KP Baseball Downs Sharon

The Sharon High School varsity baseball team played with dark clouds overhead Tuesday.

Figuratively, as well as literally.

Visiting King Philip scored two runs without hitting the ball past the infield, then added a pair on a wild pitch and a passed ball, toward a 5-4 victory on a cold, rainy day here.

Sharon loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, trailing 5-3. But Mitchell Goldenberg grounded back to the mound, where pitcher Brian Crafton (5 IP, 3 ER, 6K, 4 BB) started a 1-2-3 double play.

"We gave them five runs. What can you do?" Sharon head coach Joel Peckham said. "We just didn't make the plays. We didn't throw the ball to first base. It just killed us."

Sharon starter Dan Friedman allowed five runs — just one earned — over three-plus innings, striking out five and walking two.

King Philip (2-2) took a 2-0 lead in the first.

Jake Cox led off with an infield hit to shortstop, and then stole second. He took third when Ryan Manning lined out to Sharon first baseman Nate Pedersen, who overthrew second base trying to pick Cox off. Matt Glass' infield hit to third scored Cox.

Glass stole second, and took third on Charlie Harrington's grounder to second. Glass scored when Sharon shortstop David Zabinsky misplayed Mike Capobianco's grounder, for a 2-0 King Philip lead. Friedman then struck out Rob Boulter, ending the rally.

"The hitting has been the part of the game we need to keep working on," King Philip head coach Ed Moran said. "So, if someone gives us a gift, we have to take advantage of it, and they gave us a couple."

The Eagles responded with two runs of their own in the first.

Friedman walked with two outs, then scored on Zabinsky's line-drive double to center. Jordan Aronson walked, and then Goldenberg singled to right, scoring Zabinsky and tying the score at 2-2. KP starter Brian Crafton got Pedersen to ground out to short, ending the inning.

The visiting Warriors restored their two-run lead in the third.

They had the bases loaded with two outs, on a Manning double, a Capobianco walk and a Pedersen error; the second base umpire ruled Pedersen's foot was off first base when he took Zabinsky's throw on Boulter's grounder to short.

A Friedman wild pitch scored Manning with Jeff Plympton at the plate. Plympton struck out, but he reached first — and Capobianco scored — when catcher Goldenberg played strike three into a passed ball.

Sharon made it 4-3 in its half of the third.

Zabinsky singled between first and second with two outs. He scored on Aronson's double at the right field fence.

KP finished its scoring in the fourth.

James Wallace led off with a single to right. Jake Dennis then relieved Friedman. Wallace stole second, took third on Cox's grounder to first, and scored on Manning's single to left.

Sharon rallied for another run in the seventh, off KP reliever Dave Siletti. Caleb Engelbourg's leadoff double and Friedman's infield hit to short put runners at first and second with no outs. Zabinsky forced Friedman at second. Engelbourg scored when Aronson forced Zabinsky at second. Goldenberg flied to center to end the game.

Sharon next heads to Cooperstown, N.Y., to play Holliston on Thursday. It's a rematch of the April 6 season opener, which the host Panthers won, 11-3.

King Philip hosts Norton at noon Friday.