Strasburg, USA lose in semifinal to Japan

Story courtesy of usabaseball.com

BEIJING -- Three-run homers by Alexei Bell and Ariel Pestano highlighted a six-run eighth inning as Cuba broke open a close game en route to defeating the U.S. Olympic baseball team, 10-2, on Friday evening in semifinal action at the Wukesong Main Field.
The loss snaps Team USA's four-game winning streak and puts the U.S. in the bronze-medal game against Japan on Saturday morning with first pitch scheduled for 10:30 a.m. local time (Friday night at 10:30 p.m. EDT). Cuba advances to face Korea in the gold-medal game.
Things were tight heading into the late innings with Cuba clinging to a 4-2 lead against the U.S. The Red, White & Blue managed to twice cut two-run deficits in half but could get no more than one run in either the fourth or fifth innings.
Matt Brown (Bellevue, Wash.) tallied a fourth-inning sacrifice fly RBI and Jason Donald (Fresno, Calif.) recorded an RBI single in the fifth to bring the U.S. within a run. That would be the last run scored by the U.S., though, as Cuba went ahead by two runs again on a solo homer by Frederich Cepeda in the sixth inning and kept tacking on.
The offense then started to come together for Cuba in the bottom of the eighth when Michel Enriquez and Cepeda laced back-to-back singles setting the stage for Bell. On a 1-2 pitch from U.S. reliever Jeff Stevens, Bell launched a deep homer into left field to extend the Cubans' lead to 7-2. Cuba continued its offensive attack with three more runs courtesy of Ariel Pestano, who knocked a three-run homer to left field off reliever Blaine Neal.
Cuba would finish the night with a 14-6 advantage in hits with Despaigne's 3-for-4 day at the plate leading the way. Bell, Cepeda and Yuliesky Gourriel added two hits apiece. All nine Cuba starters recorded at least one hit. Cuba also finished with four home runs.
Starting pitcher Norge Luis Vera picked up the win for Cuba after six innings of work allowing two runs -- one earned -- on six hits. The loss fell to U.S. starter Stephen Strasburg (San Diego, Calif.). The right-hander for Team USA went four innings and allowed three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks allowed.
"That was a tough one," said manager Davey Johnson. "We hung too many breaking balls and that was our downfall, and we couldn't get anything going offensively. I thought Stephen [Strasburg] was throwing the ball exceptionally well, but he had 75 pitches after four [innings]. He's got too good a future ahead of him. I didn't want him to go out there and labor at all in the fifth. We were in good position. We just didn't hold them. We made too many mistakes."
Cuba broke ahead, 2-0, in the bottom of the third inning. Giorbis Duvergel reached base on a one-out single and scored on an RBI triple off the bat of Hector Olivera. On the play, U.S. second baseman Brian Barden (Templeton, Calif.) attempted to throw out Olivera at third base but threw errantly to third baseman Mike Hessman (Fountain Valley, Calif.) allowing Olivera to score the second run.
Team USA cut the deficit to 2-1 with a run in the top of the fourth inning. Barden led off with a base hit followed by a single to center field from Nate Schierholtz (Danville, Calif.), giving the U.S. a pair of runners. After a groundout to the left side advanced the runners to second and third, the U.S. scored its first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to left field by Brown.
The lead extended back to two runs, though, as Cuba answered in the bottom of the fourth with Despaigne knocking a two-out solo homer to deep left-center.
Team USA answered in the top of the fifth inning and cut the deficit to a run again with Donald tallying an RBI base hit. That run was unearned, since with one out Lou Marson (Scottsdale, Ariz.) reached base on a fielding error by right fielder Alexei Bell. The catcher reached second base on the play as the ball dropped in between Bell and second baseman Yuliesky Gourriel after miscommunication. Marson would then score when Donald ripped a base hit up the middle, who just edged out the throw at the plate from center fielder Giorbis Duvergel.
"The hitters didn't show up today," said Brian Barden. "We put up two runs early and really didn't get anything going. As a hitter, I take the blame for how the game went along. Stephen [Strasburg] pitched a pretty solid game. The few mistakes that we had -- you can't make those in these big games. You have to come out and pretty much be perfect and today we weren't."

Story about Twister awards

Story about Twister awards from Aug. 12:

In spite of a trying year on the field, several Torrington Twisters were recognized by their general manager and coaches for their performances on and off the field.

Torrington General Manager Kirk Fredriksson and the coaching staff voted on four awards, which are given out each year. The award winners are Robert Chimpky, Brian Baudinet, Corey Huffine, Andrew Triggs and Chase Austin. Huffine and Triggs shared the same award.

Chimpky was chosen for this year's Ryan Kearney Award, which is given to the most outstanding pitcher on the team. Kearney was a lights-out pitcher on the inaugural Twisters team in 1997. Kearney won the league's top pitcher award that season.

"(Chimpky) wasn't afraid to take the ball, no matter what the situation was," Fredriksson said.

Chimpky began the season as the team's set-up man, but quickly shifted into the closer's role after Steve Geltz was signed by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Though he did not get many chances, Chimpky made the most of them, saving five games in five attempts. Chimpky went 2-1 with a 3.63 ERA in 16 appearances, according to the NECBL's Web site. In 17 1-3 innings, he gave up 11 runs (seven earned) on 20 hits, striking out 24, while walking four. Chimpky made the Southern Division All-Star team.

"A good guy," Fredriksson said. "What he lacks in stature he makes up for in determination."

Brian Baudinet, a Watertown resident, was chosen as the team's most valuable player, the honor for which is the David Benham Award, named after a star player on the 1997 team.

"The kid got better as the season went on," Fredriksson said.
Fredriksson said Baudinet was a fun player to have on the team and added that Baudinet's appearance on the all-star team should be credited to his hard work.Baudinet started every game (37) he played in, hitting .256 with a home run and 14 runs batted in. Though his hitting took a while to come around, Baudinet was a threat on defense, recording six outfield assists and keeping many runners from trying to advance on him as the season wore on.

"We hope to have him back next year," Fredriksson said.

Two players on the team were the recipient of the Jeff Hourigan Sportsmanship Award. Hourigan played in Torrington for three years, making the All-Star team in all three years. But Hourigan was just as valuable off the field, Fredriksson said. Hourigan won the league sportsmanship award in 2004.

"Jeff Hourigan's one of the most outstanding individuals to play for us," Fredriksson said. "Even if he wasn't that kind of player, you want him on your team, because of the way he treats people and the way he treats the team."

The winners are Corey Huffine and Andrew Triggs. Huffine continued to improve in the field at third base and at the plate.

"Corey came in here as a replacement (for another player)," Fredriksson said. "He worked hard every day. He played hard every day."

Fredriksson said Huffine was a great kid.

"He was a real pleasure to have on the team," Fredriksson said. "He's a coach's dream."

Another hard worker was Triggs. Pitching for the first time in two years because of Tommy John surgery, Triggs played hard and took the ball when asked, even if his numbers did not always back up his effort.

"He was one guy who showed up every day," Fredriksson said. "I hope we have him back next year. Just a great kid."

Both Huffine and Triggs got the award because of the sportsmanship, professionalism and attitude that they each exhibited.

Winning the team's batting award was Chase Austin. The award was named after Jimmy Deschaine, who set the league record for batting average in Torrington's first season, hitting .429 in 1997. Austin hit .313 this season with four homers and 22 runs batted in.

"Chase was probably our best hitter this year," Fredriksson said. "He hit for power at times when we needed it. He hit to all fields later in the year."

Recap of Wadsworth and Hubner's first season

Recap of Robin Wadsworth and Rita Hubner's first season as co-owners of the Torrington Twisters from Aug. 7:

A tough year on the field for the Torrington Twisters had a silver lining as it was a year of progress off the field, the team's owner said Wednesday.

Robin Wadsworth and Rita Hubner, both of whom live outside of Boston, took over ownership of the Torrington Twisters in April, just two months before the 2008 season was set to begin.

"I think it was a successful experience," Wadsworth, the team's chairman, said Wednesday. "It was more than anticipated from just a sheer amount of effort that it takes to put it together."

As for rumors about the team's move, Wadsworth and Twisters General Manager Kirk Fredriksson said the team is not going anywhere.

"That's never been a question," Fredriksson said. "That's never even been a question. It's not even an issue. They (the owners) plan on doing everything they can to be here not only this year, but for years to come."

Wadsworth said fans approached her at the end of the season and told her they looked forward to seeing them and coming back next season.

"The facts are that back in July, I personally reached out to (Mayor Ryan Bingham's) office," Wadsworth said.

The purpose of the conversation was a lease for the 2009 season, which Wadsworth wants to be see completed by the end of August. Wadsworth said she wants the development of the lease done in concert with the related organizations in the city, including the Parks and Recreation Commission, the City Council, the Fuessenich Park Steering Committee and the Mayor's Office.

Wadsworth said the rumors about issues with the team or about them moving away are disconcerting.

"It's deflating and it's disheartening because you're trying to do something that you have such incredible passion about," Wadsworth said. "You're trying to do the right thing."

Wadsworth said some of the rumors have come from people who have never taken the time to meet with her.

"They don't know what our long-term plans, strategies or desires are," Wadsworth said.

Wadsworth said there was not much difference between the work she did in Torrington compared to her stint with the Double-AA minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs from 1985-87. Looking back on her first season with the Twisters, she said she would not have done anything differently.

"I'm not sure that there is," Wadsworth said. "We really didn't have enough time to do everything that we needed to do."

There are some things that she will do differently next year, Wadsworth said without going into detail. With the new ownership in place, the team is expected to lose $12,000 to $13,000, a major change over 2007, when it lost $70,000, Wadsworth said.

"We saw some incredible growth in 2008," she said.

On the field was a different story, where the Twisters finished 14-27 and missed the playoffs.

"I think that from the most holistic perspective, the guys that were here were a great group of guys," Wadsworth said. "I was disappointed with what happened on the field. You get disappointed when you don't make the playoffs and you finish out of contention."

Wadsworth, without naming players, said she was concerned with the effort on display during some games, especially considering some of them have visions of playing in the major leagues.

"You're not going to get there if you're not giving 100 percent 100 percent of the time," she said.

Wadsworth praised the die-hard fans who came to every game.

"There's not a doubt in my mind that they welcomed us with open arms," she said.

The raising of ticket prices from $3 to $6 for general admission and $5 to $8 for box seats did not hurt the team's attendance, Wadsworth said.

"Do I think ticket prices hurt it? Absolutely not," she said.

Wadsworth pointed to special nights such as the Dominican all-star team game, the NECBL All-Star Game and United Way's Night at the Twisters as success stories. She said that all of the exhibition games and other items, including the team's financial system, were set up in a short amount of time.

"We should not lose money next year," Wadsworth said. "There would be no excuse for it."

She said the team would not have lost money had the new ownership come sooner than two months before the season began.

"In two short months, we did it all from scratch," Wadsworth said.

Fredriksson has already been looking at players for next season, he said, while organization of other events is also beginning.

"He's got a pretty strong bead on a bunch of guys," Wadsworth said.

Wadsworth and Fredriksson are working on getting international teams to come to Torrington for an exhibition series.

"I personally am working directly with Major League Baseball," Wadsworth said. "Kirk is working with other countries. We're looking to put together a series that makes this year pale in comparison."

Wadsworth and Hubner brought in David and Paula Tedham of Vancouver, British Columbia, as minority owners in late July. The Tedhams will bring in further organizational experience, Wadsworth said.

Recap of Twister season

Twisters recap story from Aug. 5:

The wheels are already turning for the Torrington Twisters after finishing a frustrating season with a tough 1-0, 10-inning loss to the North Shore Navigators on Thursday.

General Manager Kirk Fredriksson is already looking at players for next season, including some in Connecticut.

A difficult 14-27 season ended with Torrington dropping 18 of its final 23 games after being tied for first place with a 9-9 record on July 6.

"We were 9-9 and were in first place," Twisters coach Gregg Hunt said. "We knew that wasn't going to continue. We thought we had a legitimate shot to get on the right track."

Torrington got to .500 at 9-9 with a 3-2, 11-inning win over in North Adams against the SteepleCats. A Jaren Mathews homer in the 11th won the game.

The euphoria was shortlived, as the Twisters made another trip to North Adams the next night. Torrington made eight errors and lost 13-3.

"Everything seemed to go downhill after that game," Hunt said.

Players forced to play out of position in the field and in the batting order due to a host of injuries and players leaving early for different reasons contributed to the Twisters' slide, Hunt said.

"(The roster) never gelled and we had some guys that we were depending on coming here," Hunt said. "We probably passed on some guys that in hindsight maybe we should have gone after."

It didn't help that Torrington was rained out 14 times this season.

"With the number of rainouts we had, we didn't have any rhythm," Fredriksson said.

Fredriksson said it was hard to lose the players that the Twisters lost early in the season.

"Baseball's a game of exposure," he said. "To the kids' credit, most of them dealt with it well."

Torrington had a 19-player turnover for the season, Hunt said. It started before the season ever began.

Catcher Kevin Silvett of San Diego State, Southern California pitcher Ryan Cabral, pitcher Michael Dixon of San Diego State, Central Michigan infielder Billy Anderson and Arizona shortstop Bryce Ortega could not make it due to injuries. Brigham Young's Steve Parker, a good player for the Twisters last season, went to summer school. James Teas of Central Michigan also did not make it. Chris Epps of Clemson had offseason surgery and was unable to join the team. Others that did not play a game in Torrington included Ryan Wilkins of Lipscomb and Kory Twede of Wright State.

Other players who left for various reasons included Aaron Barrows, Goshen's Andrew Rocco, Kevin Mager, Scott Shuman and Clay Caulfield.

Blake Silguero, a player who hit for power at Cisco Junior College in Texas, played just four games and was sent home because of a back injury. USC's Jordan Hershiser, son of former major league pitcher Orel Hershiser, left because of an arm injury. Robert Papenhause, an infielder from Brown, played in one game, breaking his wrist on a swing.

Steve Geltz, who was slated to be Torrington's closer, was signed by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after pitching in three games for the Twisters.

Turnover is not unusual in summer leagues, but Torrington got bit by it early and often this season.

The statistical bottom line for the Twisters is not pretty.

Offensively, Torrington was tied for last in the NECBL in team batting average (.218), second to last in runs batted in (129), second to last in slugging percentage (.309), second to last in runs scored (146), second to last in on-base percentage (.300) and second to last in sacrifice hits (7). When the Twisters did get on base, they made life tough on opposing catchers, finishing fifth in the league in stolen bases (62).

The offensive woes did not make life easy for Torrington's pitching staff.

"Our pitchers are thinking, 'I got to hold teams to three runs or less or we have no chance to win,'" Hunt said.

Another problem was the Twisters had a hard time holding down their opponents in the first few innings of a game. Torrington was outscored by its opponents 38-24 in the first inning, 26-15 in the second, 29-13 in the third and 30-6 in the fourth. For an offense that had trouble scoring runs, being put behind the 8-ball early did not help. Torrington was 2-13 when opponents scored in the first inning and was 1-15 when its opponent scored first in a game. Comebacks were also not in the cards for the Twisters. Torrington was 3-24 when trailing after six innings, and that record slipped to 1-19 when trailing after seven and 1-21 when trailing after eight.

