As bleak as things were unfolding for the Townies (just three hits through six innings), coach Alex Kanelos’ crew had the potential runs aboard in the seventh. They remained on the base paths, for Clippers reliever Marc Nunes got Cameron Costa to look at strike three for the final out of the ballgame.
Though he encountered some bumpy stretches towards the end, the right-handed Nowinowski did enough good to perhaps merit another crack at a starting assignment. Take away the problems Nowinowski ran into the seventh and he tossed goose eggs, allowing zero earned runs with three hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
Nowinowski appeared to be in good shape in his quest to go the distance, tossing 73 pitches through six frames. His initial two outings of 2008 both came in relief, so Wednesday marked the first time he was being stretched out.
“I’d figure I’d give Chris a shot because our other two starters haven’t been great. We’re looking for arms and he’s pitched six scoreless innings in relief coming into [yesterday],” said Murphy. “He just ran out of gas in the end, but he gave us everything.”
“[Nowinowski] did a good job keeping us off-balance, but we just weren’t having any god at-bats,” said Kanelos.
The first sign of trouble was the location of Nowinowski’s curveball. After baffling and silencing the Townie bats, the pitch started to remain up in the zone. That’s a pretty good indication the end is near, for EP strung together three straight hits, all of them hard.
After Nate Lovett struck a RBI double to the right-center gap, Murphy came out to congratulate/take out Nowinowski, who ended up throwing 15 pitches in the seventh en route to picking up one out.
In came Nunes, who inherited a second and third jam. Nunes loaded the bases by walking Bryan Soderberg, but got the second out on a force play at third. A run scored on the play, making it 7-4.
Some zaniness ensued when Cumberland was guilty of catcher’s interference and an error, resulting in another East Providence run. The rally, however, was too little, too late for the Townies, now 3-4 in Division 1-East.
“We couldn’t get anything going offensively until the end,” said Kanelos. “You’re down 7-1 going into the last inning and you end up getting [the go-ahead] run to the plate. The kids don’t quit, but I’m waiting for the hitting to come around.
“We hit for an inning, but we haven’t put together a seven-inning offensive performance where everyone is having good at-bats,” Kanelos continued.
Hitting was hardly an issue for the Clippers, who snapped a three-game losing skid, the last two occurring against league foes.
Cumberland (3-3 D-I North) received contributions from the bottom third of the lineup. The standout was No. 8 batter Eric Diggle, who stroked three doubles in three trips. Diggle, who drove in one and scored once, narrowly missed sending a ball over the left-field fence in the fourth.
“We’re lacking in the hitting department so far,” said Murphy. “I expect the bats to eventually pick up, but Eric has done a great job since he’s been in the lineup.”
Up 2-zip in the fourth, Cumberland doubled its total when leadoff hitter Josh Flannigan tripled, chasing to the plate Diggle and Scott Frechette, Cumberland’s No. 9 hitter who recorded one hit, one run and a stolen bases.
East Providence’s defense betrayed the Townies in the sixth. Two errors in the frame allowed the Clippers to add what turns out two big insurance runs.    
“This was important because we got blown out the last few games,” said Murphy, making reference to losses to La Salle (9-4) and Lincoln (10-1).