Brindley wins another PNJ title.

Byline: Jorge Bannister

WORCESTER - It took some drama and luck, but Brindley Foundations captured its fourth Paul N. Johnson Senior Ruth title in six years.

After losing the first game of the championship series, 7-4, Vernon Hill rallied for five runs in the sixth inning of Game 2 to take a one-run lead. But Brindley rallied for three runs in the seventh, including the equalizer on a two-out fly ball that should have forced a deciding game.

Instead, the result was a 10-8 victory and another PNJ title for Brindley.

With tournament MVP Matt Howard on second with two outs in the seventh, Vernon Hill closer Eddy Maldonado got Joe Piscitelli to hit a shallow fly ball, but the outfielder appeared to lose the ball in the sun, allowing Howard to score.

"I honestly thought the game was over," Brindley coach Red Paquette said. "I don't know if (the outfielder) lost it in the sun, and maybe someone was looking down upon us and we caught a break. We had that blooper and I said `The hell with it, I am going to send Matty because he's a gutsy player.' When Matty scored, I thought the momentum shifted, and I said to myself, `Now we've got a shot.'"

Brindley added two more runs on Andrew Gray's booming RBI double off the fence in right-center and Cody Belvery followed with an RBI single to center. Brindley held on in the bottom of the seventh.

"He's been pounding the baseball," Paquette said of Gray. "When his focus is in, he's a great hitter. He blasted that ball to the fence. That was a huge hit."

Gray echoed Paquette's thoughts.

"I was thinking, `I just gotta kill this,'" Gray said. "I knew I had to get the run home."

After knocking in the winning run, Gray came on to pitch the bottom of the seventh. After allowing a one-out single to Tom Fontaine, Gray got Corey Brown to strike out swinging and Curtis Lebeau to fly to left to end the game.

"I didn't come through as often as I'd liked to in the regular season, and I knew it was time to step up," Gray said. "All the players I have around me, they make you a better player."

Vernon Hill trailed, 7-3, heading into its half of the sixth, but followed an error by hitting three RBI singles and a Adam Gonyea sacrifice fly to take an 8-7 lead.