"We had games where we would not do well in the beginning and we were out of it," Fredriksson said.

The pitching staff was hurt by injuries and inconsistency. Several pitchers had good performances at the end of the year, but were hurt by a lack of run support.

Overall, the Twisters finished third to last in team earned run average (4.44), fourth in most hits allowed (350), second in most runs allowed (232), third in most walks allowed (183), tied for fourth in most triples allowed (8), fourth in most hit batters (40), tied for first in most wild pitches (37) and for second in most balks (6). On the positive side, Torrington pitchers finished tied for third in most strikeouts (346). Twisters hurlers also had the second most strikeouts where batters were called out looking with 105.

Torrington will not change how it recruits despite its worst record in its 12th season, Fredriksson said."We'll recruit the same," Fredriksson said. "You can't have that bad a luck every year. You can't lose 19 players every year."Baseball is a game of adjustments, Hunt said, and everyone from owners to general managers to coaches will make the necessary changes."

Strasburg blog on San Diego State site

Stephen Strasburg, a former star pitcher for the Torrington Twisters, is writing a blog about his Olympic experience with Team USA in Beijing, according to San Diego State's athletics Web site.
Strasburg is sharing his thoughts and experiences on the blog, according to the site. To read Strasburg's blog, go to:
http://goaztecs.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/strasburg-blog.html

Strasburg, USA pick up first win in Beijing

Former Torrington Twister Stephen Strasburg (San Diego State) helped keep Team USA alive in pool play in Beijing with a 7-0 rain-shortened win over the Netherlands, according to Team USA's Web site.
Strasburg went 7 scoreless innings, striking out 11 while walking just 1. He retired the first 13 batters he faced, 8 of which were by strikeout. Strasburg pitched 4 1/3 perfect innings and carried a no-hitter into the 7th. The only hit was a one-out single to Sharnol Adriana in the 7th. Strasburg's strikeout total was the third highest for a U.S. pitcher in Olympic baseball and just 3 off of the record. The game ended after 8 innings due to rain.
Team USA is 1-1 and next takes on Team Cuba at 11 p.m. EDT on Friday.

Torrington's season over

A trying season for the Torrington Twisters came to a rough close Thursday with a 1-0, 10-inning, loss to the North Shore Navigators.
Torrington wasted a good performance by USC's Danny Beck (9 1/3 innings, 1 run, 9 hits, 3 strikeouts, 5 walks), managing just four hits. North Shore won the game on a game-winning single by Kent Graham (Trinity College) with one out in the bottom of the 10th. The teams combined to leave 21 runners on base. The Twisters left eight runners on, including a runner on second with one out in the ninth. Torrington also could not take advantage of two Navigator errors, one in the seventh and one in the ninth that allowed Alejandro Crisostomo (St. Augustine College) to reach second with one out. Crisostomo led the Twisters with two hits while Corey Shimada (Utah) and Jaren Mathews (Rutgers) added one hit apiece.
Graham led North Shore, going 3-for-5, while Nick Belcher (Eastern Tennessee State) and Tyler Kuehl (Point Loma Nazarene) went 2-for-4. Kuehl scored the game-winning run. Joshua Garton (Volunteer State Community College) and Chad Zurcher (Memphis) added a hit apiece for the Navigators (26-15).
The game was played at MacKenzie Field in Holyoke because North Shore was scheduled to play the Holyoke Blue Sox after they had played Torrington. The game did not start for over three hours due to torrential rains. The Twisters finished the season at 14-27.
Torrington lost another opportunity to keep its playoff hopes alive as Manchester was pounded 12-3 at home by Vermont. The Twisters finished 2 games out of the final playoff spot.
After reaching the .500 mark at 9-9 with a 3-2 11-inning triumph over North Adams, Torrington went 5-18 to end the year.

Torrington splits doubleheader, remains alive in playoff chase

It wasn’t pretty, but the Torrington Twisters remained mathematically alive for the final playoff spot in the NECBL’s Southern Division after salvaging a win in a split doubleheader against the Danbury Westerners and Keene Swamp Bats Wednesday at Fuessenich Park.
Torrington, now 14-26, is two games behind the Manchester Silkworms, who did not play Wednesday. A Twister victory and a Manchester loss today would force Sunday’s rainout between Torrington and Manchester to be made up Friday. If the Twisters win Friday, a one-game playoff would then be played for the final postseason position.
Torrington got a gift in the second game Wednesday as Bryson Rahier (San Jose State) scored the winning run from second base on a strikeout. Jimmy Rivas (New Haven) struck out, but Keene catcher Franco Valdes (Virginia) threw the ball into right field, allowing Rahier to score the winning run in a 3-2 game. The Swamp Bats made six errors in the game.
Rahier led off the ninth with a single to right field.
"You never think you’re going to win on a strikeout," Twisters coach Gregg Hunt said.
Eric Jokisch (Northwestern) left after seven innings with the lead, but Keene got two runs off of reliever Craig Schneider (Alderson-Broaddus) in the eighth on a triple by Cliff Hicks (Franklin Pierce) and a fielder’s choice by Casey McGrew (Wright State) to tie it. Closer Robert Chimpky (Utah) kept it tied in the ninth, with some major help from Danny Beck (USC) in right field.
Beck, who came into the game as a pinch runner in the eighth, chased down a drive by Valdes to the right field fall that threatened to put a nail in Torrington’s season.
Rahier took care of the runner on first base with Aaron Westlake (Vanderbilt) at the plate. Westlake took off on an 0-1 strike, but was gunned down by Rahier to end the inning. It was the second time in the game—and the third time in the doubleheader—that Rahier threw out a baserunner. He has thrown out four runners in the past three games.
Jokisch frustrated Keene’s batters, giving up just four hits and striking out eight while walking just one. He was able to spot his fastball and get Swamp Bat hitters to chase it up in the zone on several occasions.
Torrington took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on a double by Austin Christensen (Chandler Gilbert) and a single by Rahier. McGrew threw home to the plate to try to get Christensen, but the ball was dropped by starting catcher Danny Petro (Eastern Tennessee State), making it 2-0.
In the first game, the Twisters used a bit of hi-jinx to stay close, but could not overcome its anemic offense in a 3-0 loss to Danbury. Westerners left fielder Dennis Accomando (UConn) reached second with a two-out double fifth. The problem for Accomando was that Torrington shortstop Joe De Pinto (USC) never threw the ball to pitcher Brett Miller (San Diego State). As Accomando took his lead, De Pinto ran in from behind to tag him out and complete the hidden ball trick, which elicited a bit of a celebration from the Twister players. In another strange occurrence, third baseman Chase Austin (Elon) broke two bats on consecutive pitches in a key fifth inning appearance. Austin drew a walk after the 12-pitch at bat, but Rivas fouled out to first on a 1-0 pitch against reliever Derek Cotoni (University of Bridgeport) to end the inning with Danbury ahead 1-0.
Playing in their final game of the season, the Westerners (13-29) used six pitchers, who combined to give up two hits, striking out five while walking five.
Miller (8.1 innings, 3 runs (2 earned), 8 hits, 9 strikeouts, 1 walk) pitched well enough to win, making few mistakes all game. In the second, Danbury first baseman Joe Witkowski (St. John's) hit the first pitch of the inning on a line over the left field wall for a 1-0 lead. In the sixth, Shane Kingsley (Marist) led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, stole third and came home on a throwing error by Rahier. In the ninth, Paul Bottigliero (Monmouth) hit a one-out double to the left center field wall. Witkowski hammered a single through the box to drive Bottigliero in for a 3-0 lead.
Torrington left nine runners on base, including the bases loaded in the third inning. De Pinto reached on a one-out error and Rivas reached on a two-out error. Mathews walked to load the bases, but Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst) popped out to short on the first pitch he saw, ending the inning.

Torrington v. North Shore - July 31

Despite struggling all season (14-26), the Torrington Twisters are still alive in the hunt for the final playoff spot in the Southern Division of the NECBL. Torrington will need to win in North Shore Thursday night and get a loss from Manchester, who plays at Vermont. If that scenario happens, the Twisters and Silkworms will make up Sunday's rainout Friday. If Torrington won the makeup game, the teams would need to play a one-game playoff, in accordance with NECBL rules. The rules state that the final playoff spot would not be decided by records in case of a tie, but by a one-game playoff (NECBL.com under Playoffs). The Twisters are scheduled to start Danny Beck (USC). Beck is 2-3 with a 5.23 ERA in 10 games (3 starts) this season, according to the NECBL's Web site. In 31 innings this season, he has given up 26 runs (18 earned) on 30 hits, striking out 29 while walking 17. Opponents are hitting .254 against him. The Navigators are scheduled to pitch Mike DiCato (UMass-Amherst). DiCato is 2-3 with an ERA of 6.00 in 6 games (all starts) this season. In 33 innings pitched, DiCato has given up 23 runs (22 earned) on 36 hits, striking out 24 while walking 10. Opponents are batting .283 against him.
Torrington won its only contest against North Shore, a 3-2 victory on June 22 at Fuessenich Park. Corey Shimada singled in the ninth, stole second and scored on Joe De Pinto's game-winning single.

Torrington loses to Danbury in first game of double dip

The Twister fell 3-0 to Danbury in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday at Fuessenich Park.
Torrington used a bit of hi-jinx to stay close, but could not overcome its anemic offense. Westerners left fielder Dennis Accomando (UConn) reached second with a two-out double fifth. The problem for Accomando was that Twister shortstop Joe De Pinto (USC) never threw the ball to pitcher Brett Miller (San Diego State). As Accomando took his lead, De Pinto ran in from behind to tag him out and complete the hidden ball trick, which elicited a bit of a celebration from Torrington’s players. In another strange occurrence, third baseman Chase Austin (Elon) broke two bats on consecutive pitches in a key fifth inning appearance. Austin drew a walk after the 12-pitch at bat, but Jimmy Rivas (New Haven) fouled out to first on a 1-0 pitch against reliever Derek Cotoni (University of Bridgeport) to end the inning with Danbury ahead 1-0.
Playing in their final game of the season, the Westerners (13-29) used six pitchers, who combined to give up two hits, striking out five while walking five. Danbury tied Torrington in the win column with 13.
Miller (8.1 innings, 3 runs (2 earned), 8 hits, 9 strikeouts, 1 walk) pitched well enough to win, making few mistakes all game. In the second, Westerners first baseman Joe Witkowski (St. John's) hit the first pitch of the inning on a line over the left field wall for a 1-0 lead. In the sixth, Shane Kingsley (Marist) led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, stole third and came home on a throwing error by catcher Bryson Rahier (San Jose State). In the ninth, Paul Bottigliero (Monmouth) hit a one-out double to the left center field wall. Witkowski hammered a single through the box to drive Bottigliero in for a 3-0 lead.
The Twisters left nine runners on base, including the bases loaded in the third inning. De Pinto reached on a one-out error and Rivas reached on a two-out error. Mathews walked to load the bases, but Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst) popped out to short on the first pitch he saw, ending the inning.
Torrington plays the Keene Swamp Bats tonight at 7 in the second game of the double dip.

Torrington v. Danbury and Keene - July 30

Torrington plays a do-or-die doubleheader Wednesday against the Danbury Westerners (3 p.m.) and Keene Swamp Bats (7 p.m.).
The Twisters (13-25) are 2 games behind fourth place Manchester (16-24). The top four teams in each division make the playoffs.
Torrington is scheduled to start Brett Miller (San Diego State) and Eric Jokisch (Northwestern). Miller is 1-2 with a 4.88 ERA in 9 games (3 starts) this season, according to the NECBL's Web site. In 31.1 innings this season, Miller has given up 17 runs (all earned) on 29 hits, striking out 28 while walking 21. Opponents are batting .244 against him. Jokisch is 1-3 with a 4.05 ERA in 7 games (6 starts) this season. In 40 innings this season, Jokisch has given up 25 runs (18 earned) on 38 hits, striking out 36 while walking 17. Opponents are hitting .252 against him.
Danbury is slated to start Jonathan Balentina (University of Maine). Balentina is 0-1 with a 5.68 in 10 games (1 start) this season. In 19 innings this season, Balentina has given up 13 runs (12 earned) on 24 hits, striking out 23 while walking 11. Opponents are batting .296 against him.
Keene is projected to pitch Matt Jebb (Maine). Jebb is 1-1 with a 3.90 ERA in 11 games (4 starts) this season. In 27.2 innings pitched, Jebb has given up 18 runs (12 earned) on 32 hits, striking out 24 while walking 11. Opponents are hitting .276 against him.

Torrington hurts playoffs chances with doubleheader loss

In another bizarre twist to the regular season, the Torrington Twisters were a game behind the Manchester Silkworms entering a doubleheader Tuesday.
Shaky defense, one swing from Matt Adams (Slippery Rock) and solid pitching from Kyle Vazquez (Franklin Pierce) helped put Torrington’s playoff hopes behind the eight-ball as the Twisters dropped a pair of games, 3-2 and 7-0, to the Pittsfield Dukes at Fuessenich Park. Adams’ solo shot off of hard-luck complete game loser Josh Smith (Lipscomb) gave Pittsfield a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth. The Dukes were the home team in the first game as the teams finished making up a July 18 doubleheader that had been postponed.
"Even if we got a split today, we’ve got life," Torrington coach Gregg Hunt said. "We got to help ourselves and we need a lot of help."
Manchester split its own doubleheader with Danbury Tuesday, meaning the Silkworms gained a game on Torrington. Manchester now has a two-game lead on the Twisters with opportunities to gain ground fading fast. Torrington’s doubleheader loss means that this year’s team (13-25) will have the worst record in the team’s history (the previous worst record was 19-23, done twice).
The Twisters scored two runs in the first inning and got out to an early lead, something that had not happened in the two previous doubleheaders, where Torrington lost three of four games. Corey Shimada (Utah) led off with a walk, but Joe De Pinto (USC) grounded into a double play. Catcher Jimmy Rivas (New Haven) started up a new rally when he was hit by a pitch. Right fielder Jaren Mathews (Rutgers) scalded a grounder to first that ricocheted off of Adams for a double, putting runners on second and third. Pittsfield starter Jake Sabol (Central Michigan) appeared to be out of the inning when Chase Austin (Elon) lifted a fly ball to left, but Jason Krizan (Dallas Baptiste) lost it in the sun and dropped the ball, allowing Rivas and Mathews to score.
Smith made that margin hold up through the first four innings, striking out five while yielding three hits.
The problem was, Smith was snake bitten in the fifth inning. After Smith struck out the first batter, Jason Martin (San Jose State) lifted a fly ball to left. De Pinto went out after the ball on a play normally made by a left fielder and dropped the ball and Martin hustled into second. Leadoff batter Craig Hertler (San Jose State) grounded the next pitch he saw through the right side for single. Martin scored easily, but Mathews threw home from right. His throw got away from Rivas, allowing Hertler to take second. Hertler advanced to third on a fly out to center by Jayson Langfels (Eastern Kentucky) and scored the tying run when Chris Edmondson (Le Moyne) singled on a 2-2 pitch from Smith.
In the fifth, Austin Christiansen (Chandler Gilbert) led off with an infield single for Torrington, but Shimada fouled off two bunts before striking out. Making matters worse, Christiansen was picked off of first with De Pinto at the plate and one down in the inning.
In the sixth, Adams, one of the league’s most dangerous batters, got a 2-1 pitch he liked and hammered it over the right field wall to give the Dukes a 3-2 lead.
The Twisters had a chance in the top of the seventh against Pittsfield closer Zack Anderson (Buffalo). After a strikeout for the first out, Alejandro Crisostomo (St. Augustine College) reached on an infield single. Josh Chasse (San Diego State) came in to run for Crisostomo, but the Dukes called a pitch out on a 1-1 count to Christiansen, leaving Chasse dead to rights at second base for the second out. Christiansen, however, worked a walk and Shimada reached first when Hertler’s throw from second pulled Adams off the base. Anderson killed the rally, getting De Pinto to fly out to right to end the game.
The second game was anticlimatic for Torrington. The Twisters managed just three hits off of Vazquez (6 innings, 0 runs, 8 strikeouts, 2 walks). Even three straight walks from reliever Jack Bender (Georgetown) with two outs in the seventh could not get Torrington going as Bryson Rahier (San Jose State) struck out to end the game.
The Dukes moved back into a tie for first with Newport, who also won Tuesday. Pittsfield was a half-game out entering Tuesday’s action.
On defense, the Twisters made five errors, leading to three unearned runs for the Dukes. Starter Andrew Triggs (USC) gave up four runs in five innings to take the loss while reliever Josh Zeid (Tulane) gave up three runs—one earned—as his defense made three errors behind him in the final two innings.
Torrington has three scheduled games left while the Silkworms have one scheduled game left. If the Twisters are a game behind Manchester after those games have been played, Torrington and Manchester would make up Sunday’s rainout on Friday’s league-wide makeup date.

