Tuesday, July 6

Tri-Town Trojans 14, Thomaston Spoilers 6:  The Tri-Town Trojans blasted out of a season-long hitting slump at the expense of the Thomaston Spoilers in a 14-6 Tri-State League Baseball win at Litchfield’s Community Field Tuesday evening.  “We’ve been getting good pitching, but we get in tight games and one mistake kills us because we haven’t supported our pitcher with enough runs late in the game,” said Tri-Town player/coach Ryan McDonald.  “Then we fall apart.”
Tuesday, the Trojans got their mistakes out of the way early, committing two errors in the second inning to allow a Thomaston unearned run that tied the score 1-1.  Then Tri-Town batters took out a month’s worth of frustration on two Spoiler pitchers in a 16-hit barrage in which all but one Trojan in the starting lineup scored at least one run.  The exception to the scoring rule, No. 10 batter (Tri-State uses an extra hitter) Connor Murray, hit a two-run triple, the longest missile in a day full of smoking bats.  “We finally found the holes,” said Dan McCarty (3-for-4, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored), who joined Trojan lead-off hitter Nick Lahoud (2-for-4, 2 runs scored) with a pair of scoring doubles in the first inning, the initial signal of a great day for Tri-Town bats.  “This is only the second or third time all season we’ve scored more than five runs,” said McCarty, who’s shared his team’s frustration, feeling better than a 6-8 record if only they could find the gaps.  “Today, we accepted our roles and shortened up our strokes,” said McCarty.  “Our pitching’s been great, but we’ve been striking out a lot,” said Kyle Osolin (2-for-3, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored).  “Today, we put the ball in play.” 
“They really hit; what can you say?” said Thomaston’s Joe Deming, Thomaston’s player/coach on a day when the Spoilers, 8-7, felt happy to have nine guys on the field, thanks to injuries and player travel schedules.
So doubles did it for Tri-Town in the first inning; errors, along with a couple of great bunts by Mike McHugh and Anthony Gasperini did it for Thomaston in the second.  Then Tri-Town hitting broke out in earnest in the third.  With one out, Lahoud and McCarty reprised their first-inning performance, but this time, after a Lahoud single, Casey McDonald was also on base with a walk, ready for McCarty’s second consecutive double.  An error and an RBI single by Landon Gardella scored another run.  Kyle Osolin cranked his first double of the game for two more.  Then Troy Kobelarz (2-for-3, 2 RBI, run scored) singled in the inning’s final run, the sixth.  Now Tri-Town starter Andrew Osolin (5 innings, 3 earned runs, 6 hits, 1 strikeout, 2 walks) had the pad he needed.
A 7-1 lead meant two Thomaston runs in the top of the fourth and one more in the fifth weren’t enough to knock the wheels off Tri-Town’s confidence.  Still, Thomaston starter Vinny Ganz was part of the game’s subplot on the Spoiler offense. Angry with some of the calls he got on the mound, Ganz (2-for-3, triple, double, RBI, 2 runs scored) joined the crowd getting frustration out of its system at the plate. 
In the fourth inning, with Luis Serrano aboard with a walk, Gasperini clocked a triple, then scored on a single by Anthony Gasperini.  Leadoff singles in the fifth inning by Shawn McGee and Jake Barbour, along with Serrano’s sacrifice fly, spelled the end of starter Andrew Osolin’s winning stint for Tri-Town.  Osolin held a 7-4 lead after four and a half, then, far from falling apart, his teammates poured it on in the bottom of the fifth.  Steve Price, Kyle Osolin (RBI double), Jon Smart (RBI single), Troy Kobelarz (RBI single) and Murray (2-run triple) all had huge hits, piling up another five runs to take the game out of reach at 12-4.
Nevertheless, nobody was ready to put the bats away. Casey McDonald (double), McCarty (single) and Joe Bunnell (RBI single) combined for two more Tri-Town runs in the bottom of the sixth.  Joe Deming (double), Serrano (single), Mike McHugh (RBI walk) and Gasperini (RBI walk) battled for Thomaston, for two more runs in the top of the seventh for the final score.  Tuesday, the Trojans proved that 14 runs can cover up almost all the mistakes a team can make.
Watertown Blaze 14, Amenia Monarchs 4:  Watertown exploded for 11 runs in the top of the seventh inning and turned a one-run deficit into a blowout win over Amenia at Doc Bartlett Field Tuesday evening.  Vic DeSimone homered and drove in two runs for the Blaze (12-2).  DeSimone, Justin Froese (double), Mike Mastrocola (double), Brian Lemay and Alex Santopietro (double) each had multiple-hit days for Watertown.  On the mound, Tyler King threw a complete game and improved to 6-0 on the season.  The Monarchs (9-6) got two hits apiece from Tom Downey (double) and Dave Mosher (double).  Joel Judson added a double for Amenia.  Judson was the losing pitcher.
Tribury Pavers 15, Litchfield Cowboys 3:  Tribury swung the bats early and often in a win over Litchfield at Nonnewaug High School.  Ross Allen went 3-for-4 with a triple, double, two runs scored, and three RBI for the Pavers (6-6).  Russell Stutsky went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI while Eric Villanova added two singles, two runs scored, and a run batted in.  Brian Cyr (7 hits, 3 runs, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts) went the first five innings to pick up the win.  Carl Quist doubled for the Cowboys (5-9).  Kevin Hauf took the loss on the mound.
Brass City Brew 16, Prospect Hearts 4:  Brass City rolled to a win over Prospect behind a big evening from Justin McCulloch.  McCulloch went 3-for-4 with two home runs — one out of the park (into the trees), one inside — a double, four runs, five RBI, and three stolen bases.  Matt Wahl, Steve Carosella, and Sam Sirica all drove in runs for the Brew (9-3). Marc DiDominzio picked up the win.  Mike Augelli was 2-for-3 with a double, run scored, and run batted in while Spenser Griffin went 3-for-3 with a run scored for the Hearts.  Dave Antonucci took the loss for Prospect (1-14).
Bethlehem Plowboys 3, Terryville Black Sox 1:  Aaron Granahan (2 hits, RBI), Matt Parlato (RBI) and Nick Chiovitti (double) spurred the Plowboys into two runs in the third inning and another in the fourth in a game that, otherwise, was a Tri-State League pitcher’s duel at Bethelehem’s Gallop Field Tuesday evening.  Bethlehem’s Jason Krajeski won the duel with Terryville’s Kenny Martinik on the mound, giving up just three Terryville hits to Bethlehem’s seven.  Nevertheless, Terryville’s Steve Tedd had the longest hit of the day, with a solo homer in the top of the seventh.  The Black Sox are 5-8; Bethlehem is 10-4.
Mazda Dodge Red Devils 4, Wolcott Scrappers 1: Justin Cheri pitched a three-hitter with five strikeouts and drove in a run while Brian Brandt singled and drove in two runs. Mike M’Sadoques also went 1-1 with two walks and two runs scored for Mazda (3-10). Jason Miller had two hits and an RBI for Wolcott (9-7).
Naugatuck Dogs 7, Waterbury Wild 2:  Recap coming soon