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.
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.
Labels: Alejandro Crisostomo, Brian Baudinet, Chase Austin, Corey Huffine, Corey Shimada, Danbury Westerners, Danny Beck, Eric Jokisch, Jimmy Rivas, Joe De Pinto, Rick Wilson, Torrington Twisters
posted by Register Citizen Staff at
12:34 AM
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