Torrington v. Pittsfield - July 29 (doubleheader)

The Twisters have a golden opportunity to make a move for the final playoff spot as they trail fourth-place Manchester by just a game with both teams scheduled for doubleheaders today.
Torrington will have to get past second place Pittsfield (first game scheduled for 5 p.m.), which has plenty to play for in its own right after losing 2 Monday to fall a half a game behind Newport for first place in the Southern Division. The Silkworms host Danbury in a doubleheader today.
The Twisters defeated the Dukes 1-0 in a game continued from July 18. The win was Torrington's first against Pittsfield this season (1-3). The Dukes are slated to start Jake Sabol (Central Michigan) and Kyle Vazquez (Franklin Pierce) of Berlin, Conn. Vazquez was dominant in his first start against the Twisters on July 11, an 8-2 win. Vazquez went 7 innings, giving up 2 runs (1 earned) on 8 hits, striking out 5 while walking 1.
Sabol has made just 1 start this season, but has been effective for the Dukes, going 2-1 in 12 appearances with a 2.66 ERA, according to the NECBL's Web site. In 20.1 innings this season, Sabol has allowed 9 runs (6 earned) on 25 hits, striking out 16 while walking just 2. Opponents, however, are batting .298 against him this season.

Strasburg leads national team to World Championships title game

Former Torrington Twister pitcher Stephen Strasburg struck out 9 in 7 innings to lead the U.S. National Team to the 2008 FISU World Championships title game in Brno, Czech Republic, according to USA Baseball's Web site.
USA defeated Chinese Taipei 3-0 behind Strasburg's dominating performance. In 7 innings pitched, Strasburg gave up just 2 hits, striking out 9 while walking 2. Strasburg threw 98 pitches, 69 of which were strikes. Team USA is 23-0. This collection of college players make up the same team that played two games earlier this summer at Fuessenich Park.
USA dominated the Twisters in exhibition game and defeated the Chinese Olympic team 7-1. Strasburg was selected for the USA Olympic Team's roster.

Torrington at Manchester - July 27

Torrington travels to Manchester Sunday night to play a pivotal game against the Silkworms.
The Twisters (12-23) trail the Silkworms (15-22) by 2 games for the final playoff spot in the Southern Division. Getting the start for Torrington is Josh Smith (Lipscomb). Smith is 2-1 in 6 games (all starts) this season with a 4.15 ERA, according to the NECBL's Web site. In 36 innings this season, Smith has given up 23 runs (17 earned) on 36 hits, striking out 43 while walking 25. Batters are hitting .259 against him this season.
Manchester is projected to pitch Jamil Acosta (Rio Hondo College). Acosta is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in 4 games (2 starts) this season. In 13 innings pitched, Acosta has given up 8 runs (6 earned) on 16 hits, striking out 9 while walking 4. Opponents are batting .291 against him this season.
The Twisters are 3-2 against the Silkworms this season.

Torrington drops both games to Newport

The Torrington Twisters began Saturday with a chance to tie the Manchester Silkworms for the last playoff spot in the NECBL’s Southern Division.
Torrington ended the day with no chance of a tie after losing both games to second-place Newport Gulls. Early offense from Newport, and a lack of it from Torrington contributed to the losses. Manchester won its game Saturday, putting the Twisters 2 games behind the Silkworms for the final playoff spot. Torrington plays at Manchester tonight at 7.
Torrington struck out nine times in both games. Gulls pitchers Stephen Peterson (CG, 1 run, 3 hits, 9 strikeouts, 1 walk) and Geoff Brown (6 IP, 0 runs, 1 hit, 9 strikeouts, 1 walk) shut down Torrington’s bats. In the first game, Peterson (Marist) carried a perfect game into the fifth and a no hitter into the sixth, losing each on the first batter of the inning. In the nightcap, Brown (University of Washington) gave up a first inning single to Jimmy Rivas (New Haven), then retired 17 of the next 18 batters he faced (Brian Baudinet reached base on a passed ball after striking out).
The Twisters managed just seven base runners in the two seven-inning games. The 0-6 record against the Gulls is the first time in Torrington history that the team has gone winless against a divisional opponent.
Despite being down 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth of the opener, the Twisters appeared to have something going after Ricky Wilson (Chandler Gilbert) doubled and Josh Chasse (San Diego State) hit a broken bat single to center to put runners on first and third. On a 1-1 count to leadoff batter Corey Shimada (Utah), Chasse broke for second, but was thrown out trying to steal.
"We get a guy thrown out at second base running on his own," Torrington coach Gregg Hunt said. "It’s not good baseball at any level. We just got a double and a single out of (the eight and nine batters) and things aren’t looking good, but they’re getting better. We’re at the top of the order and we run into an out."
Shimada struck out looking for the second out. Joe De Pinto (USC) got the Twisters on the board with a double past left fielder Kyle Conley (Washington) to score Wilson. Peterson, however, escaped by getting Rivas to fly out to center to end the inning.
Falling behind early in the three losses the last two days has not helped the Twisters. The trend that started in the second game Friday continued Saturday. Newport got two runs in the first of the first game on a two-run error by right fielder Jaren Mathews (Rutgers). Mathews sprinted toward the right center field wall on a ball hit by Conley, but overran the ball. Mathews dropped the ball on a tough play, allowing both runs to score. In the third, the Gulls made it 3-0 on a run-scoring single by Alex Gregory (Radford). Taylor Meehan (Harvard) walked with one out, stole second, and advanced to third on a flyout to center by Mike Tamsin (Northeastern).
It was much of the same in the nightcap. Newport scored twice in the first on a run-scoring triple by Tamsin and a sacrifice fly from Conley. The Gulls tacked on three more in the second against starter Craig Schneider (Alderson-Broaddus). With one out, David Poutier (Pensacola Community College) reached on an infield single. Cody Grisham (University of Tennessee) was hit by a pitch. Poutier and Grisham executed a double steal as Torrington catcher Alejandro Crisostomo (St. Augustine College) could not get a grip on the ball. Leadoff batter Kyle Rhoad (Eastern Michigan) lofted a blooper into center field. The ball landed in front of Baudinet (UMass-Amherst) and Baudinet gunned the ball home to try to get Poutier. Crisotomo reached to catch the ball, but could not hold on as he tried to tag Poutier, making the score 3-0. A sacrifice fly from Tamsin and a run-scoring single by Gregory off of the glove of third baseman Corey Huffine (Post University) to make it 5-0. Brown took care of the rest for Newport.
Torrington plays at Pittsfield, Mass., at 1 p.m. Monday before returning home Tuesday for the first of back-to-back doubleheaders Tuesday and Wednesday.

Torrington v. Newport - July 26

The Twisters play the second of four doubleheaders when they host Newport today, starting at 5 p.m.
Torrington is scheduled to start Miles Morton (Auburn) and Craig Schneider (Alderson-Broaddus). Morton is 0-2 with a 14.54 ERA in 3 games this season, according to the NECBL's Web site. In 4.1 innings pitched, Morton has given up 7 runs (all earned) on 8 hits, striking out 3 while walking 1. Opponents are batting .400 against him this season.
Schneider is 1-0 with a 2.29 ERA in 10 appearances this season. In 19.2 innings pitched, he has given up 8 runs (5 earned) on 18 hits, striking out 22 while walking 11. Opponents are hitting .234 against Schneider this season.
Newport is projected to pitch Stephen Peterson (Marist) in Game 1. Peterson is 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in 11 appearances (2 starts). In 28 innings pitched, he has given up 16 runs (10 earned) on 33 hits, striking out 32 while walking 9. Opponents are batting .306 against Peterson this season.
Game 2's starter is scheduled to be Geoff Brown (University of Washington). Brown is 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 10 games (0 starts) this season. In 21.1 innings pitched, Brown gave up 12 runs (8 earned) on 20 hits, striking out 22 while walking 11. Opponents are hitting .241 against him this season.

Torrington splits with Danbury

In an evening that featured the good, the bad, the ugly and even the bizarre, the Torrington Twisters split a doubleheader with the Danbury Westerners Friday night at Fuessenich Park.
Joe De Pinto (USC) sent a jolt through the home fans in the 10th inning of Game 1, launching a solo homer into the river beyond the left field walls to win the game for Torrington 4-3. In Game 2, Danbury took advantage of seven walks, several bunts and a bizarre play in the third inning to win 5-1.
Torrington got a great pitching performance in the opener from Eric Jokisch (Northwestern), who gave a depleted bullpen relief by pitching nine solid innings. Jokisch was hurt by two costly errors, but still managed to keep the Twisters in it until the seventh, when his team tied the game.
Instead of being predictable and coming in with the heat on every first pitch, Jokisch mixed in offspeed, including a nasty changeup. Jokisch’s changeup had some sink to it, which allowed him to induce 12 ground ball outs, including five comebackers to himself.
"Not that many," Jokisch said when asked if he ever had that many balls hit back to him. "I didn’t think that was possible."
In the rare instances when Jokisch fell behind, he relied on his changeup to regain control of the situation. Twice during the game, defensive miscues cost Jokisch.
In the fifth inning with runners at second and third and two outs in the inning, shortstop Chase Austin (Elon) fielded a slowly hit groundball that was closer to third than short. Austin threw off balance to first and his throw was wide, allowing two runs to score instead of one. The play gave the Westerners a 2-1 lead. The throw may not have gotten away had first baseman Rick Wilson (Chandler Gilbert) come off of the bag to block it.
"We made a bad play in the field," Hunt said. "It almost cost us the game. It wasn’t a good decision by (third baseman Corey Huffine) not to field it. It was not a good decision to throw it (by Austin). It was not a good decision to not step off the bag (by Wilson)."
Danbury tallied another run in the next inning thanks to an error that began the rally. On a little roller in front of the plate by Kevin Jackson (Maine), catcher Alejandro Crisostomo (St. Augustine College) threw too high to first, allowing Jackson to reach base. Jackson moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Paul Battigliero’s (Monmouth) double to make it 3-1.
Torrington rallied to tie the game in the seventh. De Pinto singled to left. Corey Shimada (Utah) walked on four pitches, bringing an end to starter Dennis Accomando’s (UConn) day after a good performance. Austin atoned for his earlier error by laying down a bunt single to load the bases.
After leaving the bases loaded in the sixth, the Twisters finally came through in a big spot. Jimmy Rivas (New Haven), after spoiling two 0-2 pitches with foul balls, looped a single to right to make it 3-2. After Jaren Mathews (Rutgers) struck out, Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst) hit a sacrifice fly to deep right to tie the game. Reliever Brian Craig (Dominican College) got Josh Chasse (San Diego State) to fly to center to end the inning. Torrington would leave a runner on in the eighth and would also leave the bases loaded again in the ninth.
After a groundout to begin the Twister half of the 10th, De Pinto got a first pitch he liked from reliever Ryan Hagan (Franklin Pierce) and deposited it into the river to win the game.
De Pinto had just missed a homer in the eighth when he flied to left.
The second game was not pleasant for Torrington. Danbury jumped on starter Danny Beck (USC) in the first. Shane Kingsley (Marist) walked to lead off and was followed by Michael Olt (UConn), who was hit by a pitch. A one-out single by Battigliero loaded the bases and Beck gave the Westerners their first run when he walked Kyle Mahoney (High Point) on four pitches.
After a sacrifice fly in the second made it 2-0, Danbury took advantage of a weird play to score two more runs. With runners on first (Melvin Castillo) and second (Mahoney), Jackson grounded softly toward third. Austin Christiansen made a low throw to first, which Chase Austin could not handle with a scoop. The ball rolled a short distance behind Austin, and Mahoney took advantage, scoring from second base. Jackson got into a rundown between first and second. The Twisters got Jackson in the rundown, but Castillo (Eastern Connecticut) was able to score from first. After advancing to third on the error, Castillo inched down the third base line, waiting for his chance. Castillo saw his chance and took off for the plate, beating an off balance throw from Austin to make it 4-0.
Torrington got another sacrifice fly from Baudinet in the bottom of the third to make it 4-1, but the Westerners added another run and Danbury starter Teddy Hurvul (UConn) shackled the Twisters for the rest of the game.
Next up for Torrington is a doubleheader beginning today at 5 p.m. against division rival Newport. Looking ahead, a major game at fourth-place Manchester (14-22) looms Sunday. The Silkworms lost 6-0 at Pittsfield Friday night.

Torrington v. Danbury - July 25

Tonight's doubleheader between Torrington and Danbury is a pivotal one where a push for the final playoff spot is on the line (along with attempting to stay out of last place in the Southern Division).
The Twisters enter the game at 11-20, a game behind Manchester (14-21) in the Southern Division standings, according to the NECBL's Web site. The Westerners come in with the division's worst record at 10-24, but are just 3.5 games out of the final playoff spot.
Torrington is 1-2 against Danbury this season. The Twisters won the first game 10-3 at Fuessenich on June 11, but dropped both sides of a doubleheader on July 15 in Danbury. UConn's Michael Olt won the second game of the doubleheader for the Westerner's with a home run in the bottom of the ninth.
Tonight's doubleheader begins at 5 at Fuessenich Park and will consist of two 7-inning games.
Manchester goes on the road tonight to play Pittsfield at 7.

