Wildcats batter Panthers

SEYMOUR — Seymour fell into a hole in the first inning Saturday when Will McDonald’s blast cleared the center-field fence for a three-run home run.

However, if the Wildcats were concerned, they certainly didn’t show it.

The Wildcats flipped the script in a hurry, responding with six runs in their first at-bat en route to an abbreviated 17-4 victory over Pomperaug at French Memorial Park. The game was called after four and a half innings due to the mercy rule.

“I wasn’t even really concerned,” Seymour coach Jeff Gilbert said of his team’s early three-run deficit. “Our guys are pretty aggressive at the plate. We can hit the ball. As long as they’re throwing strikes and we have bats in our hands, I feel pretty confident.”

The Wildcats showed why Gilbert was so at ease. They banged out 13 hits, eight of which went for extra bases. The big blasts came from shortstop Austin DeRosa and third baseman Jake Todice, each of whom hit a two-run home run.

“I actually just made fun of them because I think two home runs matches the last two seasons, at least,” Gilbert said. “It might have exceeded it by one. We had one home run all of last year.”

Seymour scored in all four innings in which it batted, and its 17 runs was one short of a season-high. It was the team’s sixth straight win following an 0-2 start.

“I don’t know what happened,” Pomperaug coach Mike Eisenbach said. “We got a little shell-shocked. We jump on them early in the top of the first with three, and then the flood gates opened up.”

Pomperaug’s three-run lead lasted all of one out. Nick Marchetti’s double off left-hander Jake Veillette tied it 3-3 in the first inning. Four batters later, the Wildcats tacked on three more runs on a double by designated hitter Dan Manente.

The Wildcats broke things open in the third, plating seven runs to increase their lead to 14-4. They had six hits in the inning, including a threerun double by left fielder Christian DeJarnette and a two-run home run by DeRosa. Three more runs crossed home in the fourth, including two on Todice’s homer.

Right-hander John Chacho went the distance for Seymour on the mound, scattering four hits over five innings. He struck out six batters and walked six.

“We’re a really competitive team,” Todice said. “We don’t like going down. That [early deficit] just gave us extra motivation to get back up and hit. We did that today.”

The Panthers dropped to 2-5 on the season.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Jake Todice, Seymour, 3B: Eight Wildcats drove in at least one run, including Todice, who had a two-run double in the third inning and a two-run home run in the fourth.

QUOTABLE

“Anything that could have gone wrong went wrong. They hit the ball. It was not a good game today.” — Pomperaug coach Mike Eisenbach

WILDCATS CONTINUE TO ROAR

Saturday was the fifth time in eight games this season that Seymour scored at least 10 runs. Seventy-seven runs have scored during the team’s six-game winning streak.