Season ends in disappointment for Middletown

MIDDLETOWN » Middletown’s bounce-back American Legion season ended in disappointment — and high controversy — with a 2-1, nine-inning loss to Zone 4 champion Greenwich Wednesday.

After losing 8-1 Tuesday in a game that saw Middletown coach Tim D’Aquila ejected for the first time in his 12-year coaching career by umpire Peter Stokes, Post 75 had to sweep Wednesday in order to advance.

Luke Garofalo pitched the game Wednesday and was magnificent. He went eight innings, allowed five hits and struck out 11. But he couldn’t win. He came close, but close doesn’t count.

Middletown (24-8) loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth with one out, but Ben Alonzo bounced into a short-to-home-to

first double play to end the rally.

Danny Botti replaced Garofalo in the ninth and got two quick outs, but couldn’t get the third as Ryan King’s single to right chased home the winning run sending Greenwich (25-2) to a rematch with Zone 4 rival Stamford in the first game Saturday at Palmer Field (1 p.m.). in the Super Regional phase of the marathon known as the Connecticut American Legion tournament.

Middletown got two on with one out in the ninth, but couldn’t score as Connor Langan nailed it down by striking out Ryan Famiglietti and Cal Pitruzzello.

“Garofalo was great,” said D’Aquila. “He had all four of his pitches.”

D’Aquila went on to say that he knew his club was an underdog against Greenwich. “Zone 4 is very good,” he said. “Stamford, Trumbull, Greenwich and even Norwalk, who we beat, are all very good teams.

“But I thought we showed great progress this year and when we played as a team, it was beautiful to watch. When we pitched well and our defense made plays, we were very good. We preached the virtues of playing as a team to the kids. We had kids who could have played 17 and under, but we played them up here, so we have a good, young nucleus.”

Much of the series was overshadowed by the ejection and controversy with the umpires. The accounts of what happened depends on who is talking.

Everything happened in the second inning of the Tuesday game. D’Aquila was ejected by plate umpire Peter Stokes. That everybody agrees on. They agree on little else.

D’Aquila’s version: He had a player complain on calls and he got the player in the dugout. D’Aquila said that Stokes came to the dugout and said to him he was warning the dugout and if the chirping continued, he would throw people out.

D’Aquila said he said, “Don’t warn the kids, I’ll take care of the dugout, warn me.” Stokes said “OK, you’re warned.” D’Aquila said he said, “‘Fine, I’ll take care of the dugout, you take care of balls and strikes’, and at that point he ejected me.”

Stokes’ version: In his report to the State Legion of which The Press has a copy, he said: “Tim D’Aquila manager for Middletown was ejected for abusive language on a balk call in the 2nd inning of a State playoff game vs. Greenwich. The call was made and he started swearing that ‘his team always gets (expletive) down here.’ I told him enough and I warned him on the swearing and he told me to worry about (expletive) balls and strikes so I dumped him, again with the swearing. He came out like an animal, he bumped me twice and said I (expletive) sucked, my partner sucked.”

Base umpire Michael Vigliotti backed Stokes’ version in his report to the State Legion and reiterated that D’Aquila “twice bumped Stokes.”

D’Aquila’s reply: In a phone conversation Thursday he said that part of the umpires’ report “is false.” He went on to say that, “The umpire came towards the dugout and I did not charge him and I did not bump him. He was the aggressor. I never argued the balk call.”

D’Aquila said that his team had trouble with Stokes — who has umpired the high school and Legion circuit for 15 years and college ball for five — three years ago in a game with Stamford. Stokes said he had no memory of that alleged incident.