Berlin puts RCP’s Zone 7 clinching party on hold

CROMWELL » RCP’s celebration will have to wait.

That’s because Berlin ruined the Zone 7 clinching party with a 10-inning, 3-1 win in the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader at Fran Monnes Field, denying what would have been RCP’s clinching win. RCP got to the precipice of clinching with a 6-3 win in the opener, but the brilliant pitching of Berlin reliever Gianni Fanelli stopped RCP cold.

“Fanelli is one of the seven sophomores we have on our team,” said Berlin coach Gary Van Etten. “He’s very good and he’s very athletic. There are some things he needs to learn about the game, but he has very good control and has been a real surprise for us.

“We beat a very good team, a very good program today.”

Fanelli went six innings, allowed only three hits and struck out six to earn the win.

“He shut us down the last time we faced him,” said RCP coach T.J. Grande. “He throws strikes and if you do that in this league you’ll win a lot of games.”

RCP took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when starting pitcher Adam Willametz uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded. But that was it for RCP this day.

Yet RCP starter Noah Budzik looked like he would made that run stand up as he took that 1-0 lead to the seventh. But in the seventh he surrendered a leadoff single to Dan Pirruccio and Mike Giove bunted him to second base.

Paul Prior singled him to third and Dan Veleas got him home with a suicide squeeze bunt to tie the game. Remember the squeeze as there are more coming.

RCP loaded the bases in the eighth with two out. Luke Matchett hit a flare into short left field that looked like a hit, but was caught on a very good diving, game-saving catch by Ethan Skinner to preserve the 1-1 tie.

In the tenth, Budzik gave up a leadoff double to Fanelli. He was replaced by Roland Thivierge, who couldn’t escape trouble.

Nick Carroll followed with a bunt and RCP’s attempt to get Fanelli at third failed, putting runners on first and third. Carroll stole second and Berlin won the game on back-to-back suicide squeeze bunts by Wiilametz and Cody Lacasse.

Reliever Jeff Kuzoian earned a save with a 1-2-3 inning.

“They executed the bunts, give them credit,” said Grande. “And they made that great catch in left, so they made one more play than we did.”

RCP put the opener away with a five-run second highlighted by a three-run home run by Joe Vail, who was also the winning pitcher. Austin White had two hits for RCP.

Matt Vernacatola was the starting and losing pitcher for Berlin.

On Saturday, RCP defeated Glastonbury 5-1 in the continuation of a suspended game from Friday, scoring all five runs in the second inning. Kevin Larkin was the winner and Zach Lombardo had two hits for RCP

RCP’s magic number for clinching the zone is two. Any combination of Berlin (9-6) losses and RCP (18-1) wins that add to two gives RCP the Zone 7 title.