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 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."

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.

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 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.