The year 2016 was a great one on the diamond for local teams.
For three straight days, a different school captured a state championship on the diamond. It started on a Friday night with Wolcott baseball, continued on a Saturday afternoon with Holy Cross softball, then finished up on a Sunday afternoon with St. Paul baseball.
The wildest moment by far came on Friday, June 10, under the lights of Middletown’s Palmer Field. Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning of the Class M final, Ray Bartoli stepped to the plate with Steve Urbanski on first base. Bartoli blasted a pitch toward the wall in left center field. The ball disappeared over the fence, and Wolcott erupted in celebration. Bartoli’s two-run, walk-off home run had given the Eagles their first baseball state championship by a score of 3-2. Isaiah Negretti picked up the complete-game victory on the mound.
On Saturday, June 11, Holy Cross softball captured its second straight Class S championship with a 2-0 win over Notre Dame-Fairfield. Junior pitcher Sarah Lawton was terrific again, firing a complete-game two-hitter with 10 strikeouts to just one walk. The Crusaders wasted no time getting support for Lawton, scoring both of their runs in the bottom of the first inning. An Alexandra Lombardo fielder’s choice and Aubrey DeFoe RBI single scored the runs.
On Sunday, June 12, St. Paul baseball won its first state championship in 44 years, 4-2, over The Morgan School-Clinton in the Class S final at Palmer Field. Mike Dombrowski’s sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning gave the Falcons a 3-2 lead. Ben Mazzone scored on a throwing error on the same play to put St. Paul up 4-2. In the bottom of the seventh, pitcher Connor Crean finished off a hard-earned complete game and set off a celebration 44 years in the making.
Wolcott story links
Game recap: https://sportsonct69.com/2016/06/ray-bartolis-walk-off-homer-gives.html
Team effort: https://sportsonct69.com/2016/06/wolcotts-state-championship-baseba.html
The coaching staff: https://sportsonct69.com/2016/06/wolcott-baseball-coaching-staff-works.html
Two turning points: https://sportsonct69.com/2016/06/two-turning-points-on-way-to-wolcotts.html
Holy Cross story links
Game recap: https://sportsonct69.com/2016/06/holy-cross-softball-wins-second.html
State championship roundup: https://sportsonct69.com/2016/06/quick-bites-local-connections-on-amity.html
St. Paul story links
Game recap: https://sportsonct69.com/2016/06/st-paul-baseball-ends-its-44-year-state.html
Dombrowski story: https://sportsonct69.com/2016/06/senior-co-captain-mike-dombrowski-did.html
Crean story: https://sportsonct69.com/2016/06/st-paul-senior-connor-crean-able-to-dig.html
Stawarz story: https://sportsonct69.com/2016/06/st-paul-assistant-coach-jarrett-stawarz.html
Seniors: https://sportsonct69.com/2016/06/st-paul-seniors-get-their-state.html
