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Sports

New Canaan Baseball Falls To Farmington In Class L Semifinals

Rams strand 13 in 2-1 loss to the Indians; end stellar season at 16-9

The way things started Tuesday, the New Canaan baseball team seemed poised to get Farmington starter David Kerlejza out of the game in the early innings.

But a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the first turned out to be the only run for the Rams, who suffered a 2-1 loss to the Indians in the Class L semifinals at Ansonia's Nolan Field.

While runs were at a premium, this didn't feel like a 2-1 game. Only once was a team retired in a order. The clear story for New Canaan (16-9) was missed opportunities as the Rams stranded 13 runners, leaving the bases loaded twice.

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Farmington (17-7), the No. 16 seed, will face No. 15 Notre Dame of West Haven in the final on Friday or Saturday. The Green Knights crushed Foran 25-3 in Tuesday's other semifinal.

"We've been doing it most of the year, at least putting it in play, and that's how we started the first inning," New Canaan coach Mitch Hoffman said. "You got to put the ball in play, you got to put the pressure on the defense. We didn't do it, we left 13 runners on base."

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With the upset-riddled Class L tournament wide open, the 13th-seeded Rams knew they had a legitimate chance to win the school's first baseball state championship. New Canaan was looking to reach a state final for the first time since 1972.

Instead, the Rams ended the season with a frustrating loss.  Starter Peter Meadows, who battled his way through five innings in his final appearance in a New Canaan uniform, fought back tears after the game.

"It's a really tough loss, especially when we were so close," said Meadows, who walked none and struck out eight and limited the Indians to two runs despite giving up nine hits.

The Rams more than doubled their win total from last season when they finished 7-13 in Hoffman's first year.

"It was a big turnaround from last year," Meadows added. "I'm happy for the guys. I hope they do well in the future."

New Canaan's Casey Oulette reached on an error to open the bottom of the first, and it led to an unearned run without the benefit of a hit.

After getting two outs, Kerlejza walked Alex Farina, hit Willie Burger, and walked Will Karl to force in a run.  Kerlejaza, however, avoided further trouble and it sort of set the tone for the rest of a hot and sultry afternoon.

"The ones that hurt are the ones on third base with less than two outs," Hoffman said. "You have to make something happen. They got to learn from that."

Kerlejza also had some control issues, walking six, but limited the Rams to four hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Farmington, which is in a state final for the first time since 1978, scored both its runs in a bizarre fourth, when the Indians strung together five straight hits, including four doubles.

Farmington had two runners thrown out at third in the fourth as right fielder Farina recorded two assists in the same inning. The Indians made another out on the bases in the fifth when Jeff Schweighoffer was cut down at the plate on a failed squeeze.

Still, back-to-back RBI doubles by Brian Cohen and Johnny Arcidiacano gave the Indians their 2-1 lead.

New Canaan stranded runners on second and third in the fourth with one out, then loaded the bases in the fifth with one out. Kerlejza escaped that jam with a pair of strikeouts.

Farmington's Dave Weigard earned the save, yielding two hits over the final 1 2/3 innings. The Rams threatened again in the seventh, putting runners on first and second with two outs.

Farina replaced Meadows and was overpowering over the final two innings for the Rams, striking out four while giving up just one hit. All his strikeouts came on called third strikes.

"I think everyone around says we had an absolute season, you're playing with the house's money, you guys have never done this, congratulations," Hoffman said. "You still want to win it all.

"I think we're as good as anybody we played. Hopefully, they learn and get a little bit hungrier for next year. They got a taste of the postseason. They haven't had it for awhile. Hopefully, they can carry it over."

Burger had two hits Tuesday while Karl walked three times.


 

 

 


 

 


 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

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