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.

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 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.

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 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.