Sports: After 6-2 defeat at the hands of RCP, New London out of Legion tourney
Can’t overcome a sloppy five-run third inning in 6-2 loss to RCP
South Windsor — Throughout the postseason, the New London American Legion baseball team handled everything thrown at it: single elimination for the first round, a best-of-three series against fellow Zone 6 representative Niantic and on to the double-elimination portion of the state regional.
Finally, Tuesday, New London got itself into a scenario from which it couldn't extract itself.
New London came unraveled in the third inning against two-time defending state champion Rocky Hill-Cromwell-Portland, allowing five runs on two hits, two walks, two errors and a pair of wild pitches to fall 6-2.
The loss, which came in the championship round of the Northern Division Super Regionals, ended a successful summer for New London (239), one step shy of the state championship series beginning Friday against either Cheshire or Stamford.
New London, which lost to RCP 1-0 in eight innings Sunday in the winners' bracket, would have had to beat RCP again Wednesday to advance.
“We had one tough inning, which you always get in baseball,” said New London's Cooper Robinson, entering his sophomore year at Avery Point. “The big thing is trying to limit that inning. They had the same kind of inning as we did the next half inning, but they managed it better than we did.”
“We had some tired arms out there, but we didn't give up,” New London manager Tom Vivirito said. “A couple times we just needed one base hit to make it a two-run game. … Overall it was just a tremendous season.”
New London starting pitcher Trevor Bolduc breezed through his first seven hitters, not allowing a baserunner, before walking a pair with one out in the third.
Cory Baldwin followed with an RBI single for RCP to make it 1-0. Cole Ogorzalek bunted and Bolduc, trying to get the force at third, threw the ball away to allow another run. Bolduc then allowed a ball that went for a run-scoring infield single by Austin White, with no one covering first, capping a series of oddities for New London.
Bolduc was relieved by Justin Marceau, who allowed two more runs on wild pitches.
In all, New London outhit RCP 6-5, but to no avail, as RCP pitcher Tucker Lord (Merrimack) pitched in and out of trouble. Lord threw six innings, striking out six and walking three. Roland Thivierge closed things out with a 1-2-3 seventh.
“This tournament's tough,” New London's Vivirito said. “(RCP has) been there before, so they probably have a little more experience as far as
“We had one tough inning, which you always get in baseball. The big thing is trying to limit that inning. They had the same kind of inning as we did the next half inning, but they managed it better than we did.” NEW LONDON’S COOPER ROBINSON
that's concerned. Things just didn't work out.”
New London made things interesting starting in the top of the fourth, however.
Coming off the field after giving up five runs, Jeremy Santos drew a leadoff walk for New London and Marceau reached on an error. Pieter Khoury chopped a single to short and an error on the play allowed Santos to score. Two outs later, Jake Parizo singled home Marceau to make it 5-2.
Lord induced a strikeout to end the inning with two runners on.
New London left two on in the fifth and sixth, as well, continually giving itself the opportunity to carve into the RCP lead.
In the fifth, Bolduc singled and Marceau walked, but Lord once again recorded a strikeout to end the inning. Gabe Cortorreal and Parizo strung together back-to-back singles in the sixth, but Lord induced a pair of ground outs.
New London left eight men on.
“It was definitely a good summer,” said Robinson, who pitched the final 2.1 innings for New London.
“We kind of had the same team we had last summer. … It was nice to beat (Niantic, earlier in the tournament) because three or four of their guys go to Avery Point with me.
“I think it's been four (games) in a row for us. You could just tell (people were getting tired).” v.fulkerson@theday.com