The Terryville Black Sox beat the Naugatuck Dogs 4-2 on Tuesday night in the first game of the Connecticut Tri-State Baseball League World Series.
After rainouts on Wednesday and Thursday, Terryville and Naugatuck are scheduled to play Game 2 of the best-of-three series on Friday at 7 p.m. at Torrington’s Fuessenich Park. If the Black Sox win, they will claim their first-ever Tri-State championship. Terryville lost the 2018 series to the Tri-Town Trojans.
The Dogs need a win to keep the series going with a third game on Saturday at noon back at Fuessenich.
Here’s what happened in the first game on Tuesday:
Terryville 4, Naugatuck 2
The Black Sox used 6.1 innings from Ken Kerski and a big strikeout from brother Kody Kerski to close out the Dogs in Game 1.
Ken Kerski gave up two runs, both unearned, on three hits, struck out four and walked three over 97 pitches. Naugatuck loaded the bases in the top of the ninth inning, and Kody Kerski was called upon to finish the game. Kody Kerski picked up a strikeout on four pitches, and Game 1 belonged to the Black Sox. The Dogs left 11 runners on base.
Nick DeLotto got the scoring going for Terryville with a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the second inning. The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Black Sox got two runs across on RBI singles by Christian Callahan and Kyle Skidmore (2 hits).
Sean Miller-Jones (2 hits, stolen base) got the Dogs to within 3-2 in the top of the seventh inning on a two-run single. With runners on first and third, reliever Jared Gallagher got a flyout to Callahan in right to stop the rally.
Gavin Lavallee (2 hits, 2 runs scored) homered with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to put the Black Sox up by two runs again, 4-2. Gallagher worked his way around two walks in the top of the eighth inning and turned the ball over to closer Mike Kreiger for the ninth. Kreiger walked the leadoff batter, but picked up two straight outs. Two more walks put an end to Kreiger’s night and brought Kody Kerski to the mound. Kerski got a foul tip into catcher Tyler Wenz’s glove to end the game.
Kevin Murray threw six innings for Naugatuck (6 hits, 3 runs, 5 strikeouts, 4 walks) and took the loss. The Dogs had just four hits, but drew eight walks against three different Black Sox pitchers. Seven of the 11 runners Naugatuck left on base came in the final three innings.
The Dogs are looking to keep hopes of a second championship in three seasons alive. They need to win Friday night to force a winner-take-all Game 3.
