Torrington edges past Winsted

Rebels break tie with three-run 10th inning

WINSTED » Of all the applause Connecticut’s Tri-State League baseball players richly deserve — for talent, desire, love of the game — the one that’s sometimes overlooked is sheer courage.

Thursday evening at Winsted’s Walker Field, Torrington pitcher Chris Greatorex and Winsted’s Rich Wlodarczyk battled for almost 10 innings apiece against some of the best hitters around before Torrington broke through in the top of the 10th for three runs and a 7-4 win.

Stamina and guts? Sure, but there’s also courage to go with it.

“I felt a pop in my shoulder in the first inning,” said Greatorex, a right-hander who played golf at Lewis Mills High School and club baseball in college before becoming a starter in a league full of current and ex-college players. “I just changed the way I pitch.”

Greatorex gave up four runs that first inning on hits by Winsted’s Andrew Billig (run); Charlie Putnam (2 RBIs); and Devin Warren (2-for4, double, RBI, run), along with his only walk of the game and a Rebel error.

He gave up just two hits in the next nine innings, along with nine strikeouts.

“He had half of his regular stuff,” said catcher Greg Bodnar, who brought the ordeal to an end in the top of the 10th with a two-run single.

“This is the difference between this year and last year,” said Bodnar, the Rebel’s player/coach. “This year, we don’t give up.”

The Rebels are 8-3, third in the 18-team league. Winsted is 6-7, tied for ninth before Thursday. The

qualify for the playoffs for the championship.

Wlodarczyk, an experienced pitcher recently transplanted from Boston, proved the Whalers league don’t give up either. Without two of their key players in the lineup, “We got our licks in early,” said player/coach Chet Warner.

Torrington scored in the top of the first on a double by Chris Beck (2for-4, 2 runs) and an RBI single from Bodnar (2-for5, 4 RBI).

Then Whaler bats matched Greatorex’s shoulder pop for a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the inning.

The Rebels came back for two in the third, on a walk to Beck, fielder’s choice from Austin Patnaude (2 runs); RBI double from Pepe Napoleon (2for-3, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs); and an RBI groundout from Bodnar.

They tied the score 4-4 in the fifth on hits by Nick Yousefzadeh (2-for-4, run); Beck; and Napoleon’s second RBI double.

“He’s the best fastball hitter I’ve ever seen, but he can’t hit a curve,” laughed Bodnar. “Tonight, Pepe hit a curve.”

Meanwhile, both pitchers kept coming out inning after inning. Torrington had one baserunner in the next four innings; Winsted had none.

Like a marathon arm wrestling match, Wlodarczyk and his defense finally bent in the top of the 10th. Yousefzadeh led off with a single; Patnaude reached on an error. With one out, Wlodarczyk loaded the bases with an intentional walk to Napoleon. Bodnar grounded a tworun single through the left side. Chris McKenna iced it with another.

Jeff Negron came in for the final two outs, but it was too late for the Whalers.

Thursday night, with a three-run lead and half his stuff, Chris Greatorex charge that hill one more time.

PHOTO BY PETER WALLACE Player/coach Greg Bodnar broke open a marathon Torrington Tri-State League win over Winsted with a two-run single in the top of the 10th Thursday evening at Walker Field.