Unlucky No. 13

The Torrington Twisters were once again rained out Thursday night as they were set to host Southern Division rival Newport.
The rainout is the 13th on the season for Torrington, adding to an already unpleasant record. The game against the Gulls will be made up as part of a doubleheader Saturday scheduled to start at 5 p.m at Fuessenich Park.
Torrington takes on Danbury in a doubleheader tonight starting at 5 at Fuessenich.

Torrington v. Newport - July 24

Torrington hosts Newport tonight--weather permitting--at 7.
The Twisters are scheduled to pitch Eric Jokisch (Northwestern). Jokisch is 1-3 in 6 games (5 starts) this season with a 5.23 ERA, according to the NECBL's Web site. In 31 innings this season, Jokisch has given up 22 runs (18 earned) on 34 hits, striking out 28 while walking 15. Opponents are hitting .279 against him this season.
The Gulls are 20-15, 1.5 games behind Pittsfield (20-12) in the Southern Division. Newport was rained out Wednesday night. Since losing 4 of 5, the Gulls have won 4 in a row, including a 9-7 win over Torrington where the Twisters held a 7-0 lead after 2 innings.
Torrington is 0-4 against Newport this season.

Torringon gets second chance after delay, but loses to Holyoke

In a surreal game, the Torrington Twisters took advantage of a second chance after a 55-minute weather delay, only to watch their bullpen implode in a 10-4 loss to the Holyoke Blue Sox Wednesday night at Fuessenich Park.
Torrington entered the seventh inning trailing 3-0, but got Corey Huffine (Post University) on with a single and Jonathan Cluff (BYU)—pinch hitting for catcher Bryson Rahier (San Jose State)—worked the count to 2-0. The infield umpire saw lightning in the distance and the players were ordered off the field.
A Twister team that did not have much life in it before the delay seemed to be rejuvenated after it. Cluff worked a walk against reliever James White (UNC Greensboro). A Corey Shimada (Utah) single to center made it 3-1, and the throw from center hit the net behind home plate, allowing Cluff and Shimada to move up a base. A Joe De Pinto (USC) sacrifice fly made it 3-2 and designated hitter Jimmy Rivas (New Haven) tied the game on a groundout to first.
Just as quickly as Torrington drew even, the Holyoke blew the game open. After a groundout, reliever Miles Morton (Auburn) surrendered a single to Ken Gregory (St. Petersburg). Pinch runner Adam Dimino (Cortland State) stole second and third and pinch hitter Peter Fatse (UConn) walked. On the first pitch to Shevis Shima (Cal State Fullerton), the pitch went off the glove of new catcher Alejandro Crisostamo (St. Augustine College) for a passed ball to the back stop, allowing Dimino to score to give the Blue Sox a 4-3 lead. A triple by Shima made it 5-3, and Shima scored when James Wood (Trinity College) singled down the left field line to make it 6-3. Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) put a charge into a 2-0 pitch from Morton, slamming it off of the batting cage beyond the right field wall to make it 8-3.
The Twisters got one back in the eighth on a force out at second, but Holyoke answered with another two-run homer in the ninth from Fatse—again off of the batting cage in right field—to make it 10-4.
The Blue Sox took advantage of Torrington on the bases, stealing six (two each by Juan Perez, Shima and Dimino). Twister pitchers also issued 10 walks, seven by starter Andrew Triggs (USC), who lasted just two batters into the fourth.
Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst) continued his torrid hitting for Torrington with a 3-for-4 day. Shimada and Huffine added two hits of their own. The Twisters had two hits in both the second and third innings, but could not push a run across against Holyoke starter Michael Lachapelle (Pima Community College). Torrington also left two on in the eighth against reliever Brandon Aich (Kean University) as Crisostamo struck out and Shimada grounded out to third to end the inning.
Alex Valadja (James Madison) was unhittable in relief of Triggs. Valadja kept the Twisters in the game with four scoreless innings of relief as he struck out 11 of the 13 batters that he faced (one of the strikeouts was a passed ball that allowed a runner to reach first).
The loss dropped Torrington (11-20) a game behind Manchester (14-21), who was rained out Wednesday night. The Twisters host Southern Division rival Newport tonight at 7.
NOTES:
Torrington will honor the Waterbury Sandy Koufax League team at Saturday’s game against the Gulls. The Waterbury team won the state tournament and now has a chance to go to the World Series if it wins in the round-robin regional tournament. City native Cody Lemieux plays for the team.

Torrington v. Holyoke - July 23

The Twisters host the Holyoke Blue Sox tonight at 7.
Torrington is scheduled to start Andrew Triggs (USC). Triggs is 0-3 with a 5.13 ERA in 7 games (5 starts) this season, according to the NECBL's Web site. In 26.1 innings, Triggs has given up 21 runs (15 earned) on 30 hits, striking out 23 while walking 16. Opponents are batting .283 against him this season.
The Twisters are 11-19, a half game out of the final playoff spot in the Southern Division. Torrington has lost 10 of its last 12 games, but won Tuesday night 10-6 over North Adams.
Holyoke is 15-15, 1.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the Northern Division. The Blue Sox have lost 4 out of their last 6 after winning 3 straight earlier this month.

Torrington ends losing streak

The slide is over.
The Torrington Twisters ended their five-game losing streak with a much-needed 10-6 win over the North Adams SteepleCats Tuesday night at sometimes rainy Fuessenich Park.
The Twisters got several contributions offensively, getting five players with at least two hits. Jaren Mathews (Rutgers) homered, doubled, singled and walked, reaching base four times. Jonathan Cluff (BYU) doubled, singled and walked twice, also reaching base four times. Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst) continued his hot hitting with two singles and three walks, reaching base in all five of his at-bats. Corey Huffine (Post University) had a two-run single and walked while Corey Shimada (Utah) singled twice and walked.
In the end, timely hitting, four errors and 12 walks led Torrington (11-19) to the win, only its second in the past 12 games. Clay Caulfield pitched five innings for the win, giving up four runs on five hits, striking out three while walking three.
Just like Monday night’s 9-7 loss to Newport, the Twisters got off to a quick start. Shimada walked to lead off the first. North Adams pitcher Nick Serino (UMass-Amherst) had Shimada picked off, but Shimada beat the throw to second and advanced to third after the throw hit him in the back. Shimada came around to score on a wild pitch.
Two walks to Jimmy Rivas (New Haven) and Chase Austin (Elon) brought Cluff to the plate. Cluff ripped a Serino offering to left and the ball stayed down on left fielder Brian Adams (Wright State), allowing Austin to score behind Rivas for a 3-0 lead.
Cue the SteepleCat rallies. North Adams scored a run in both the second and third innings to cut the Torrington lead to 3-2. For a team that blew a 7-0 lead Monday night, that could not have felt good. Unlike Monday night, the Twisters responded.
An Austin sacrifice fly in the third made it 4-2. The SteepleCats came all the way back in the fifth against Caulfield (College of Charleston). T.J. Greig (Malloy College) walked with one out. Back-to-back singles brought Greig around to score to make it 4-3. A sacrifice fly by Greg Van Horn (Brookdale Community College) tied the game at 4.
Once again, the Twisters responded. Cluff led off with a walk and Baudinet singled. After a Ricky Wilson (Chandler Gilbert) sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, Huffine brought both in with a hump-back single to right to make it 6-4. A perfectly-executed double steal made it 7-4 in the sixth. With Mathews on third, Cluff broke for second base. Mathews broke for home and was safe, while Cluff made it to third on a throwing error.
As if trying to write another Torrington nightmare, North Adams cut the lead to 7-6 in the seventh on a two-run homer to left by Van Horn. One swing of the bat from Mathews in the seventh was the Twister response. Mathews got a 1-0 offering he liked and deposited it over the right field wall for an 8-6 advantage.
Josh Zeid (Tulane) and defensive substitution Bryson Rahier (San Jose State) made sure there would not be a response from the SteepleCats in the eighth. Zeid struck out two and Rahier threw out the only baserunner Zeid allowed trying to steal second. Robert Chimpky (Utah) allowed a double, but struck out the side to end the game. The games against divisional foes continues Thursday after Torrington hosts Holyoke tonight.
A Manchester loss Tuesday night put the Twisters back within a half game of the final playoff spot in the Southern Division. Torrington plays at the Silkworms on Sunday.
NOTES: Tonight is Sibling Night at Fuessenich Park as the Twisters take on the Holyoke Blue Sox. Anyone who brings a sibling with them can get their sibling in for free. Torrington Chairman/Co-Owner Robin Wadsworth’s sister Karen Wadsworth Rella owns Holyoke, while her brother Barry is the team’s general manager.

Twisters welcome 4 new players

The Torrington Twisters added some depth to their roster recently with 4 new players.
The players are infielder Austin Christensen (Chandler Gilbert), catcher/outfielder Jimmy Rivas (New Haven), pitcher Clay Caulfield (College of Charleston) and pitcher Miles Morton (Auburn).
Rivas, Caulfield and Morton were eligible to begin playing on July 13. Christensen was eligible to play on July 14.

Torrington v. North Adams - July 22

The Twisters begin a pivotal stretch of home games tonight against the North Adams SteepleCats.
Clay Caulfield (College of Charleston) is scheduled to start for Torrington (10-19). Caulfield is 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA in one start during his brief time with the Twisters. In 5 innings against Sanford on July 16, Caulfield gave up 4 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits, striking out 3 while walking 2.
North Adams is projected to start Nick Serin0 (UMass-Amherst). In 8 games (5 starts) this season, Serino is 2-2 with a 5.45 ERA. In 34.2 innings, Serino has given up 29 runs (21 earned) on 34 hits, striking out 30 while walking 16. Opponents are batting .258 against him this season.

Twisters take early 7-0 lead, but fall to Newport

The Torrington Twisters would cross the plate seven times in the first two innings, just to see their seven-run lead slip away to the Newport Gulls, who prevailed 9-7 on Monday night in New England Collegiate Baseball League play at Cardines Field.
The Twisters (10-19) plated two runs in the first inning and five more in the second, chasing Gulls starter Kevin Moran. Newport (19-15) would peck away at the seven-run deficit the rest of the game, scoring a run in the third, three in the fifth, one in the sixth and four in the seventh when the Gulls went ahead for good. Torrington starting pitcher Josh Smith (Lipscomb) lasted four innings, allowing four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and five walks. Reliever Danny Beck (USC) didn't fare much better, going 2 2-3 innings. He surrendered five runs on eight hits, while fanning three and walking one, to take the loss. Chase Austin (Elon) had a big day at the plate for the Twisters, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. Jaren Mathews (Rutgers) had two hits and an RBI and Jimmy Rivas (New Haven) drove in two runs.
Torrington is eight games back of the first-place Pittsfield Dukes (19-12) in the Southern Division. Torrington is 11/2 games behind the fourth-place Manchester Silkworms (14-20). The top four teams in each division make the NECBL playoffs.
The Twisters host North Adams tonight at 7.

Torrington at Newport - July 21

Torrington (10-18) begins the home stretch of the 2008 regular season tonight in Newport against the Gulls.
The Twisters have played Newport three times this season, losing each time. On June 9, Torrington lost an 11-inning heartbreaker 7-6 to the Gulls on a single by Cody Grisham.
On July 4, the Twisters lost 6-1 in Newport as Chase Reid struck out 19 Torrington batters.
On July 12, the Gulls hammered the Twisters 12-4, scoring 11 runs in the first three innings.
Tonight's game is the first of three between the two teams this week.

Torrington still in it

Despite an abysmal stretch in which they have dropped nine of the last 10 games, the Torrington Twisters (10-18) are still in the hunt for the NECBL playoffs.
Eight teams make it, and Torrington is in fifth behind Manchester (13-20), who is just a half game ahead. To make the playoffs, the Twisters will need to take care of business over a busy two week stretch that includes two scheduled doubleheaders.
Torrington travels to Newport tonight to play the second-place Gulls (18-15), who are 5.5 games ahead of the Twisters in the Southern Division. Tonight's game is the first of three this week between the Southern Division foes.
Tuesday brings a home game against North Adams (15-18), who are 2.5 games ahead of Torrington. On Wednesday, the Twisters host Holyoke (15-15). Thursday will bring Newport into town. Torrington is scheduled to play a doubleheader against Danbury (10-23) Friday. The Westerners are in last in the Southern Division. The week ends Saturday with another game against the Gulls at home.

Southern Division defeats Northern Division in All-Star game

Two-thirds of the way through a trying season, three Torrington Twisters got the chance to play in the NECBL All-Star game at Fuessenich Park on Sunday night.
Robert Chimpky threw a scoreless eighth inning for the Southern Division team while Brian Baudinet and Chase Austin each played four innings, garnering two at-bats apiece in a 5-2 win for the Southern Division over the Northern Division.
"It’s a dream coming out here," Chimpky said. "It was a long day for all of us."
The day began with skills competitions that did not start until 1:45 p.m., almost five hours before game time. Chimpky, Baudinet and Chasse all enjoyed their chance to play. Baudinet (0-for-2) played four innings in left, while Austin (0-for-1, walk) got in four of his own at third base.
"It was a fun experience," said Baudinet, a Watertown native. "All the guys were good players."
"It was awesome," Austin said. "It was just cool seeing all the talent here."
Newport’s Mike Melillo earned Most Valuable Player honors, going 2-for-2 with a double and two runs batted in. Melillo’s first-inning single drove in John Malloy of North Adams to make it 1-0. Malloy doubled off starter Casey Harmen of Vermont to lead off the inning. After a fly out to center by Pittsfield’s Chris Edmondson, Mike Tamsin of Newport looped a single into shallow left field to make it first and third. Newport’s Alex Gregory struck out, but Pittsfield’s Matt Adams walked, bringing up Melillo.
The South got four more in the third off Holyoke’s Justin Albert. Edmondson singled to center. Walks to Tamsin and Gregory loaded the bases for Adams. Adams grounded into a well-turned, 6-4-3 double play, but Edmondson scored to make it 2-0.
Cue the MVP again.
Melillo drove the first pitch he saw from Albert to deep left-center field to make it 3-0. On the next pitch, Danbury’s Michael Olt blasted a two-run homer well over both fences between the light towers in left for a 5-0 advantage.
"It’s a long day, but it’s a fun day," said Torrington coach Gregg Hunt, an assitant coach for the Southern Division.
More than 20 scouts took in the game behind home plate, Hunt said. The North scored both its runs in the fifth inning off Kyle Vazquez of Pittsfield. North Shore’s Tyler Kuehl reached on an error by Olt to lead off. Lowell’s Nicolas Pecora singled through the right side to put runners on first and second with none out. After James Wood of Holyoke struck out, Kuehl and Pecora executed a double-steal with Keene’s Alex Lee at the plate. A Lee groundout made it 5-1. A wild pitch with Vermont’s Nick Harris at the plate made it 5-2. Vazquez struck out Harris to end the inning.
Four Southern pitchers held the Northern Division’s best players scoreless over the final four innings, yielding one hit and one walk, while striking out four.
NECBL Skills Competition
Several Twisters competed in different events during a skills competition held Sunday afternoon. Joe De Pinto finished second in the most accurate infield arm competition. Chase Austin competed in the home run derby, while Josh Chasse did well in the most accurate outfield arm competition.
UConn’s Michael Olt, of the Danbury Westerners, won the home run derby with 11 homers over three rounds. Danny Petro of the Keene Swamp Bats finished second in the derby. Newport’s Alex Gregory blasted seven homers in the first round.
Adam Dimino of the Holyoke Blue Sox won the 60-yard dash. Steven Felix of the Vermont Mountaineers won the most accurate outfield arm competition, while Jayson Langfels of the Pittsfield Dukes won the infield event and Cody Stanley of the North Adams SteepleCats won the catcher’s competition.
Former Torrington player Jeff Hourigan, a three-time Twister and two-time league all-star, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Torrington loses to Pittsfield

