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Sunday June 5

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Torrington Rebels  3   Watertown Blaze  2
In a tight baseball game like the Torrington Rebels’ 3-2 win over the Watertown Blaze Sunday night at Fuessenich Park, it’s rarely the number of hits or errors that counts. It’s when they happen. “We just didn’t get a run scored,” said Blaze co-coach Ben Germain, in spite of the fact that his number nine hitter, Chris Comeau (2-for-2) had the biggest hit of the evening, a home run in the sixth inning. “Each team had very good pitchers,” said Torrington player/coach Curtis Anthony. “It all came down to whoever could play better small ball and get the clutch play and those clutch hits.” The Rebels (3-1) out-hit Watertown (2-1) seven to five, but they also out-erred them five to one.
Against these pitchers — Torrington’s veteran Dan Livingston and Watertown’s recent UMass graduate, lefty Charlie Benson — the errors didn’t count; and hits only mattered when they went over the fence, came in pairs or teamed up with something else. The Rebels did it with pairs and a hustle play. The Blaze got the long ball, then combined a hit batter with a pair of singles in the same inning. Torrington’s Conor Bierfeldt and Dave Alexander (2-for-4, 2 doubles), numbers three and four in the Rebel batting order, started the pattern in the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back two-out doubles for the game’s first run.
Comeau got Watertown’s first hit in the top of the third inning. Otherwise, that first-inning run loomed bigger and bigger as the innings zipped by, despite two Torrington errors in the fourth.
Then, in the top of the sixth, the Blaze seemed to solve Livingston’s sidearm delivery. Comeau, the inning’s leadoff batter, tied the score, 1-1, on Livingston’s first pitch of the inning — a line drive over the left field corner. Chris Ayer followed with a single up the middle; Livingston hit Conor McEvoy. Then Livingston (9 innings, 2 earned runs, 5 hits, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk, 2 hit batters) made the key play of the game — as a fielder. Mike Mastrocola laid a long bunt down the left side of the infield; Livingston, 34, sprang off the mound and fired to third in an eyelash play that just barely beat Ayer racing from second. The next batter, Luis Serrano singled to left for one run instead of two.
Nevertheless, after six innings of a pitchers’ game, the Blaze led 2-1. “It’s tough to get pumped when you’re down,” said Livingston. “I usually get pumped up when I’m trying to hold a lead.” For the next three innings, he had it both ways, overcoming another Rebel error, walk and a hit batter in the top of the seventh, then holding Watertown to one more hit in the last two innings while holding the lead. The Rebels got it back in the bottom of the seventh with another pair of key hits, plus the hustle. Alexander led off with his second double of the game, clanging the ball off the right field fence a foot short of becoming the game’s second score-tying homer.
“(Jerry Colon) was due,” Alexander laughed. Sure enough, Colon (2-for-3, double), the next batter, drilled a line single to left, driving Alexander in for the tie. “He had been throwing me first-pitch fastballs,” said Colon. “He threw me another one.”
Benson (8 innings, 3 earned runs, 7 hits, 9 strikeouts, 2 walks) got the next Rebel on a tough chop to first. Colon moved to third. Still with one out, Greg Bodnar drew a walk that turned out as big as any hit in the evening. With Jay Lovato up, Bodnar headed for second, drawing the throw from Watertown’s catcher. Colon ran home with the winning run on the throw. Sometimes, in a pitcher’s duel, the deciding straw isn’t a hit at all.
Litchfield Cowboys  21    Prospect Homers  3
The Tri-State League’s Litchfield Cowboys flexed their muscles at Litchfield High School Sunday in a seven-inning game with the Prospect Homers. The Homers, 0-4, are finding the going tough in their second year in the league. Sunday, the Cowboys (2-0) poured out 18 hits for a 21-3 lead before the teams agreed to play seven innings instead of nine. Brad Sincovic was the winning pitcher in a committee that held Prospect to two hits, including a double by Terri Johnson. Offensive support for the Litchfield pitchers’ came from several directions. Eric Pesino and Ben Murphy hit triples. Murphy’s, a three-run blast in the sixth inning, flew three quarters of the way up the left field bank at the Cowboys’ field. Adam Claire (4-for-5, 4 RBI); Chris Beach; Chris Blazek (3-for-4, 2 RBI); and Collin Dickinson all hit doubles. Five other Cowboys were two-for-three at bat.
Wolcott Scrappers  8    Burlington Hunters  1
Wolcott pitchers Spencer Kane (6 innings, 3 hits, 0 earned runs, 5 strikeouts) and Erik Sehnal (3 innings, 0 hits, 3 strikeouts, third save of the season) held the Hunters to three hits at Lewis Mills High School Sunday while the Scrappers pounded out 13 hits in a steady stream of runs. Steve Bernier (3 hits, 2 RBI, 2 runs); Adam LaCapra (3 hits, run); Eric Soucy (2 hits, run, RBI); and Ryan Soucy (2 hits, run, 3 RBI); and Ismael Bolorin (double) led Wolcott’s attack. Pat Flynn had a hit and scored the Hunters’ only run. Burlington is 1-3; the Scrappers are 4-0.
Bethlehem Plowboys  8   Amenia Monarchs  3
Tyler Erickson had 13 K’s in 7 innings to pick up the win and was aided offensively by Tony Geraci (HR), Matt Parlatto (4 hits, 2 RBI), and Eric O’Toole (2 hits 3 RBI). Tom Downey had 3 hits for Amenia including a 2 run-HR and an RBI double. Caleb Buck had 2 hits including a double.
Waterbury Wild  2   Winsted Whalers   1
Waterbury was led by Ken Kerski, who allowed one unearned run on four hits while striking out 11 in seven innings. Brad Devito tripled in the tying run in the eighth inning and then scored the go-ahead run on a squeeze bunt by Fraz Kadar for the Wild. Nick Boucher and Brener Pieszak had 2 hits for Winsted. Donny Crossman pitched seven innings allowing five hits with seven strikeouts.
Terryville Black Sox  5   Thomaston Threshers  2
Billy Armstrong pitched a five-hitter with 18 strikeouts and three walks as Terryville (1-3) won its first game of the year. Pat Mulcahy had an RBI double, Mike Morrison an RBI single and Joe Deming had a double for the Black Sox. Brian O’Leary had a double and two RBI for Thomaston (2-3) with Nick Urso also doubling.
Naugatuck Dogs  18   Lakeville Outlaws  2
Jamie Kimberly (2-0) pitched 6 innings allowing 1 ER, 2 hits, and 1 walk while striking out 5. Ryan Russell (3-6, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 SB) and Kenny Pabst (1-1, 4 RBI) led Naugy’s offense. Matt Kane (2-4, R, RBI), Bob Augelli (2-3, 2 RBI), George Harlamon (2-3 2 R, RBI) and Jeff Sturm (2-4, 3 R, 2 RBI) each added two hits for the Dogs. Jeremy Potter (1-2 BB) added a hit for Lakeville. Naugy moves to 4-1 as Lakeville drops to 0-4.