The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Tri-Town takes championship series opener
WATERBURY — The No. 2 Tri-Town Trojans scored five runs in the first four innings and complete-game pitcher Dan Livingston did the rest for a 5-0 win over the No. 1 Terryville Black Sox in the first game of the Tri-State Baseball League’s best-of-three championship series Wednesday at Waterbury’s Municipal Stadium.
The Black Sox (24-3; 22-1 TriState) suffered their first league loss of the season after a week in which they finished third in the Stan Musial Northeast Championships in Massachusetts.
Terryville won its only league matchup with Tri-Town late in the regular season in a 10-inning battle at Old Terryville High School, but the Trojans (21-2) held all the cards on Wednesday.
“We had string-hitting and great at-bats and I never worry with (Livingston) on the mound,” said Trojan player/coach Danny McCarty.
The Trojan offense opened up on Terryville starter Eli Oliphant in the second inning with back-toback leadoff singles by McCarty (run scored) and Landon Gardella (2-for-4, double, run scored). Then Oliphant lost control, with three walks and a hit batter for TriTown’s first three runs.
Jason Burger came in to put out that fire but allowed two more Trojan runs in the fourth in another bases-loaded, no-out jam, starting with a double by Coleby Bunnell, one of Brad Ellis’s three walks and an infield single by Tom Troy.
Matt Troy cashed it in with a two-run single to right.
Burger allowed just one more Tri-Town hit while striking out 11, but the strong performance was too late with Livingston on the Trojan mound.
The 43-year-old side-arming veteran was in control from beginning to end, allowing just three hits to a team whose bats regularly terrorize the rest of the league.
“He hits his spots and never
shows the same pitch twice,” said Trojan catcher Gardella.
“I mix my arm angle and they start overthinking,” Livingston said. “(Gardella) did a great job calling the pitches.
Livingston walked just
two batters and hit another while striking out seven and allowing just one well-hit ball out of the infield — where right fielder Austin Swanson made the catch of the night.
The teams clash again Thursday, weather permitting, then Friday if necessary, all back at Municipal Stadium with 7 p.m. start times.
“We’re likely to see (Terryville ace) Kody Kerski, but we’ve seen him before,” said McCarty.
No. 2 Tri-Town Trojans 5, No. 1 Terryville Black Sox 0