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| The Wolcott Storm before their second game Wednesdsay night. (Photo credit: Wolcott Storm Twitter account) |
The Wolcott Storm got off to a great start in its first two games of the Mickey Mantle World Series at Waterbury’s Municipal Stadium.
Wolcott began the day with an 8-0 victory over Mission Baseball from Oklahoma. The Storm then blew past the Midland Tomahawks of Ohio by the score of 11-2 in the final game of the day at Municipal.
Wolcott Storm 8, Mission Baseball (Ok.) 0
Garrett Coe went the first four innings on the mound against Mission and claimed the victory. Coe struck out 10, walked four and gave up just one hit. Bryce Worth pitched two scoreless innings in relief with four strikeouts, followed by a scoreless frame from Austin Brown in the seventh that included two strikeouts. Neither reliever gave up a hit.
Larry Zapata went 2-for-2 with a RBI and two runs scored. Tom Marciano had a hit and three RBI while Cesar Vasquez added a RBI and run scored. Matthew Downing had a hit and run scored.
Wolcott Storm 11, Midland Tomahawks (Ohio) 2
Justin Butterworth pitched 4.1 innings of two-run ball (one earned) on the way to the win.
Wolcott used the big inning to erase a 2-0 deficit it faced after one inning of play. The Storm snatched the lead with a four-run top of the fourth, then erupted for four more in the fifth to go up 8-2. Wolcott tacked on three more runs in the seventh.
Downing had two hits, including a triple, and drove in three runs. Dan Graziano had a single, two RBI and a run scored while Rob Johnston and Richard Burdick each had a RBI. Burdick and Andrew Paradis both doubled.
Downing and Brown each pitched scoreless relief.
Up next
Wolcott faces the Colton Nighthawks of California at 9 a.m. today at Fuessenich Park in Torrington. Colton also went 2-0 on the first day of pool play. Check the MMWS website for further schedule updates.
Edge go 1-1 on Day 1
The CT Edge of Meriden finished 1-1 at the end of the first day of pool play.
CT knocked off the DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth) Twins Baseball Club of Texas 7-1 and lost 11-3 to the Tigers De Arrevica from Puerto Rico.
The first game Thursday for the Edge is against the third Connecticut team, the Northwest Orioles. The Orioles went 0-2 with losses to the Tigers De Arrevica and DFW Twins.
The Edge and the Orioles play today at 9 a.m. at Hunt Field in Bethel.
Personal note
Umpires John Bellino and Albie Yuravich Jr., were both honored on Wednesday night at Municipal. Bellino and Yuravich, both longtime fixtures on local diamonds, passed away in the past year.
Albie’s son Albie III was an editor and mentor to me at The Register Citizen in Torrington, where I got my start in the newspaper industry. He taught me a lot, and I’m forever grateful to him for it. I’m glad fellow umpires and the MMWS did such a great job of honoring his father and John Bellino. May they both rest in peace.
