It was only a matter of time before the Joel Barlow High baseball team’s potent offense would awaken in the South-West Conference championship game.
The top-seeded, defending champ Falcons had averaged more than seven runs going into the game against third-seeded Brookfield on Wednesday, May 22. Despite being held to just a single run in the first four innings, they rallied in the fifth, scoring six runs to pull ahead for good on their way to 9-1 win at Bethel High to capture their second straight league title.
“Brookfield’s a good team,” said Barlow head coach Matt Griffith, whose team also defeated the Bobcats in last year’s title game. “They always play us tough. It was tense there for a little bit.”
Brookfield starting pitcher Jack Murray kept the Falcons’ scoring to a minimum early on. An RBI double by Will Gregor in the bottom of the first inning was all the Falcons could muster offensively, as it became a pitcher’s duel between Murray and Falcon starter Ian Nilsen for the first few innings.
The Bobcats tied it at 1-1 in the top of the fourth when Matt Ackerly led off with a double to left field and later scored on a single by Francis Balzi.
Although the Falcons were kept off the board in their next at bat, they started to get to Murray in the fifth. After Christian Nilsen’s lead-off single, Ian Nilsen hit a two-run homer to left center, as the Falcons began to pull out of reach.
“He has seven home runs in his last eight games,” said Griffiths. “He’s really something.”
The rally continued when Gregor doubled to left field. Cam Forte singled on a bunt and Bill Bardani hit into a fielder’s choice. Logan Kady reached on an error, which drove in Forte and the Falcons led 4-1.
After Danny Smith singled, Nick Petta came in to pitch for the Bobcats but the Falcons still tacked on three more run’s thanks to T.J. Baer’s base-clearing triple that put the Falcons up 7-1.
“We had production one through nine,” said Griffiths, noting the whole lineup contributed. “That’s always a good thing.”
Lucas Asanovic, who came in to pitch in the fifth, kept the Brookfield batter’s off balance the rest of the way. In the meantime, the Falcons scored two more in the bottom of the sixth. Gregor singled and Forte doubled. Asanovic’s sacrifice fly brought in the former and the latter scored on an error.
The Bobcats threatened to score in the seventh when Jack Ponte tripled plus Sam Consalvo’s walk, but Asanovic retired the next two batters and Barlow had secured another SWC championship.
Gregor had three hits for Barlow and one RBI. Ian Nilsen and Forte each had two hits and two RBI. Christian Nilsen, Kady and Smith each had a hit with one RBI.
Ian Nilsen pitched four innings for Barlow, allowing one run on just two hits with five strikeouts and one walk for the win.
“He did a great job,” said Griffiths. He’s had some tendinitis issues the past few weeks. We don’t push him past three or four (innings).”
Asanovic pitched three surrendering no runs and just one hit with three strikeouts and two walks for the save.
The Falcons are now competing in the semifinal round of the Class M state tournament as the top seed. They beat Bullard-Havens 20-1 and Sheehan 4-0 in the first two rounds, followed by a 10-0 victory over Wolcott in the quarterfinals on Saturday, June 1.
Christian Nilsen has collected seven hits through the first three games of the state tournament and was lights out on the mound against Sheehan, allowing just one hit through five innings with 10 strikeouts before his brother Ian cemented the combined shutout in relief.
Lachlan Ellis followed up his dominant first-round start against Bullard-Havens with another five-inning shutout performance against Wolcott in the quarterfinals. Will Gregor pitched the final two innings in relief, surrendering zero hits while also having a two-hit, three-RBI day at the plate.
The Falcons face St. Joseph in the semifinals at Muzzy Field in Bristol at 3:30 p.m. on June 4 for the chance to play for a second state title in three years.
Tickets can be purchased at the following link: https://gofan.co/event/1534238?schoolId=CT20027.
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