game one point behind the Rockland Cardinals for the fifth and final spot for the Stan Musial State Tournament. The injured double-play duo, who bat first and second in the batting order, had already helped put the A’s on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning with a leadoff double by Sullivan and an RBI single by Kagan. But Canton knew the importance of this game and did not want it to slip away. The home team rallied behind a solid pitching performance from lefty ace Greg Lyons and good defense to beat Taunton, 7-1. “It was a big win,” Devoll said. “We overcame some adversity in the second inning and got the win.” With the victory, the A’s swap places with the Cardinals in the standings, giving them a one-point lead for the final playoff spot. Devoll knows it is going to be tough to hold onto t ...
Anytime
Dead silence. That was the sound heard after Canton A’s shortstop Rico Sullivan and second basemen Chris Kagan collided hard in the top of the second inning chasing down a bloop single in a game against the Taunton Knights Wednesday night at Canton High School. After a nerve-racking 15-minute delay, both Canton players would be forced to leave the game. Sullivan may have broken his nose and Kagan’s cheekbone and jaw were being examined at a local hospital, A’s manager Cab Devoll said. This was not the time for Canton to lose two key players. With the Cranberry League regular season ending next Thursday, the A’s (15-9-1) entered the game one point behind the Rockland Cardinals for the fifth and final spot for the Stan Musial State Tournament. The injured double-play duo, who bat first and second in the batting order, had already helped put the A’s on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning with a leadoff double by Sullivan and an RBI single by Kagan. But Canton knew the importance of this game and did not want it to slip away. The home team rallied behind a solid pitching performance from lefty ace Greg Lyons and good defense to beat Taunton, 7-1. “It was a big win,” Devoll said. “We overcame some adversity in the second inning and got the win.” With the victory, the A’s swap places with the Cardinals in the standings, giving them a one-point lead for the final playoff spot. Devoll knows it is going to be tough to hold onto t ...