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Legion
play enters
final week
By Ron P. Coderre
The American Legion baseball season rolls into its final week of play with the TriTown Sr. and Jr. teams concluding play with different outlooks.
The Sr. team continues as the tough luck unit of Zone VI, dropping a pair of one-run decisions and losing a game in the final inning in last week’s action. As the season comes to its conclusion, the Towners are 5-18 and in 9th place in the 10-team Zone.
The Jr. Towners, who started quickly then hit a slump, have rebounded posting two wins in the past week. Standing at 6-8, with two games remaining, the team still has an outside chance, though slim, of reaching the State Tournament.
In order to have any opportunity at postseason play, the Jr. Team would need to win its remaining two games and hope that Norwich would lose four of its final six games.
Srs. Hanging Tough
Most teams with a 5-18 record entering the final week of play may just be going through the motions but not so with the Sr. TriTown American Legion Team. The Towners wasted a great pitching effort by Mike Thienel (2-2) losing to Danielson 3-2.
Behind the strong arm of Thienel and the hitting of Garrett Ponte (2-for-3) and Sean Falvey, single and RBI, the Towners were up 2-1 entering the final inning only to see Danielson score twice in the seventh and hold on for the victory.
Earlier in the week the Towners were dropped twice by league leaders Montville, who boast a 20-2 record. In a contest on the road, TriTown lost 5-4, once again in the final inning. Tim Cutler with a pair of doubles and Ponte and catcher J.P. Bergeron also with two-baggers were the offensive leaders. Steve Bettner was the hard luck loser.
In a game filled with controversy, Montville came to TriTown and went home 8-5 winners with the contest called after six innings of play due to darkness. The start of the game was originally delayed because of a tornado threat and lightning.
Leading 5-3 entering the sixth inning, both teams were notified by the plate umpire that this would be the final frame. Montville took advantage of the situation scoring five times in the top of the inning and grabbing an 8-5 lead. That margin stood up as TriTown went down with runners in scoring position in the darkness.
The Towners led by Thienel and Ben Guimont, who had doubles, outhit the visitors 8 to 5. Ty Anderson (0-4) suffered the loss.
The week opened with a 4-0 loss to Jewett City despite doubles by Ponte and Cutler. Thienel with another strong effort on the mound held off Willimantic 4-2 with Anderson contributing a double to the offense. In an earlier contest against Danielson the TriTown offense never showed up as Danielson scored six in the first to walk off with a 9-3 win.
Two-Game Win Streak for Jr. Team
Nick Foucault helped the TriTown Jr, unit stop the bleeding with an outstanding shutout performance against Jewett City, posting a 4-0 win. Foucault was in command throughout, striking out seven JC batters, while limiting his opponents to four harmless hits.
Lefty swinging Kyle Tyler gave Foucault all the support he would need, contributing three doubles, which led to two RBIs. He also scored a pair of runs. Alexander Leveille and Evan Tremblay also had doubles for the winners.
In the other victory the Jr. Towners easily disposed of Norwich 10-5.