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Sports

Close Game Eliminates Rams Baseball From Post-Season

After a month off the mound, co-captain Willie Ouellette pitches a complete game.

The Rams baseball team's hopes of playing in the post season ended at Mead Park Wednesday with a 4-3 loss to Danbury.

If a team wins 40 percent of its games, it qualifies for the state tournament. New Canaan opened the season with four wins in their first five games but after that, lost eight games in a row. They came out of it with two wins but since, but have lost four more in succession. Now, even if the Rams win their final game against Bassick on Monday, they would finish at 7-13—one win short.

Willie Ouellette was the starting pitcher for the Rams Wednesday—the first time since opening day when he had to leave the game with a pulled back muscle. Given the long lapse, his stamina was better than expected.

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"I felt really good for about five innings but then felt I was starting to lose it after that," said Ouellette.

Nonetheless, he went all the way, giving up four runs (only one earned) six hits, seven strikeouts, and six walks.

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The Rams scored in their first at-bat on two walks and a run-scoring single by Cameron Armstrong. Donald Miller led off the second inning for the Hatters with a double to deep left. With two outs, Brian DelDebbio singled Miller home to tie the score.

The Hatters took the lead in the fourth when Miller and Cory Dean hit consecutive singles. After they each moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt, pinch-hitter B.J. Nimer hit a hard grounder to third that went through Casey Ouellette's legs scoring two and giving the Hatters a 3-1 lead.

The Rams got something going in the home fifth. Hatters' pitcher Abe Almonte walked Nick Bamatter and Jeff Spindel was hit by a pitch. After another walk that loaded the bases, Almonte was replaced by Robbin Meerman who moved to the mound from third base. Alex Farina singled off Meerman's glove for one run and, on the same play, second baseman Matt Stanley threw wild to first, scoring a second run and tying the game at three all.

In the sixth, DelDebbio tripled off a tree in deep center field. He scored moments later on a sacrifice fly for a 4-3 lead.

The Rams threatened in the seventh when Spindel led off with a hard hit ball to third base that went for a single.With one out, shortstop Ian Ratchford dove for a grounder up the middle, fielded the ball and, on his stomach, flipped it to second for the force. That was it for the Rams.

Coach Mitch Hoffman said his team's effort "was nice to see."

"We left it all on the field today and that's all you can ask," Hoffman said. "Willie's (Ouellette) the heart and soul of this team and you saw that today—that's why he's a two-time captain."

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