Pitching and a lack of timely hits continued to haunt the Torrington Twisters Friday night as they lost 8-2 to the Pittsfield Dukes at Fuessenich Park.
Pittsfield (13-11) got four runs in the first inning off of USC's Andrew Triggs (6 IP, 10 hits, 6 runs, 5 earned runs, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts) and did not look back behind the strong pitching of Kyle Vazquez (Franklin Pierce). Vazquez went seven innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on eight hits, striking out five while walking one.
The Twisters had their chances to get back into the game, but could not put runs across. Torrington left 11 runners on base, including three innings where they left two runners on base, including big chances in the seventh and eighth..
In the seventh, second baseman Corey Shimada (Utah) served a double down the left field line with one out. Shortstop Joe De Pinto (USC) was hit by a pitch, setting up runners at first and second with one out. Vazquez got out of the jam, though he could have been in trouble thanks to his own defense. Chase Austin (Elon) grounded to Craig Hertler (San Jose State) at second base. Hertler, thinking there were two outs, threw to first, bypassing a chance at an inning-ending double play. Vazquez persevered, striking out first baseman Jaren Mathews (Rutgers) with runners on second and third to end the threat.
In the eighth, Torrington got another chance, this time against reliever Adam Knight (Georgia State). After back-to-back strikeouts by Josh Chasse (San Diego State) and Jonathan Cluff (BYU), Brian Baudinet wakled (UMass-Amherst) and Corey Huffine (Post University) singled to put runners on first and second with two outs. Knight wiggled his way out of the jam by striking out Alejandro Crisostomo (St. Augustine) looking. It was the third time in the inning that a Twister batter struck out looking.
With a limited pitching staff due to injuries, Torrington must score runs when the chances present themselves.
Twisters coach Gregg Hunt said the Twisters will look to add a couple arms to the staff before the rosters are frozen Tuesday. The rosters are frozen for the playoffs, meaning players can play after the deadline, but they will not be eligible for the postseason.
The Dukes struck first in the top of the opening inning on a run-scoring triple by Chris Edmondson (Le Moyne). Pittsfield scored its next three runs in the inning with two outs on a single by Matt Adams (Slippery Rock) and a two-run double by Kevin Clements (Manchester Community College).
Torrington got to within 4-1 on a bizarre play in the third. Mathews singled to right with Austin on first. Austin went to third, and the throw from Hertler was wild, going into the dugout, allowing Austin to score and Mathews to take third. Vazquez got out of the inning by getting Chasse to pop up to second on a 3-1 pitch.
The Dukes again added to their lead with two outs, this time in the fourth. With Hertler on first with two outs, Edmondson ripped a hit-and-run single to center. Chasse overran the ball, allowing Hertler to score to make it 5-1. A single by Jason Krizan (Dallas Baptiste) made it 6-1.
Chasse got one back in the sixth when he blasted a solo homer off of a light tower in left field to make it 6-2. After the Twisters could not take advantage of their opportunities in the seventh and eighth innings, the Dukes added two in the ninth off of reliever Craig Schneider (Alderson-Broaddus) on run-scoring singles by Jake Rosenbeck (Buffalo) and Hertler.
Pittsfield is a half game back of Southern Division-leading Newport (14-11), which lost 3-1 to Sanford Friday. Torrington hosts the Gulls tonight at 7. The Twisters trail Newport by 3.5 games.

Torrington v. Pittsfield - July 11

The Torrington Twisters, coming off of a 17-16 loss to Sanford Thursday night, take on the Pittsfield Dukes Friday at 7 at Fuessenich.
Scheduled to pitch for Torrington (9-12) is Andrew Triggs (Southern California). Triggs is 0-2 with a 4.43 ERA in 6 appearances (4 starts), according to the NECBL's Web site. In 20.1 innings this season, Triggs has given up 15 runs (1o earned) on 20 hits, striking out 20 while walking 12. Opponents are hitting .250 against him this season.
Projected to pitch for Pittsfield (12-11) is Kyle Vazquez. Vazquez is 2-0 with a strong 0.98 ERA in 5 appearances (4 starts) this season. In 27.2 innings this season, Vazquez has given up 7 runs (3 earned) on 21 hits, striking out 23 while walking just 5. Opponents are batting .221 against him this season.
The Dukes are in second place in the Southern Division, 1.5 games behind Newport and 2 games ahead of the Twisters. Torrington is 3.5 games behind the Gulls (14-10).

Torrington loses slugfest to Sanford 17-16

The Torrington Twister offense finally broke out, but 16 runs on 21 hits were not enough as Torrington lost 17-16 to the Sanford Mainers Thursday night.
The Twisters nearly came back from a 17-10 deficit in the final three innings, but fell a run short after scoring 2 in the eighth and 4 in the ninth.
In a back and forth game, Torrington led 4-2 after 3 innings. Sanford scored 8 runs in the fourth to take a 10-4 lead. The Twisters responded with 6 of their own in the fifth to make it 10-10 after five. The Mainers scored five in the sixth to take a 15-10 lead. Two more runs in the seventh made it 17-10 Sanford.
In the eighth, Jaren Mathews (Rutgers) and Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst) had RBI doubles to make it 17-12. In the ninth, Joe De Pinto (Southern California) doubled to make it 17-13. A Chase Austin (Elon) single made it 17-14. After Ryan Cole (St. John's) was brought in to pitch for the Mainers, Josh Chasse (San Diego State) ripped a two-run double to make it 17-16. Chasse got to third on a wild pitch, but Cole struck out Baudinet to end the game.
De Pinto went 3-for-6 with a homer, double, 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Austin went 2-for-5 with a homer, 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Corey Shimada (Utah) went 3-for-6 with an RBI and 2 runs scored while Chasse went 3-for-6 with 2 RBIs and a run scored. Baudinet went 4-for-6 with 2 RBIs and a run scored. Jonathan Cluff (Brigham Young) was 2-for-5 with a double, RBI and 2 runs scored. Corey Huffine (Post University) went 2-for-5 with a double, 2 RBIs and a run scored.
In his first game with the Twisters, catcher Alejandro Crisostomo went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored and 2 walks.
Will Greenberg (Maryland) had a big day for Sanford, going 2-for-5 with a grand slam, 5 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Corey Hunt (Virginia) and Branson Joseph (Canisius) each went 3-for-6. Hunt drove in 2 runs and scored twice while Joseph had a double, drove in one and scored 3 times. Steve Brooks (2-for-5, double, 2 runs scored), Michael Murray (2-for-4, RBI, 3 runs scored) and Matthew Nandin (2-for-4, 2 RBIs, run scored) all big days for the Mainers.

Torrington v. Sanford - July 10

The Torrington Twisters (9-11) host the Sanford Mainers (17-9) tonight at 7 at Fuessenich Park.
Tonight is the United Way of Northwest Connecticut's "Night at the Twisters." Torrington is scheduled to start Josh Zeid (Tulane). Zeid is 1-2 this season with a 3.68 ERA in 4 games (3 starts), according to the NECBL's Web site. In 22 innings this season, Zeid has given up 13 runs (9 earned) on 22 hits, striking out 22 while walking 6. Opponents are batting .259 against Zeid this season.
Sanford is projected to pitch Mark Schmidt (University of Southern Maine). Schmidt is 2-1 with a 1.45 ERA in 5 games (3 starts) this season. In 18.2 innings, Schmidt has given up 3 runs on 13 hits, walking 14 while striking out 13. Opponents are hitting just .210 against Schmidt this season.

Halfway point here

The Torrington Twisters have reached the halfway point in the season and are 9-11.
Torrington is still hitting below .200 as a team, batting .195, according to the NECBL's Web site. The Twisters have scored the least amount of runs (72), driven in the least amount of runs (64), drawn the least amount of walks (76) and have the lowest slugging percentage at .279 and lowest on-base percentage at .297.
Torrington is tied for fourth in an obscure category offensively. Twister batters have been hit by the pitch 22 times this season.
On the mound, Torrington has fared better as a team. The Twisters are ranked fifth in ERA (3.58) and second in the least amount of home runs given up (4). Opponents are hitting just .236 against them, third lowest in the NECBL, but Torrington pitchers have walked batters in bunches at points this season. Twister pitchers have recorded two shutouts, good for a tie for third with six other teams.
Torrington has been plagued by rainouts this season. The Twisters have played the least amount of games (20) of any team in the league. Most teams have already played between 22 and 25 games, with Sanford having played the most at 26.

Twisters welcome Crisostomo

Catcher Alejandro Crisostomo (St. Augustine College), formerly of the Dominican All-Stars, is the newest member of the Torrington Twisters.
Crisostomo will be eligible to play Thursday against the Sanford Mainers. He had one at-bat in Tuesday's exhibition against Torrington and was hit by a pitch.

Torrington strikes out 13 times, Smith walks eight in loss to Mountaineers

The Torrington Twisters could not make contact against Vermont pitching and starting pitcher Josh Smith (Lipscomb) walked eight as the Mountaineers won 5-2 Wednesday night.
Corey Shimada (Utah) got Torrington (9-11) off on the right foot when he led off the game with his third home run of the season. It was Shimada’s second lead-off home run this season. Not much else went right after that as Twister batters struck out 13 times. Torrington scored one run in the fifth on a single by Corey Huffine (Post University).
Run-scoring singles by Ethan Paquette (University of Vermont) and Jonathan Roof (Michigan State) made it 2-1 Vermont in the second inning. A bases loaded walk to Steven Felix (Troy University) later in the inning gave the Mountaineers a 3-1 lead.
In the third, Smith walked the bases loaded and Roof drove in a run on a fielder’s choice to make it 4-1. A wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh from Twisters reliever Craig Schneider (Alderson-Broaddus) brought in Vermont’s final run.
Winning pitcher Josh Syberg (Southeast Missouri State) went 5.1 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits, striking out six while walking one. Relievers Alejandro Balsinde (Maine), Logan Billbrough (William & Mary) and Dusty Odenbach (UConn) did not give up a run in the final 3.2 innings. Billbrough and Odenbach each struck out the side, with Odenbach surrending a single and hit batter in the ninth.
In the ninth, Josh Chasse (San Diego State) was hit by a pitch leading off for Torrington. After Jaren Matthews (Rutgers) struck out, Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst) singled to bring the tying run to the plate with one out. Odenbach, however, struck out Jonathan Cluff (Brigham Young) and Huffine to end the game.
The Twisters host Sanford tonight at 7 p.m. Tonight is United Way of Northwest Connecticut’s "Night at the Twisters."

Twisters v. Dominican All-Stars

In the eighth inning of Torrington's 17-11 come-from-behind win over the Dominican All-Stars, Chase Austin's two-run double gave Torrington a 12-11 lead, not a 13-11 lead. Corey Huffine's run-scoring single gave the Twisters a 13-11 advantage. Four bases loaded walks brought in Torrington's final four runs to make the score 17-11.

Torrington wins slugfest 17-11 over Dominican All-Stars

A big crowd at Fuessenich Park got its money’s worth Tuesday night as the Torrington Twisters and Dominican All-Stars combined for five home runs in a 17-11 Torrington victory.
"I’m happy with the way we swung the bats," Twisters coach Gregg Hunt said of the exhibition game. "Our swings looked better. We looked more comfortable tonight."
Chase Austin (Elon) was locked in, going 2-for-4 with a grand slam, two-run double, run-scoring walk and seven runs batted in. Josh Chasse (San Diego State) added a homer of his own while Joe De Pinto (Southern California) went 4-for-5 with three runs batted in. Rick Wilson (Chandler Gilbert) went 1-for-4 with a double, walk and three runs batted in as Torrington took advantage of 13 hits and 10 walks.
After striking out twice in his first three at bats, Dominican All-Star Julian Alvarez had a great day, smashing two homers and driving in three in the loss.
The Twisters got an early contribution from newcomer Robert Papenhause (Brown), but Papenhause was lifted for Corey Huffine (Post University). After the game, Papenhause had a cast on his wrist.
Kevin Mager (Maine) and Aaron Barrows (Eastern Kentucky) are no longer listed on Torrington's roster.

Matthews wins it for Torrington in 11th

Jaren Mathews (Rutgers) got the Twisters back to .500 with one swing, blasting an 11th-inning solo homer to lead Torrington to a 3-2 victory over the SteepleCats in North Adams, Mass.
Mathews added a double and two runs scored to his strong day while Josh Chasse (San Diego State) went 2-for-5 with two runs batted in for the Twisters (9-9). Danny Beck (Southern California) got the win (2-0) with one inning of scoreless relief. Robert Chimpky (Utah) picked up his fourth save. North Adams is 8-14.

Chalk up two more rainouts

A doubleheader scheduled to be played against the Danbury Westerners was completely washed out by steady rain, with several downpours.
The Twisters have been rained out 10 times this season. Those rainouts include the same game twice, which was opening night on June 6 against the North Adams SteepleCats.
The rainout comes after a tough loss Friday night in Newport, where Chase Reid set a league record by striking out 19 Torrington batters in a 6-1 win by the Gulls. The large amount of rainouts will put a strain on the schedule later in the season, as several makeup games or doubleheaders will need to scheduled.

Twisters add another arm to pitching staff

The Torrington Twisters have added Auburn's Scott Shuman to their roster, according to the NECBL's Web site.
Shuman is scheduled to pitch the second game of a doubleheader with the Danbury Westerners tonight. Shuman is a sophomore right-handed pitcher from Valdosta, Ga.
Shuman pitched in 12 games for the Tigers this season (3 starts), going 2-2 with a 6.07 ERA. In 29.2 innings, Shuman gave up 24 runs (20 earned) on 27 hits, striking out 18 while walking 16. Batters hit .243 against Shuman this season.

Updated league standings - as of July 2

Here are the NECBL's Southern Division standings as of July 2:


Team W L Pct GB
Newport Gulls 8 8 .500 -
Torrington Twisters 8 8 .500 -
Pittsfield Dukes 9 10 .474 0.5
Manchester Silkworms 8 10 .444 1
North Adams SteepleCats 6 12 .333 3
Danbury Westerners 4 13 .235 4.5

Torrington travels to Pittsfield Thursday to play the Dukes.

