Winsted Post 43 rallies for win over Simsbury

WINSTED » Say hello to Winsted Post 43 as an American Legion baseball power.

Winsted, combining all-stars from Northwestern, Gilbert and Housatonic with a head coach who’s an assistant for state champion Lewis Mills, came from behind for a 2-1 win over perennial Legion power Simsbury Tuesday evening in its latest example of summer prowess.

Post 43 came into the game with its first playoff qualification since 2004 already in hand, despite the fact that a Simsbury win would leave the possibility of identical regular season records if Winsted were to also lose at Zone I last-place Unionville in its final regular-season game tonight.

With two wins already over Simsbury (13-11), fifth in the nine-team zone, Winsted (158) owned the tie-breaker for the zone’s fourth and final playoff spot, with bigger fish to fry with a win over Unionville. A win tonight at Farmington’s Tunxis Mead, 7 p.m., earns Post 43 its first state playoff home game since 1993 this Saturday.

So Winsted went at it like they meant it Tuesday, just as it has all summer. Its latest previous highlight was a win over Zone I leader Avon Monday night while its U-17 counterpart shows the same attitude in first place (156) in the nine-team statewide Junior American Legion league.

Tuesday, rising Northwestern senior Jayson Reola pitched a two-hit gem in a game with just seven total hits.

Tony Pacino, a rising sophomore at Northwest Florida State College, hit the winning bomb in the bottom of the seventh to complete a three-game sweep of a team that hasn’t missed the Legion playoffs for 16 years before now.

Meanwhile, Winsted played dazzling defense behind Reola.

“It’s just like we always say at Lewis Mills,” said Coach D.J. Reese. “If you pitch and play defense, you give yourself a chance to win every game.”

“They’re a good team,” said veteran Simsbury Coach Tom Vincent. “Their pitcher kept us

off balance all night and they make all the plays.”

Simsbury, beset with illness and injuries to key players all summer, arrived with the intention of earning at least a moral victory.

Starting pitcher Pete Myers got out of self-induced jams in the first two innings (five walks and a hit by Chad Closson) before settling in for just one more walk and two hits in the next five innings.

Nate Eberly delivered Simsbury’s first hit in the top of the third – a towering home run onto the dirt path in right center field.

Both defenses played like the all-stars they are. Winsted left fielder Cam Goulet made a “nonchalant” diving catch for a sinking Simsbury line drive; catcher Closson gunned down the first of two would-be steals at second base; shortstop Pacino gobbled up a slow roller in a routine play for him – an infield hit for most others.

Simsbury’s Nate Orluk matched Goulet with a diving stab at second base.

Down 1-0 in the top of the fourth, Winsted right fielder Mike Oley turned an amazing catch into a double play with a throw to first, catching Simsbury’s Jake Nichols already at second.

Winsted started grabbing its chances for a win in the bottom of the fourth with leadoff hits by Vinny Tancreti and Reola. After Goulet loaded the bases as a hit batter, Oley’s fielder’s choice got Tancreti in for the tie.

Reola and his defense kept rolling off the innings. Closson made a great play on a chopper in the fifth, then threw out another steal attempt in the sixth. Nichols singled Simsbury’s second hit of the game in the top of the seventh. Reola left him there with his third strikeout and a surething grounder to Pacino at short.

With Eberly on the mound in relief in the bottom of the second, the game looked like extra innings when Simsbury third baseman Nate Fulham stabbed a lead-off line drive by Oley and Simsbury catcher Nate Fulham caught Connor Toffey (single) stealing for the second out.

But this year, this Winsted team wasn’t through giving itself chances. Housatonic’s Jakob Shpur caught a break with a Simsbury throwing error. Pacino delivered a bomb to right center field a walk-off double.

“We play calmer, knowing we’ve been here before,” said Pacino.

“We’ve all been playing together for a long time. We have each other’s backs,” said Reola.

Is there a better definition of power?