H-K able to knock off Cromwell

CROMWELL >> Pitching and power.

That’s the formula that fuels successful baseball teams and that’s what combined to give Haddam-Killingworth a key 3-1 Shoreline Conference win over Cromwell at Fran Monnes Field Monday afternoon.

Luke Bauer fired a seven-strikeout four-hitter and catcher Tyler Popp slammed a long solo home run over the left field fence to give his team an early lead it never surrendered.

“Luke’s location was as good as it’s ever been,” said H-K coach Mark Brookes. “He was spotting his fastball and curveball very well and he even back-doored some lefties with his curve. He pitched extremely well.”

Three of Cromwell’s four hits had blood all over them. The first hit, a single by Noah Budzik (2for-2), was an infield bouncer to deep short. Another was an infield roller on which Bauer fell while trying to field, and the third was a fly ball that split the gap in leftcenter that ticked off a diving Kyle Crandall’s glove.

Budzik’s second hit, a double down the right field line that knocked in the Panthers’ only run, was a rocket. That was all Bauer gave up. His finest moment came in the sixth. With one out he gave up a walk, an infield single and Budzik’s double for a run. With runners on second and third and one gone, Bauer got clean-up hitter Sean Melaven on a short fly to right and Zach Lombardo on a ground ball to third.

“That was one of the few times we created anything off of Bauer,” said Cromwell coach Lew Pappariella. “We didn’t execute in one spot [fourth inning] where we had first and second. We had a hit-and-run on, but the sign was missed. Otherwise we could have had first and third with no outs.”

Instead, Bauer got a double play and a routine grounder to get out of the inning.

“When you’re up against a pitcher like Bauer, you have to create opportunities,” said Pappariella.

Cromwell (11-6) played from behind from the second inning on, thanks to Popp’s dinger.

“That was big,” said Brookes. “He’s hitting .380 or .390 and maybe I would like him to hit the ball on a line a little more, but

I’ll take the home run. The middle of our order continues to produce.”

H-K’s 3-4-5 hitters were a combined 4-for-10 and knocked in all three runs.

The Cougars (13-4) took a 3-0 lead in the third on a single by Owen Marica, an infield single by Ben Alonzo -- on which second baseman Tyler Baldwin made a throwing error that allowed the runners to move up -- and after an intentional walk to Popp, Ross Meglin (2-for-3) doubled home two.

The rally would have been bigger had not Toby Callendar (2-for-3) been picked off first by catcher Melaven for the first out. H-K also had Popp thrown out at the plate as he tried to score on Meglin’s double.

Austin Roy took the loss. He went six innings, allowing all three runs on eight hits. He walked three and struck out five.

Cromwell hosts Morgan and H-K hosts North Branford on Wednesday.