Despite so-so start, Twisters are in first

Despite being just 8-8, the Torrington Twisters are in a tie for first in the NECBL's Southern Division with the rival Newport Gulls before play began Wednesday.
Pittsfield is a game behind at 8-10, with Manchester 1.5 games back at 7-10, North Adams 2.5 back at 6-11 and Danbury 4 back at 4-12. Even the rough start by the Westerners has not knocked them out of the playoff hunt. The top four teams in each division make the postseason.

Torrington rained out again

The Torrington Twisters were rained out for the seventh time this season Tuesday night in Manchester against the Silkworms.
Torrington was rained out 6 times in June, including the same game (opening night at North Adams) twice. The Twisters are scheduled to have a day off Wednesday. After Wednesday, Torrington is not scheduled to have another day off until July 14. That stretch includes a doubleheader on Saturday against Danbury and next Tuesday's exhibition game against the Dominican National Team.
The Twisters are scheduled to return to the field on Thursday in Pittsfield against the Dukes.

Twisters stun Silkworms

The Torrington Twisters rallied from a 6-0 deficit entering the eighth inning to beat the Manchester Silkworms 7-6 Monday night.
Craig Schneider's three near-perfect innings of relief kept Torrington in the game long enough to make a comeback. Schneider (Alderson Broaddus) gave up one hit, striking out two in relief of Josh Smith (Lipscomb), who was roughed up for 6 runs on 8 hits. Smith walked 6, but was also hurt by Twister errors.
Torrington could not get it going against Manchester starter Tyler Hyde (Middle Tennessee State), despite Hyde's 5 walks. The Twisters struck for 3 runs in 1.2 innings against reliever James Kukucka (Eastern Connecticut State), thanks in part to 4 walks from Kukucka. Torrington also beat up on reliever Brandon Otto (Le Moyne), getting 4 runs (3 earned) on 2 hits in a third of an inning. Otto helped the Twisters by walking 2 batters.
Five Silkworm pitchers combined to walk 12 Twisters Monday. Robert Chimpky (Utah) surrendered only a walk in the ninth while picking up his third save of the season.
Sixth different Torrington batters drove in one run, led by Southern California's Joe De Pinto (4-for-5, double, 2 runs scored, stolen base). Utah's Corey Shimada (2-for-6, run scored), San Diego State's Josh Chasse (0-for-4, 2 walks), Rutger's Jaren Mathews (2-for-4, 2 walks), Brian Baudinet (0-for-3, 3 walks) and Chandler Gilbert's Rick Wilson (1-for-3, run scored, 2 walks) each drove in a run for the Twisters.
Torrington, back at .500 at 8-8, also got a strong day from Goshen native Andrew Rocco (UConn-Avery Point). Rocco went 2-for-4 and scored 2 runs. Pitcher Danny Beck (USC) scored a run as a pinch runner for the Twisters.
Torrington was rained out Tuesday night. The Twisters were due to play their third game in a row against Manchester.

Torrington at Manchester - June 30

Torrington plays its second game of three in a row against Manchester tonight at 7 in Manchester.
The Twisters are scheduled to start Josh Smith (Lipscomb). Smith is 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA in 2 starts this season, according to the NECBL's Web site. In 15 innings, Smith has given up 4 runs on 10 hits, striking out 20 while walking 3. Opponents are hitting just .200 against him this season.
The Silkworms are projected to start Tyler Hyde (Middle Tennessee State). Hyde is 0-1 with a 1.53 ERA in 3 starts this season. In 17.2 innings, Hyde has given up 4 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits, striking out 12. Hyde has issued 15 walks this season. Opponents are batting just .138 against him this season.

Manchester strands 13 Torrington runners in win over Twisters

Torrington left 13 runners on base in a 6-3 loss to Manchester Sunday night.
The Silkworms trailed 3-1 early, but rallied for 2 in the 4th to tie the game.
Manchester broke through in the eighth against reliever Alex Valadja (James Madison University). Sean O’Hara (Harvard) walked to lead off the inning. First baseman Jeff Cammans (Rhode Island) picked on Valadja’s first pitch and ripped it off of the top of the left field fence to put runners on second and third with none out. After Michael Gallic (Marist) was walked intentionally, Michael Bourdon (Fairfield) walked to give Manchester the lead at 4-3. On an 0-1 pitch to J.P. Polchinski (Army), Valadja hit him in the foot with a curveball. Hunt argued that Polchinski did not make an attempt to get out of the way of the pitch, but the protest was to no avail. The next batter, A.J. Rusbarsky (Seton Hall), lifted a fly ball to center field. Josh Chasse (San Diego State) threw home, but his throw was well up the third base line and Gallic scored. A good throw may have gotten Gallic at the plate. Instead, the score was 6-3.
Torrington put up a major threat against reliever J.J. Potrikus (SUNY-Cortland) in the eighth. After a Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst) single, Corey Huffine (Post University) grounded to first base and was thrown out 3-1. The Twisters argued that Potrikus’s foot was off the base, but the call was not changed. Corey Shimada (Utah) singled to center to put runners on first and second, but Joe De Pinto (Southern California) popped out to short. Austin was hit by a pitch to load the bases, bringing the go ahead run to the plate. Potrikus got Jaren Mathews (Rutgers) to pop to Bourdon to end the inning.
De Pinto went 2-for-5 for the Twisters. Torrington (7-8) also got hits from Shimada, Chasse, Baudinet and Chase Austin (Elon). Bourdon went 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs for Manchester (7-9), which ended a five-game losing streak. The Silkworms also got 2 hits apiece from Matt Gross (Notre Dame) and Zach Hudson (Middle Tennessee State).

Torrington v. Manchester - June 29

The Twisters host the Manchester Silkworms Sunday at 6 at Fuessenich Park before hitting the road for the week.
Torrington is 2-1 against Manchester this season.
Scheduled to start for the Twisters (7-7) is Andrew Triggs (Southern California), according to the NECBL's Web site. Triggs is 0-2 in 4 appearances (3 starts) with a 5.11 ERA. In 12.1 innings, Triggs has given up 9 runs (7 earned) on 9 hits, striking out 13 while walking 7. Opponents are hitting .200 against Triggs this season.
Projected to pitch for the Silkworms is James Kukucka (Eastern Connecticut State) of Vernon, Conn. Kukucka is 1-0 in 4 appearances this season with a 2.25 ERA. In 8 innings this season, Kukucka has given up 2 runs on 7 hits, striking out 5 while walking one. Opponents are batting .241 against Kukucka this season.

Torrington wins pitcher's duel

The Torrington Twisters got eight strong innings from Eric Jokisch (Northwestern) and a timely hit from Corey Shimada (Utah) to defeat the North Adams SteepleCats 2-1 Sunday night at Fuessenich Park.
Jokisch pitched 8 innings, giving up one unearned run on 3 hits, striking out 6 while walking one. Robert Chimpky (Utah) pitched the ninth, giving up one walk, for the save.
Shimada's eighth inning single to center scored Josh Chasse (San Diego State) with the winning run. The Twisters made 3 errors and left 11 runners on base, but were able to pull out the win. Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst) came up big in the field again, throwing out TJ Greig (Malloy College) at the plate to end the third inning.
Shimada, Chasse and Chase Austin (Elon) each had 2 hits for Torrington, now back at .500 at 7-7. North Adams is 6-10. The Twisters face Manchester Sunday at 6 at Fuessenich.

Torrington v. North Adams - June 28

The Twisters host the SteepleCats of North Adams tonight at 7 at Fuessenich.
Scheduled to start for Torrington (6-7) is Eric Jokisch (Northwestern). Jokisch is 0-1 in 2 games (one start) with a 8.53 ERA, according to the NECBL's Web site. In 6.1 innings, Jokisch has given up 6 runs on 9 hits, striking out 7 while walking 4. Opponents are batting .333 against Jokisch this season.
North Adams (6-9) is projected to start Matt Sommo (University of New Haven). Sommo, who is a native of Clinton, Conn., is 0-2 in 4 appearances (3 starts) with a 5.06 ERA. In 16 innings this season, Sommo has given up 10 runs (9 earned) on 15 hits, striking out 10 while walking 6. Opponents are hitting .254 against Sommo this season.

Torrington loses to Pittsfield

Torrington fell back below .500 Friday night with an 8-2 loss to Pittsfield.
The Dukes hit Josh Zeid (Tulane) early, scoring three runs in both the second and third innings on their way to the win over the Twisters in Pittsfield.
Jake Rosenbeck (Buffalo) cleared the bases with a double in the second to give Pittsfield (7-8) a 3-0 lead. Matt Adams (Slippery Rock) laced a two-run double down the left field line in the third to give the Dukes a 5-0 lead. Rosenbeck brought in Adams with a single in the third to make the score 6-0.
Zeid gave up seven runs on 13 hits in seven innings, striking out three while walking two. USC's Joe De Pinto had a run-scoring ground out in the sixth to get Torrington (6-7) on the board at 6-1. A run-scoring single by Bryson Rahier (San Jose State) in the seventh brought in the second Twister run to make the score 6-2.
Pittsfield got one back in the seventh on a fielder’s choice. The Dukes tacked on one more in the eighth on a run-scoring triple by Chris Edmondson (Le Moyne) off of reliever Alex Valadja (James Madison) to make the score 8-2.
Rosenbeck tormented Torrington, going 3-for-4 with four runs batted in. Adams went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Jason Krizan (Dallas Baptiste) went 2-for-4 with three runs scored while Edmondson went 2-for-5 with a run batted in. Brigham Young's JT Musso (2-for-4, run scored), Eastern Kentucky's Jayson Langfels (1-for-4, run scored) and Perry Silverman of Canisius (1-for-3, RBI, run scored) also played well for the Dukes.
The Twisters were led by Rahier, who went 2-for-3. Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst) went 1-for-3 with a double and run scored while BYU's Jonathan Cluff (1-for-3, double, run scored) and SDSU's Josh Chasse (1-for-4) each added a hit.
Torrington hosts North Adams tonight at 7 at Fuessenich Park. Eric Jokisch (Northwestern) is scheduled to start on the mound for the Twisters.

Torrington at Pittsfield - June 27

The Twisters take to the road to play the Pittsfield Dukes tonight at 7.
Scheduled to start for Torrington is Josh Zeid (Tulane). Zeid is 1-0 in one start this season with a 0.00 ERA, according to the NECBL's Web site. In a victory over the Manchester Silkworms June 15, Zeid surrendered just one hit, striking out nine while walking one. Zeid pitched six no-hit innings that game. Opponents are hitting a tiny .045 against Zeid this season.
Pittsfield is projected to start Alex MacKenzie (Canisius). MacKenzie is 0-0 in 3 starts with a 3.50 ERA this season. In 18 innings, MacKenzie has given up 9 runs (7 earned) on 20 hits, striking out 12 while walking 6. Opponents are batting .286 against MacKenzie this season.

Torrington at Pittsfield - June 27

Torrington falls to Vermont

The Torrington Twisters fell back to .500 Thursday night, but remained in a tie for first place in the Southern Division after a 5-2 loss to the Vermont Mountaineers.
Torrington is tied at 6-6 with Newport for the division lead. The Gulls lost to the Holyoke Blue Sox 6-4 Thursday night. Vermont got four runs in the first off of starter Brett Miller (San Diego State), who fell to 1-2 on the season.
The Twisters trailed 5-1, but had the bases loaded with one out in the seventh. Josh Chasse (SDSU) was hit by a pitch, forcing in a run to make it 5-2, but Jaren Matthews (Rutgers) flew out to left and Chase Austin (Elon) popped out to second on a 2-o pitch to end the inning.
Kevin Nieto (Manhattan College) went 4-for-5 with a triple and an RBI for Vermont. The Mountaineers also got two hits from Jeff Mercer (Wright State) and Ethan Paquette (University of Vermont). Eric Smith (University of Rhode Island) pitched 6 innings and got the win to improve to 1-1 on the season.
Alex Valadja pitched 2 strong innings in relief, striking out one while walking one for Torrington. Matthews, Corey Shimada (Utah), Joe De Pinto (USC) and Bryson Rahier (San Jose State) each had one hit for the Twisters.
Torrington plays in Pittsfield tonight at 7 against the Dukes.

Injuries continue to pile up for Torrington

Injuries continue to be a problem for the Twisters. Pitcher Jordan Hershisher and first baseman/outfielder Blake Silguero will be heading home due to injuries, according to Torrington General Manager Kirk Fredriksson. Hershiser has an elbow injury that will be examined and Silguero has a back injury, Fredriksson said after Thursday’s game.
"It’s two things that we don’t want to take chances with," Fredriksson said. "They are both freshmen (in college)."
Hershiser had a chance to be one of the team’s best pitchers while Silguero would have provided another threat with the bat.
"It’s a shame because they’re two of the nicest kids I’ve ever met in my life," Fredriksson said. "There’s no doubt they would have helped us this summer."
Fredriksson said he is looking to bring other players in to replace Hershiser and Silguero.
Torrington lost some players before the season began. Kevin Silvett, a catcher from San Diego State University, went to summer school. University of Southern California pitcher Ryan Cabral stayed home for the summer due to an illness in the family. San Diego State pitcher Michael Dixon had a wrist injury and Central Michigan University infielder Billy Anderson broke his elbow. Bryce Ortega, a shortstop at the University of Arizona, also did not make it due to injury.

Update on rescheduled games

The Torrington Twisters have rescheduled 2 games that were rained out earlier this season. The season opener on the road at North Adams, which has been postponed twice, has been rescheduled for Monday, July 7 at 7 p.m., according to the NECBL's Web site. The Torrington home game against Newport -- which was supposed to be the team's home opener on June 8 -- has been rescheduled for Thursday, July 24 at 7 p.m.

Torrington v. Vermont - June 26

The Torrington Twisters return home tonight to play the Vermont Mountaineers at 7 at Fuessenich Park.
Torrington (6-5) is scheduled to start Brett Miller (San Diego State). Miller is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 3 appearances (2 starts), according to the NECBL's Web site. In 16.1 innings, Miller has given up 7 runs on 13 hits, striking out 12 while walking 10. Opponents are hitting .220 against Miller this season.
Vermont (6-6) has won 4 in a row after starting the season 2-6. The Mountaineers are scheduled to start Eric Smith (Rhode Island) of Milford, Conn. Smith is 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA in 3 appearances (2 starts). In 12 innings pitched, Smith has given up 8 runs (7 earned) on 12 hits, striking out 7 while walking 6. Opponents are batting .261 against Smith this season.

