TriTown 

positioned to 

qualify for

tournament

By Ron P. Coderre

In the busiest week of American Legion baseball season, TriTown, Moosup and Danielson all played six games as the 2016 season races toward its conclusion.

TriTown appears to be the only local team with a chance of getting into the postseason, although every time the Towners appear to be in control they somehow allow opportunity to slip through their fingers.

The Towners of coach John Foucault took two of three from Jewett City then split a double header with Willimantic last week before losing in the final game of the series.  The trio of TriTown, Willimantic and Jewett City are in a torrid battle for the final two spots in the American Legion postseason tournament.  The top five finishers qualify.

At press time Niantic, New London and Waterford have a solid hold on the top three places in Zone VI and are assured of playing in the tourney.  The final two spots come down to the wire.  TriTown, which hasn’t gone to the tournament since 1997, is in a must-win situation in its final three games against archrival. Danielson.  The last three games were played on July 12, 13 and 14.

Moosup, which is mired in last place in the Zone, lost a three-game set against New London and dropped a twinbill to Ledyard- Pawcatuck before winning the last game of the set.  A young Danielson team is tied with Ledyard-Pawcatuck just above Moosup and could play spoiler against TriTown, while Moosup could be the spoiler against Jewett City .  

Danielson lost two-of-three in the series against L-P, was beaten in a close game by Waterford and split a doubleheader with Norwich.

The TriTown Juniors are also in a battle for a spot in the Junior American Legion Tournament.  Boasting an 8-8 record the TriTown Juniors took two-of-three from Jewett City.

Battle Rages for Postseason

With a berth in the postseason within its grasp, TriTown took matters into its own hands in the first two games of a three-game series against Jewett City.  In the opener the Towners came out on top in a battle of offenses 15-9.  Pitchers Josh Allard and Chuck Innes were the beneficiaries of the Towners hitting, which was led by Nick Foucault who had a pair of hits and drove in three runs.  Ryan Gadoury also chipped in two hits for the winners.

The next evening the Towners pulled out a 5-4 win in dramatic fashion.  Trailing 4-2 entering the top of the seventh Innes stepped to the plate and belted a three-run homer putting his mates on top for the win.  Innes had three hits and three RBI in the contest.  Allard chipped in a pair of hits.

TriTown was unable to stand prosperity as it lost 13-7 to the JC nine in a game played at Dodd Stadium in Norwich.  Jewett City hit its way through a handful of Towner hurlers as everything they hit appeared to fall in to the gap or through the infield.

In another crucial set for the Towners then split a doubleheader with Willimantic, another team battling for the postseason.  TriTown won the opener, shutting down the Thread City entry 5-1.  The second game was all Willimantic as the Willi bats and arms dominated the nightcap 15-0.  TriTown didn’t help its chances to go to the postseason, losing the last game against Willi 11-4.  Alex Angelo had three hits in the loss.

Danielson lost two-of-three to Ledyard-Pawcatuck as nothing appears to be going its way this season.  The charges of coach John Krot lost the opener to L-P 7-3 but rebounded by an identical score to win the middle contest of the set.  Drew Daley tossed a complete game victory allowing only one earned run.  Ian Burgess had a pair of hits and drove in three runs in pacing the Danielson victory.  In the finale of the set Danielson lost 4-3 as they were unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

In a make-up contest against one of the Zone’s top teams, Waterford, Danielson fell in a close game 5-4.  In a Saturday afternoon twinbill against Norwich, Danielson lost the opener 5-2 but came back with a 7-4 win in the second game.  Danielson is 7-15 with four games remaining.

Moosup lost three games against New London the first two without scoring a run.  They were shutout 1-0 and 7-0.  In the 1-0 loss Moosup ace David Carpenter was the hard luck loser, allowing only two-hits to the Whaling City crew.  Post 91 then lost both ends of a doubleheader to Ledyard-Pawcatuck 4-3 and 6-2.  Moosup righted itself in the finale of the set winning 7-3 behind the bats of Caleb Desaulnier (3 hits – 2 RBI) and Colby Greenhalgh (2 hits – RBI).  Moosup is 7-16 on the season.

TriTown Juniors Hanging In

The TriTown Juniors blew a 4-1 lead to Jewett City in the opener of a three-game series, falling by the disappointing score of 6-5 despite a gutsy pitching performance by Luke Matthewson.  The determined Towners responded with a 5-1 win the next day as Mike Falco had two hits and Matthewson had two RBI.  Ryan Whitehouse, who went five innings, was the winner with solid relief help from Jacob Straub.

In a contest played at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, the Junior Towners continued their winning ways pulling out a dramatic 3-2 victory to preserve a solid pitching performance by Scott Davagian, who went 6 2/3 innings.  Straub came in and struck out the final Jewett City batter to preserve the win.  Norton Spencer drove in the winning run with a bases loaded single in the top of the seventh.  Matthewson made a spectacular catch from his shortstop spot racing toward foul territory behind third base making the defensive gem of the game.

The TriTown Juniors are 8-8 with four games remaining.

 

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