Pomperaug High School seniors, left to right, Sherman Mitchell, Connor Sullivan, Grant Wallace, Matt Brophy and Brian Dagostino, graduate this month. They played their last game for the Panthers Tuesday night in the Class L tournament. (Ken Morse photo)
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By Ken Morse Special to the Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer
Unless you win a state championship the inevitable outcome of each season’s final baseball game is dealing with a loss. It’s a tough way to end the season and, in some cases a high school career, but that is the nature of the beast in the field of athletic competition.
The Pomperaug baseball team met that fate Tuesday in the Class L first round, dropping a tough 6-1 game to Wethersfield. Connor Sullivan, Nick Albano, Ryan Dunfee and Jacob Coviello shared the duties on the hill trying to contain the Eagles.
Wethersfield, ranked No. 21 with an 11-9 record, came in red-hot winners of six of their last seven games, including three in extra innings. The 12-8 Panthers, ranked No. 12, had the home field advantage but finished up the season at 3-6 in the final nine games and were looking to get their momentum back.
Sullivan, three innings, three hits, three walks and two unearned runs, escaped a jam in the first inning stranding runners at second and third after a lead-off walk and an infield error. He wasn’t as fortunate in the second inning as another lead-off walk came back to haunt him. Eric Shields busted a run, scoring a double, and a two-base throwing error in the infield sent the second run across the dish.
The Panthers’ second baseman, Chris McFarland, wrapped the leather around a blast up the right side and fired a strike to Matt Brophy at third base to get the lead runner for an inning-ending double play. That defensive gem gave Pomperaug a bit of a spark as they tried to rally from a 2-0 deficit. Nick Hebert got every bit of a pitch from Eagles hurler Brian Viera and sent a blast to the wall in left for a stand-up double.
Brian Dagostino sent one up the third base side, but the throw across the diamond got by the first baseman for an error. Hebert never slowed down around third and headed for the plate. The throw got there ahead of the runner as Hebert tried to avoid the tag to no avail, and the potential run was cut down at the plate. Sullivan drew a walk to continue the rally, and McFarland ripped a line drive to short to end the inning.
“We got our bats on the ball but it seemed everything we hit went right at a fielder,” said Pomperaug head coach Mike Eisenbach. “It’s never easy to end the season like this and we are going to miss the leadership of these seniors.”
Wethersfield threatened again in the third, getting two runners on when Jordan Laske singled and Tyler Fote drew a walk. Pomperaug shortstop Jonathan Consiglio made a tough play for the final out to end the threat.
The Panthers tried to get it going again in the bottom of the third when Sherman Mitchell led off with a single and was erased on a stolen base attempt. Zach McGettigan beat out a single to shortstop, and Josh McGettigan hit into a fielder’s choice.
The timely hit never came as Viera managed to sidestep another potential rally, and the Eagles tacked on an insurance run in the fourth. Albano came on in relief for the Panthers, surrendering a one-out single to Connor Peterson, who scored on a single from Viera to make it a 3-0 game.
Albano went two and one third innings on the mound, allowing two hits and striking out four. Dunfee came on to pitch with one out in the sixth when the Eagles plated three more runs to put the game away.
Coviello went one and two-thirds of an inning to quiet down the Eagles as the Panthers tried to get the bats going one last time. Hebert fouled off several two-strike pitches before delivering a single to left to get it started in the seventh.
Dagostino singled, and pinch runner Jacob Ojalvo came on. Andrew Minchella tried to get one through the left side of the infield but the Eagles short stop, Xavier Quinones, turned in a second to first double play.
Sullivan and McFarland followed with singles as the Panthers were going down swinging. Mitchell sent one up the right side of the infield for the final out as the season came to an end for the Panthers.
“I like the way we fought back in our last at bat,” said Eisenbach. “It shows the character of this team. We used four pitchers today, and they will all be back next season. We have a good solid core of players and a lot of the younger guys got a lot of experience this season. It’s a tough way to end the season, but unless we win the state championship like we did in 2010 that’s the way it is.”
Pomperaug finished the season 13-10 overall and will graduate seniors Brian Dagostino, Grant Wallace, Connor Sullivan, Sherman Mitchell and Matt Brophy.
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