Torrington wins third straight

The Torrington Twisters collected their third straight win with a 7-3 triumph over the Holyoke Blue Sox Wednesday night.
Aaron Barrows (Eastern Kentucky) went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs batted in while Watertown native Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst) went 2-for-4 with a triple, run batted in and run scored for Torrington, now 6-5. Goshen native Andrew Rocco (UConn-Avery Point) went 1-for-2 with a double, run batted in and run scored while Jonathan Cluff (BYU) went 1-for-5 with two runs scored for the Twisters.
Danny Beck (USC) was strong on the hill for Torrington. Beck went six innings, giving up no runs on three hits while striking out five and walking two. Eric Jokisch (Northwestern) and Craig Schneider (Alderson-Broaddus) finished the game for the Twisters out of the bullpen.
Torrington got a run in each of the first three innings to take a 3-0 lead. Corey Shimada (Utah) opened the scoring by walking to lead off the game. Shimada came around to score on a fielder’s choice by Chase Austin (Elon). The Twisters got their second run when Joe De Pinto (USC) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second inning. In the third, Rocco drove in Cluff with a double. Cluff had reached on an error with two outs in the inning. Cluff then stole second.
Torrington broke the game open with two runs in the fifth inning. After Rocco walked with two outs, Baudinet tripled to right to score Rocco. Shimada struck out swinging for what should have been the final out of the inning, but the ball got past Holyoke catcher Craig Turner (Southern Wesleyan), allowing Baudinet to score to make it 5-0 Twisters.
Torrington added to its lead in the sixth on smart baserunning by Chasse. Chasse singled to lead off the inning. With Austin at the plate and one out, Chasse stole second. Chasse advanced to third on a fly out to center field by Austin. A single by Barrows brought home Chasse for a 6-0 advantage.
The Twisters scored their final run in the eighth. Austin doubled to left center with two outs. Barrows doubled, scoring Austin for a 7-0 lead.
Holyoke scored its first run on a fielder’s choice by Alex Wyche (Alexander Baldwin Agricultural College) in the bottom of the seventh. A bases loaded walk to Turner in the seventh made the score 7-2. The Blue Sox got their final run in the ninth. Shevis Shima (Cal State Fullerton) had an infield single with two outs. A Sean Killeen (Trinity College) single score Shima to make the score 7-3.
Torrington hosts Vermont tonight at 7 at Fuessenich Park.

Torrington at Holyoke - June 25

Tonight is the first matchup of the season between the Torrington Twisters and the Holyoke Blue Sox (6:30 start).
It is also the first game between teams owned by the Wadsworth family. Robin Wadsworth is the chairman/CEO of Torrington while her sister Karen Wadsworth Rella is chairman/CEO of Holyoke. Robin's brother Barry is the Blue Sox COO/general manager.
Scheduled to make the start for the Twisters (5-5) is left-hander Danny Beck (USC), according to the NECBL's Web site. Beck is 0-0 in 3 appearances with a 1.69 ERA. In 5.1 innings this season, Beck has allowed 4 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, striking out 7 while issuing just one walk. Opponents are hitting a paltry .158 against him this season.
Justin Albert (Vermont) is projected to start for Holyoke. Albert is perfect at 3-0 in three starts this season with a miniscule 0.89 ERA. In 20.1 innings this season, Albert has given up just 2 runs on 8 hits, striking out 21 batters. Albert, however, has walked 15 batters this season. Opponents are batting just .121 against him with 2 extra-base hits.
The Blue Sox are 7-6 on the season and are coming off of a 4-0 win over Danbury Tuesday night. Since a three-game losing streak dropped the team to 3-6, Holyoke has ripped off 4 straight wins.

Torrington beats Keene

After being rained out for the sixth time this season Monday night, the Twisters got back into the swing of things with a 3-1 win over the Northern Division-leading Keene Swamps Bats in Keene, N.H., Tuesday night, according to the NECBL's Web site.
The win puts Torrington back at .500 at 5-5. The Twisters were rained out Monday night in Lynn, Mass., where they were scheduled to play the North Shore Navigators.
Jonathan Cluff (BYU) got the night started for Torrington with a solo homer to right center in the top of the third. Three batters later, Corey Shimada (Utah) made it 2-0 with a solo shot of his own to right center.
The Twisters extended their lead to 3-0 in the seventh on an RBI single by Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst). Keene scored its only run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by Josh Chester (St. Petersburg). Chester was thrown out by Cluff (the right fielder) attempting to stretch his single into a double.
Josh Smith (Lipscomb) picked up his second win of the year with another strong performance. Smith went 8 innings, allowing a single run on five hits, striking out 12 while walking just 2. Robert Chimpky (Utah) pitching the final inning, giving up no runs on two hits while striking out three, picking up his first save of the season.
James Wise (Washington State), the NECBL's co-pitcher of the week with Josh Zeid of Torrington in Week One, suffered the loss. Wise pitched 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits, striking out 2 while walking one.
Baudinet and Chase Austin (Elon) each had 2 hits.

Torrington at North Shore - June 23

The Twisters take to the road tonight to play the North Shore Navigators in Lynn, Mass.
Torrington is scheduled to start Josh Smith (Lipscomb). Smith is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA. In 7 innings pitched at Danbury June 11, Smith has allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, striking out 8 while walking one. Opponents are hitting just .200 against Smith.
North Shore is projected to send Mike Adams (Franklin Pierce) to the hill. Adams is 0-2 in two starts this season. Adams has an ERA of 6.00 and has given up 8 runs on 13 hits in 12 innings. Opponents are hitting .295 against him this season.

Torrington snaps losing streak

Joe De Pinto's two-out single to left scored Corey Shimada (Utah) with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth as Torrington won 3-2 over North Shore Sunday night.
The win snaps a two-game Twister losing streak. Shimada got a great jump off of first after singling with two outs. Shimada stole second, setting up De Pinto's hit. De Pinto (University of Southern California) has reached base in his first two games as a Twister.
Andrew Triggs (USC) was strong on the mound, giving up a single hit in six scoreless innings. Triggs struck out five while walking just one. Aaron Barrows (Eastern Kentucky) had two hits for Torrington. The Twisters also got strong defense from left fielder Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst) and Corey Huffine (Post University).
Michael Provencher (Mesa State College) singled and tripled and scored both runs for the Navigators.

Torrington plays last home game before three-game road trip

The Twisters will play their final home game Sunday before embarking on a three-game road trip this week.
Torrington, now 3-5, hosts the North Shore Navigators (8-4) at 6. The Twisters travel to Lynn, Mass., Monday to play North Shore. On Tuesday, Torrington will travel further to the north to play the Keene Swamp Bats. On Wednesday, the Twisters play the Holyoke Blue Sox.
Torrington returns home Thursday to play the Vermont Mountaineers. On Saturday, the Twisters host North Adams.

Torrington v. North Shore - June 22

The Twisters are scheduled to host the North Shore Navigators at 6 p.m. Sunday night.
North Shore is projected to start right-hander Wayde Kitchens of Chapman University. Kitchens is 0-1 in two starts this season with a 0.77 ERA, according to the NECBL Web site. Kitchens has pitched 11.2 innings this year, giving up four runs (one earned) on 11 hits, striking out eight while walking four. Opponents are hitting .256 against Kitchens this season.
Since dropping two of their first three games, the Navigators have won 7 of 9, including Saturday's 3-2 victory at North Adams. North Shore is 8-4 on the season. Torrington is 3-5 on the season.
Chapman University is in Orange, Calif.

Twisters welcome new player

Joe De Pinto is the newest member of the Torrington Twisters.
De Pinto was an infielder as a freshman at the University of Southern California, according to the USC athletic Web site. De Pinto started 34 games and appeared in 42 overall, hitting .203. In 118 at bats, De Pinto had eight doubles, drew 14 walks and finished in a tie for second on the team with five sacrifice hits.
De Pinto started his first game for Torrington Saturday night in an exhibition game against Team China at Fuessenich Park. De Pinto had a bunt single down the third base line in his first at bat. In the field, De Pinto had four put outs.

Torrington v. Team China (exhibition) - June 21

Tonight, the Twisters host the Chinese Olympic Team in an exhibition game at 7 at Fuessenich Park.
Team China dropped an exhibition game in Torrington against Team USA 7-1 on Wednesday. In another exhibition game Thursday, Team China defeated the Danbury Westerners 19-6.
Getting the start for the Twisters is Josh Zeid (Tulane). Zeid is 1-0 on the NECBL season and threw six no-hit innings against the Manchester Silkworms on June 15. Zeid went 7 innings that game, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out nine.

Zeid earns NECBL co-pitcher of the week

Josh Zeid (Tulane) has been named NECBL Co-Pitcher of the Week for Week 1 of the season along with Keene hurler James Wise (Washington State), according to the league Web site.
Zeid carried a no hitter into the seventh inning of his start against Manchester on June 15. Zeid went 7 innings, giving up a hit and walk while striking out 9. Torrington won the game 4-0.
Wise earned 2 victories in 3 appearances for the Swamp Bats, helping his team get off to a hot start.

Torrington continues to struggle

The Twisters dropped their second straight NECBL game, a 14-0 loss to the Lowell All-Americans Friday night.
Torrington lost Thursday to North Adams 7-0. When the exhibition game against Team USA (15-0) is included, the Twisters have been outscored 36-0 in their last three games. Torrington has 11 hits in those three games and has not scored a run in the last 29 innings.
The Twisters have a league-worst .173 team batting average in their first eight games in league play, according to the NECBL Web site. Torrington's 4.35 team ERA is the second worst in the league. Twister pitchers have hit 13 batters, which leads the league.
On the flip side, opponents are only hitting .222 against Torrington pitching, the fifth lowest mark in the league. Twister pitchers have struck out the fifth most batters in the league with 84, and they are third in called strikeouts with 29. The Twisters are also second in least hits allowed with 61.
On offense, Torrington is third in the league in homers with 5. Twister baserunners have stolen 12 bases and been caught only 3 times this season.
Even with the rough patch it has hit, Torrington (3-5) is still only 2.5 games behind Southern Division-leading Newport, who is 6-3. The Twisters are one of five teams in the 12-team NECBL that have 5 losses.
Torrington hosts Team China in an exhibition game tonight at 7 at Fuessenich Park.

Twister players among league leaders

Some of the current Torrington Twisters are among the league leaders in several categories in the early part of the season.
Jaren Matthews (Rutgers) is tied for third in RBIs with 9 and is tied for second with 2 home runs, according to the NECBL Web site. Chase Austin (Elon) is also tied for second in homers with 2. Kevin Mager (Maine) is tied for the league lead in triples with one. Josh Chasse (San Diego State) and Corey Shimada (Utah) are eached tied for fourth in the league in steals with 4 and both are tied for third in steal attempts with five.
On the mound, Josh Zeid (Tulane) and Steve Geltz (Buffalo) are among a slew of players tied for first in ERA with a mark of 0.00. Zeid has done it in one 7-inning start while Geltz has pitched four perfect innings. Geltz is also tied for first in opponent batting average with a mark of .000. Brett Miller (San Diego State) is third in innings pitched with 16.1.

Twisters have busy weekend

The Torrington Twisters (3-4) will play three home games this weekend, starting tonight at 7 against the Lowell All-Americans (4-5 as of June 19).
Torrington plays Team China in an exhibition game at 7 Saturday and closes out its four-game homestand against the North Shore Navigators at 6 p.m.
Barring rainouts -- which have been frequent for the Twisters this season -- Torrington will not have another day off until Wednesday, July 2, meaning the Twisters will play 12 straight games.
As of June 19, the Keene Swamp Bats hold the NECBL's best record at 8-1. The Newport Gulls lead the Southern Division with a 6-2 mark. Torrington is in fifth place out of six teams in the Southern Division, though the Twisters are only 2.5 games out of first place.

Torrington v. Lowell - June 20

The Torrington Twisters play the second game of a four-game homestand tonight against the Lowell All-Americans at 7.
Scheduled to start for Torrington will be Eric Jokisch (Northwestern). It will be Jokisch's first start of the season for the Twisters. Jokisch last pitched against Team USA in an exhibition game Tuesday. Jokisch went one inning, giving up a run on two hits, striking out one and walking none.
Lowell is scheduled to start Conor Fahey (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), according to the NECBL Web site. Fahey is 0-1 on the season with a 1.80 ERA. In two starts, Fahey has pitched 10 innings, giving up 2 runs on 8 hits, striking out 7 while walking 2. Batters are hitting .229 against him this season.
Torrington is 3-4 while Lowell is 4-5.

Twisters nearly no-hit by North Adams

The Torrington Twisters almost made the wrong kind of history Thursday night as they came within two outs of being no-hit by North Adams in a 7-0 loss.
Tim Boyce, normally a closer when he pitches for the University of Rhode Island, made his third start of the season for the SteepleCats. Boyce was on his game, surrendering only a hit batsmen in seven innings while striking out nine. Reliever Derek Shaw (Florida Gulf Coast) walked two in the eighth but go out of it without giving up a run or hit.
Chase Austin (Elon) broke up the no-no in the ninth with one out when he singled past a diving T.J. Greig at third. Dayton Marze (University of Louisiana-Lafayette) had come in to pitch the ninth for North Adams.
Brett Miller (San Diego State) took the loss for Torrington.
The Twisters host Lowell tonight at 7.

Torrington v. North Adams - June 19

Tonight, the Torrington Twisters host North Adams at 7.
This game is the first of two regular season NECBL games that Torrington will play before another exhibition game Saturday, this time against Team China. The SteepleCats are 3-4 on the season, but have won their last two games, both against the Pittsfield Dukes.

Rainouts plague Twisters

Mother Nature has been an issue for the Torrington Twisters this season.
So far, Torrington has had five games rained out, including last night's tilt with the Danbury Westerners in Danbury. The rainouts began on opening night (June 6), when the Twisters were scheduled to play in North Adams against the SteepleCats. That game was postponed. On June 8, Torrington was supposed to open its home schedule against Newport, complete with a parade. That got rained out.
The Twisters have yet to make up the opening night game against North Adams. Torrington and North Adams were scheduled to make up that game Monday night, but it was again rained out. All told, the Twisters have played seven (one exhibition game included) out of a possible 12 games.

Torrington wins second in a row

The Twisters captured their second win in a row and moved to .500 (3-3) with a 4-0 win over Manchester Sunday.
Josh Zeid (Tulane) was brilliant, carrying a perfect game into the seventh, where a lead off single ended it. Zeid ended up going seven innings, giving up one hit and walking a batter while striking out nine.
Chase Austin (Elon) hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot in the sixth inning that gave Torrington a 3-0 lead. Josh Chasse (San Diego State) had an RBI groundout. The other 2 Twister runs scored because of Silkworm errors.
Torrington travels to North Adams Monday to play a makeup game against the SteepleCats, then comes home Tuesday for an exhibition game against Team USA at Fuessenich Park at 7.

Miller pitched seven innings last night

Brett Miller (San Diego State) pitched seven innings in a 6-0 win over the Manchester Silkworms last night. A story on B1 of Saturday's Register Citizen reported that Miller pitched six innings.
Miller walked three batters in the first inning, but settled down in the other six, walking just one. Miller threw 25 pitches in the first inning and 57 over the first three, but needed just 50 pitches over the final four innings. Miller retired the side in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Miller's official line for the game was 7 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts.
Craig Schneider pitching the eighth for Torrington, giving up a hit and walk while striking out one. Steve Geltz finished for the Twisters, striking out the side on 10 pitches.

Torrington v. Danbury - June 14

Torrington hosts Danbury tonight at 7 at Fuessenich Park.
Getting the start for the Twisters is Josh Zeid of Tulane University. Zeid will be making his first start for Torrington. He is from New Haven.
The Westerners start left-hander Travis Ratliff of Cortland State. Ratliff is 0-1 on the season.

