By Ron P. Coderre

Plainfield, Ellis Tech and Tourtellotte Memorial High School were the only three local teams to qualify for the CIAC postseason.  Ellis Tech was eliminated in the First Round.  Tourtellotte after capturing a play-in game with a 5-4 win over Old Saybrook was eliminated in the First Round.

Plainfield with First and Second Round wins reached the quarterfinals where they squared off against Haddam-Killingworth.  The Panthers were eliminated from the postseason when HK rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning to steal the victory.

Panthers Impressive in Early Rounds 

of CIAC

Plainfield seeded #12 in the CIAC Class M Tournament opened tourney play against #21 Kaynor Tech.  The Panthers rode the arm of winning pitcher Jeff Nicolosi and the bats of Kegan Marcoux and Colby Greenhalgh to a 22-2 victory.

Marcoux powered a grand slam home run energizing a 16-run outburst in the third and fourth innings to propel Plainfield to the easy victory.  Greenhalgh chipped in four hits and five RBI in salting away the win and moving the team to the next round of competition.

The Second Round witnessed the Panthers facing off against #5 seed Plainville with a 15-6 record.  The Panthers jumped out to a three run lead in the third inning, added a singleton in the fifth and scored what proved to be the two winning runs in the top of the seventh.

Dave Carpenter, who’s been steady on the mound all season, picked up the 6-4 upset victory.  He scattered eight hits in the route-going decision.  Greenhalgh was hot with the bat again as he doubled twice and drove in three runs.  Izaiah Thompson also had a solid day with the stick driving in a pair of runs.

In the quarterfinal contest, leading 6-5 entering the bottom of the seventh inning over #4 seed Haddam-Killingworth, Plainfield coach Jason Chaviaras went to his ace Carpenter in the hope of sealing the win.  His strategy backfired as the Cougars pulled out the victory from the jaws of defeat with a two-run rally, propelling HK to a 7-6 win.

Nicolosi started the game and gave the Panthers a solid effort.  Plainfield had taken the lead with a four run outburst in the fifth inning highlighted by a two-run home run by Carpenter.  Despite the heartbreaking loss in the cat fight between the Cougars and the Panthers, Plainfield finishes its season with a 16-9 record.

Ellis Tech seeded #13 in Class L dropped a 4-1 decision to #20 Platt High School.  Chuck Innes was the hard luck loser.  The Golden Eagles got their only run when Brett Ravenelle tripled and raced home on an Innes ground out.  Ellis Tech closes out the books on 2016 with a 13-10 log.

Tourtellotte after beating Old Saybrook had the misfortune of having to play #1 seed Oxford.  The Tigers put up some resistance but were defeated 9-2.  Tourtellotte closes out the season at 9-13.