Gaels' offense is winning games.

Byline: Graham Entwistle

CLINTON - As long as they don't have to play the New York Giants, the Clinton High School baseball team looks like it should be OK this year.

Like the Patriots did, at least until the Super Bowl, the Gaels have been generating lots of offense early this season.

Clinton scored 18 runs on 16 hits in its season opener on Monday at Bromfield, and added eight more runs on Wednesday against Narragansett at home.

The result was an 18-15 win over the Trojans, and an 8-2 victory over the Warriors, giving the Gaels an unblemished 2-0 record under new head coach Mike Frick.

Sophomore Connor McLaughlin picked up the win in Wednesday's game. He pitched a complete game, giving up just three hits, walking three, and fanning six.

McLaughlin, who pitched a no-hitter against Tahanto in his freshman year, is the only returnee from last year's staff.

"Our pitching staff is almost completely new and very young," Frick said. "We have no senior pitchers on the staff."

Frick heads into the season with three starters, junior Kevin Sargent, junior Phil Weihn, and McLaughlin, though he expects to use many other players on the mound this year.

"We'll have a couple guys going back and forth between varsity and JV," Frick said. "Dave Hazel will pitch some for us, and Brad Thompson will get some innings. Both of them are sophomores.

"Cody Trautner will see some innings on the mound with the varsity as a freshman," he added.

Sargent started Monday against Bromfield, sophomore Jay Lapin came on in middle relief, and Weihn, who picked up the win, closed the game.

Similar to the pitching staff, there are lots of new faces around the infield.

"We're also very young in the infield," Frick said. "We have a sophomore at third base in Ismael Feliz. It's his first year with varsity. He played JV last year.

"At shortstop, we moved an outfielder in, (sophomore) Alex Collado," he said. "Cody Trautner will also see some looks at shortstop."

McLaughlin will play second base when he isn't pitching, and Lapin, who has been a powerhouse at the plate in the early going, will also see quite a few innings there.

"First base is first base by committee right now," Frick said, pointing out that Weihn, Hazel, junior Jay Dowd, and senior Jeremy Lemanski will all play there at various times.

The Gaels should be strong in the outfield, as the team's only two returning starters will be playing there.

Senior Chriss Soldi will roam the wide-open spaces in center field, and senior Matt Linenkemper will hold down the fort in right field.

"Matt's got the strongest arm out of all our outfielders," Frick said. "He's definitely a threat to throw someone out at the plate when we need that."

Lemanski and junior Eric Arsenault are candidates to play left field, and Frick may also use a junior varsity player or two there from time to time.

The Gaels have a steadying influence behind the plate in senior catcher Jon Silva.

"He's a very good ballplayer," Frick said.

The team's captains are Soldi, Silva, and Weihn.

"Chriss Soldi is a four-year starter on the varsity," Frick said. "He's the type of kid who works everyday with baseball. He's always getting the extra swings in.

"He's a very smart player," he said. "He's the type of kid who gives 100 percent on the field at all times.

"Jon Silva tends to take charge of the games behind the plate," Frick continued. "He does a good job calling the pitches, and working with the pitchers."

Naming a junior captain, Weihn, is one of the changes Frick has instituted after taking over the reins this season.

"A junior captain is something I'm installing this year, and for every year on that I'm here," he said. "We're going to do a non-senior captain. He's someone who will be back with the team next year to continue being the captain."

At this point, Frick has the top of his order set. Silva will lead off, followed by Linenkemper, Soldi, and Weihn.

"Matt Linenkemper has moved up quite a bit in the lineup," Frick said. "He batted ninth last year, and he's now our number two hitter.

"He's a good bunter who's very quick on the base paths," he said. "He's open to stealing a base at any time.

"Weihn can drive the ball deep when we need it, and Soldi is our RBI machine," Frick added.

The Gaels' lineup certainly came through in its first two games, scoring a combined 26 runs.

Against Bromfield, McLaughlin went 3 for 4, including a double and a triple, with three RBIs. Collado went 3 for 6 with three RBIs, Soldi went 2 for 4 with two runs scored, and Weihn went 2 for 6 with a double and a run scored.

"The key at bat in the game for us was Jay Lapin," Frick said. "He had a 14-pitch at bat, and hit a two-out, two-RBI single."

In the Narragansett game, Lapin went 3 for 3 with a triple, a run scored, and a stolen base. McLaughlin was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored, Weihn was 1 for 2 with an RBI and a run scored, and Silva was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a stolen base.

ART: PHOTOS

PHOTOG: Item photo/GRAHAM ENTWISTLE

CUTLINE: (1) Clinton High sophomore pitcher Connor McLaughlin throws to first for an out during the Gaels' win over Narragansett on Wednesday afternoon. (2) Clinton second baseman Jay Lapin has been a force at the plate in the early part of the season.