SWC semifinals are set; Hernandez becomes all-time hits leader at Danbury

The Bethel baseball team staged a stunning rally to preserve its hopes of back-toback SWC titles Tuesday as a walk-off hit by Pete Baia gave the Wildcats a 4-3 eightinning win over Stratford in the No. 4-5 matchup of the conference quarterfinals.

Bethel trailed 3-1 entering the seventh before Nick Quinn hit a two-out, two-run single to tie the game. That set the stage for Baia to lift his squad to the semifinals. The Wildcats will meet Barlow there while Weston will face Masuk.

The Trojans rallied from an even larger deficit to reach the semis as they trailed No. 3 New Milford 6-1 in the fifth inning before winning 7-6. Myles Bochanis hit a three-run homer in the seventh for Weston to score the upset.

Elsewhere, second-seeded Masuk pounded out 20 hits to knock off No. 7 New Fairfield 12-1 and No. 8 Barlow stunned No. 1 Newtown 2-1 to advance to face the Wildcats.