Twisters notch first home win

The Torrington Twisters won their first home game Friday with a 6-0 shutout of the Manchester Silkworms.
Brett Miller (San Diego State) went six innings for Torrington, giving up one hit while striking out 2 and walking 4. Miller got of a bases loaded jam (3 walks) with a strikeout to end the first inning.
Jaren Matthews (Rutgers) and Jonathan Cluff (Brigham Young) each homered for the Twisters. Matthews hit a three-run homer in the fifth for a 4-0 lead while Cluff's two-run home run in the sixth finished off the scoring. Chase Austin (Elon) starting the scoring with a run-scoring single in the third. Corey Shimada (Utah) scored twice for Torrington.
Craig Schneider (Alderson-Broaddus College) pitched the seventh and eighth innings, giving up two hits while striking out three and walking one. Steve Geltz (Buffalo) pitched a perfect ninth, striking out the side on 10 pitches.
The Twisters are 2-3 on the season and hosts Danbury Saturday at 7. Josh Zeid gets the start against the Westerners. Manchester is 4-2.

Torrington v. Manchester - June 13

The Torrington Twisters host the Manchester Silkworms tonight in the second game of a four-game homestand. The game begins at 7. Brett Miller (San Diego State) will get the nod for Torrington while Jeremiah Bayer (Trinity College ) goes for Manchester.
The Silkworms are 4-1 on the season and have won all four by two runs or less. Torrington is 1-3 and lost 5-1 to Pittsfield in its home opener Thursday night.

Torrington drops home opener to Pittsfield

The Torrington Twisters lost the 2008 home opener 5-1 Thursday to the Pittsfield Dukes.
Torrington's pitching and solid defense kept the team in it until the ninth, where Pittsfield score three runs. The Dukes got an RBI single from Craig Hertler (San Jose State) and a line drive two-run homer from Tyler Stampone (William & Mary) to take a 5-1 win. Pittsfield led 2-1 entering the ninth.
Leading the Twisters was Chase Austin (Elon). Austin drove in Torrington's only run with a solo home run deep over both walls in left center field in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Twisters play the second game of the four game homestand against the Manchester Silkworms tonight at 7.

Twisters open home season with Pittsfield tonight

The Torrington Twisters will kick off the home schedule for the 2008 season tonight against the 4-1 Pittsfield Dukes at 7 at Fuessenich Park.
Getting the start for Torrington is Andrew Triggs from the University of Southern California. Going for Pittsfield is Michael Ness of Duke University. The Dukes got off to a 4-0 start on the season with two wins against the Danbury Westerners and one win apiece over the Newport Gulls and Manchester Silkworms. Pittsfield dropped its first of the year last night 5-4 to Manchester in Pittsfield. The Dukes bring in a potent offense that has scored 43 runs in five games, including a pair of 12's in wins against Newport and Danbury.
The Twisters have also received good production from their offense, scoring 23 runs in the first three games. Torrington pounded Danbury, scoring 10 runs in a win over the Westerners. Jaren Matthews (Rutgers) led the way with a 3-for-3 night that included a home run, 4 RBIs and 2 walks. Josh Chasse was also strong for the Twisters, going 2-for-4 with a walk, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Josh Smith of Lipscomb picked up the win for Torrington, going the first 7 innings.

Familiar face to join Twister roster tonight

Josh Zeid, a junior right-handed pitcher from Tulane University, is scheduled to join the Torrington Twister roster tonight for the game against the Pittsfield Dukes.
It will be the second time around for Zeid, who is from New Haven,. Zeid played for the Twisters in 2006, then moved to the Cape Cod League in 2007. Zeid had plenty of success in Torrington, going 4-1 with a 3.19 ERA in 10 appearances, which included six starts.
Zeid transferred from Vanderbilt to the Green Wave, according to Tulane's athletics Web site. Zeid went to Hamden Hall Country Day School. In his final two seasons, Hamden Hall won back-to-back New England Championships.

Schneider on Torrington roster

Craig Schneider, a junior left-handed pitcher from Alderson-Broaddus College (Philippi, W.V.) has been added to the Torrington roster. Schneider made an appearance in the game against Newport Monday, going 2 innings (2 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 2 strikeouts, 1 walk).
Schneider is from Marcy, N.Y.

Post University player on Twisters roster

Corey Huffine, a junior infielder from Post University in Waterbury, is on the Twister roster, according to NECBL.com.
Huffine started all 50 games (including 2 postseason games) for the Eagles, hitting .333 and leading the team with 12 doubles. Huffine also led the team in total bases (80) and stole 12 of 13 bases.
Huffine is from Colorado Springs, Colo.

Twisters lose heartbreaker in Newport

The Twisters dropped their second straight game Monday, a 7-6 heartbreaker to the Newport Gulls in Newport.
Jack Murphy (Princeton) led off the Newport 11th with a single, according to the NECBL online play-by-play. He was sacrificed to second by Joey Manning (Vanderbilt). After an intentional walk to Taylor Meehan (Havard), Cody Grisham (Tennessee) singled to drive in Murphy with the winning run.
The walk-off single spoiled a great comeback by Torrington in the top of the ninth. With Robert Morey (Virginia) on to close the game for the Gulls, pinch hitter Jonathan Cluff (Brigham Young) singled. After Cluff advanced to second on a wild pitch, Josh Chasse (San Diego State) drew a walk. After Corey Shimada (Utah) struck out looking for the first out, Jaren Matthews (Rutgers) reached on an error to load the bases for Brian Baudinet (UMass-Amherst). Baudinet walked, forcing in Cluff to make the score 6-4.
The Gulls changed pitchers, bringing in Dan Mahoney (UConn). Blake Silguero (Cisco Junior College) greeted him with a sacrifice fly to score Chasse to cut the Newport lead to 6-5.
With the Twisters down to their final out, Aaron Barrows ( singled to score Matthews and tie the game at 6. Torrington had its chances to win the game in the 10th and the 11th. In the tenth, Chasse walked with two outs and stole second, but was stranded.
The Twisters had an even better chance in the 11th. With one out, Baudinet walked and stole second. Things got even better for Torrington when Mahoney uncorked a wild pitch, moving Baudinet to third. Mahoney stranded Baudinet at third by striking out Silguero and Corey Huffine (Post University) to end the jam.
The Gulls also had chances to end the game before the 11th. Newport had runners on first and second with two out in the ninth, but Steve Geltz (Buffalo) got Jeff Butler (Mississippi State) to line out to Chase Austin (Elon) at short to end the jam. In the tenth, the Gulls had a runner on first with one out. Alex Gregory (Radford) ripped a liner to center that was caught by Chasse. Chasse threw to first to double off pinch runner Pete Mastors (Rhode Island) and end the inning.
The Twisters are 0-2 on the season while Newport is 2-1. Torrington takes the road again Wednesday when they play at Danbury.

Local flavor among this year's Twisters

Not unlike other years, the Torrington Twisters have some local talent on this season's team.
Leading the local contingent is infielder Alan Fredriksson of Torrington, a familiar name to local baseball enthusiasts. Fredriksson, the son of General Manager Kirk Fredriksson, had a strong season at Manchester Community College in Manchester, Conn., finishing second on the team for the regular season in hitting (.405), hits (53), doubles (9) and RBIs (30), according to the National Junior College Athletic Association Web site. The Cougars enjoyed a successful season, winning their region and making a trip to the NJCAA Division III World Series, where they lost both games in a double-elimination tournament.
Catcher Andrew Rocco of Goshen had a strong season at the University of Connecticut at Avery Point, hitting a steady .286, according to the NJCAA Web site. Playing in 37 games in the regular season, Rocco had 34 hits, including a tie for third on the team in doubles (9) and a tie for fourth in doubles (2). Rocco is the only returning player from last year's squad.
Outfielder Brian Baudinet of Watertown had a stellar junior year for the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Baudinet played baseball at The Taft School in Watertown during his high school years in Connecticut. In his junior season with the Minutemen, Baudinet led the team in batting average (.351), hits (61), home runs (5), total bases (81) and walks (29). Baudinet was also a leader on defense, making just one error in 105 chances while roaming the outfield.

Twisters drop opening game at Manchester

The Torrington Twisters opened the season a day late with a 9-7 loss to the Manchester Silkworms in Manchester Saturday night.
Andrew Triggs suffered the loss for Torrington as the Manchester offense scored six runs in the first two innings. Despite the 6-0 hole at the end of two innings, the Twisters rallied for four runs in the third to cut the deficit to 6-4.
Torrington would get within 6-5 after the top of the fourth, but the Silkworms scored twice in the bottom of that inning to take an 8-5 lead. After Manchester added a run in the seventh for a 9-5 advantage, the Twisters scored twice in the eighth to get within two at 9-7. That would be as close as Torrington would get, however, as the Silkworms shut the door.
Blake Silguero (Cisco Junior College) went 3-for-5 with an RBI for the Twisters, who fall to 0-1. Josh Chasse (San Diego State University) added a 2-for-5 day that included a RBI, a stolen base and a run scored. Corey Shimada (University of Utah) went 1-for-2 with a double, two walks, two runs scored and two steals.
Shortstop Kevin Mager, recently signed by Torrington from the University of Maine (Orono), went 1-for-3 with a triple, a walk and two runs scored.
Manchester was led by Zach Hudson (Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro) went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, three walks and three runs scored. Matt Grosso (Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind.) of Marlborough, Conn., went 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored while JD Broderick (West Virginia State, Institute) went 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs and two walks for the Silkworms. Despite not recording an official at-bat, J.P. Polchinski (Army, West Point, N.Y.) scored three runs because he was hit by pitches twice and walked once.
Manchester took advantage of three hit batters and 10 walks issued by Twister pitching. Torrington is scheduled to play again Monday at Newport at 6:35 p.m. Sunday's home opener against the Gulls was rained out.

Opening Night rained out

Tonight's game between the Torrington Twisters and the Newport Gulls at Fuessenich Park has been postponed due to rain. No makeup date had been announced as of 6:40 p.m. Sunday.
Torrington is scheduled to play at Newport Monday at 6:35 p.m. The next scheduled home game is Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Pittsfield Dukes.

Former Twister Green drafted by Los Angeles

Former Twisters star Garett Green, an infielder with San Diego State University, was drafted in the 30th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to the Aztec Web site.
Green, a senior with SDSU, was chosen by the Dodgers with the 907th pick, according to MLB.com. Green hit .290 with 38 runs, 13 doubles four triples, five home runs and 42 runs batted in, according to the Aztec site.

Let the home games begin

On Sunday, the time will arrive for the Torrington Twisters to begin its 2008 home schedule. Torrington will host the Newport Gulls at 6 p.m. after a parade to Fuessenich Park.
The parade begins at 4:30 p.m. and will feature around 500 people, including 350 little leaguers from Thomaston. The Twisters were scheduled to open the season in North Adams, but the game was postponed until Monday, June 16.

Strasburg named first team all-American

Stephen Strasburg, a sophomore at San Diego State and former pitcher for Torrington, has been named a Louisville Slugger First Team All-American, according to the Aztec Web site.
Strasburg was also named a first team all-American his freshman year.

Austin finishes strong for Elon

Chase Austin, who will play infield for Torrington this summer, finished the year strong for Elon University as they played in the Cary, N.C., regional.
Austin went 4-for-12 with a run batted in and a run scored in each of the three games as the Phoenix went 1-2, according to the team's Web site.

Chase Austin, Elon, to play in NCAA's

Sophomore infielder Chase Austin will be making an appearance in the NCAA tournament with Elon University as they play in the Cary, N.C. regional, according to the NCAA Web site.
In the Southern Conference tournament championship against the College of Charleston, Austin went 3-for-5 with 4 RBIs and a walk as the Phoenix won the title, according to Elon's Web site. In the game before against UNC Greensboro, Austin went 4-for-5 with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs and a run scored.
In the second game of the tourney for the Phoenix, Austin went 4-for-5 with a home run, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored against Georgia Southern. In the first game of the tournament for Elon, Austin went 2-for-5 with a double, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
For the tournament, Austin hit .650 (13-for-20) with a home run, 3 doubles and 12 RBIs. Austin was named to the all-conference tournament team, according to the conference Web site.

Josh Smith to be part of Lipscomb's first NCAA team

Junior pitcher Josh Smith of Lipscomb University will be part of the first NCAA tournament team in school history for baseball, according to cbs.sportsline.com, which ran a story about the seedings announced for this year's tournament.
Lipscomb faces the University of Georgia, who is the No. 1 seed in the Athens, Ga. regional. The Bisons recently captured the Atlantic Sun tournament championship, according to the Bison Web site. Lipscomb defeated Gardner-Webb twice en route to the title. In the first matchup, Smith clinched a berth in the championship game for the Bisons in an 8-2 win, going seven innings. Smith gave up two runs (one earned) on seven hits, striking out three and walking four.

Chinese National Team staying in downtown Torrington during visit

Twisters Chairman/Owner Robin Wadsworth announced Thursday night that the Chinese national team will be staying in downtown Torrington for the week when they play Team USA and Torrington.
China will play USA on June 18 and the Twisters on June 21. During that time, the team will stay in downtown Torrington and will be around in downtown.

Two players joining the Twisters...

Eric Jokisch, a freshman left-hander from Northwestern University, will be making the trek to Torrington this summer. In 12 starts for the Wildcats, Jokisch went 8-2 with a 4.17 ERA, according to the NU Web site. He had four complete games, including a shutout.
Aaron Barrows, an outfielder from Eastern Kentucky University, will be brought in to replace the injured Billy Anderson (Central Michigan University). Barrows hit .331 for the Colonels, finishing third on the team in runs scored (36), tied for second in runs scored (36), tied for second in doubles (11), tied for fourth in hits (47) and second in stolen bases (14), according to the Colonels Web site.

Matthews named third team all Big East

Jaren Matthews of Rutgers, who will be playing in Torrington for the Twisters this summer, was named to the Big East's third team Monday night, according to the Scarlet Knights Web site.
Matthews was one of two players that started every game during the regular season for Rutgers, leading the team in home runs (10) and RBI's (54). Matthews also had a team-best 63 hits and stole eight bases in nine attempts.

Strasburg first team all-league, also wins pitcher of the year

Stephen Strasburg capped an amazing sophomore season by winning Mountain West Conference pitcher of the year. Strasburg was also named first team all-MWC, according to the San Diego State University Web site. Strasburg set league records in strikeouts (92), ERA (0.63) and opponents' batting average (.136).

Strasburg a semifinalist for Two National Awards

Stephen Straburg, the sensational starting pitcher for San Diego State University, has been chosen as a semifinalist for two awards, according to the Mountain West Conference Web site.
Strasburg was annnounced as a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Award and the Roger Clemens Award Thursday. The Dick Howser Award is given each year to the best player in college baseball. Strasburg is one of 16 semifinalists for that award.
The Roger Clemens Award is given to the top pitcher in the country. Strasburg is one of 10 semifinalists for the honor.
The Dick Howser Award winner will be announced June 14. Voting to determine the three finalists for the 2008 Roger Clemens Award will begin on May 26.