The high school baseball season began for most area teams on Saturday, and home runs were the name of the game.
St. Paul launched five homers in its 14-8 home win over Ansonia, including three from Ryan Daniels. Holy Cross connected for two homers, but was bit by the long ball in Oxford’s 11-9 comeback victory in Oxford. Wolcott got a resounding home run from Mike Greene in its 20-3 triumph over Waterbury Career Academy.
St. Paul fell behind, 5-0, in the top of the third inning after a two-run home run by Ansonia’s Matt Blackwell. The Falcons responded with three home runs of their own in the bottom of the third. Devin Kulas blasted a two-run home run to center field following a leadoff double by Jon Remillard. Daniels whacked his first homer of the game, a solo shot, one batter later to make the score 5-3. Mario Izzo walked, then Casey Cerruto homered to tie the game, 5-5. After giving up three runs in the top of the fourth, St. Paul got two back via another homer, a two-run shot by Daniels, to make the score 8-7 after four innings. Steve Morelli doubled before Daniels’ dinger. The Falcons scored six runs in the fifth inning, including Daniels’ third homer of the game, another two-run shot, to go up 13-8. A sac fly in the sixth produced the final run. Daniels wound up with five RBI and three runs scored.
Holy Cross couldn’t have asked for a better start to its season at Oxford. Leadoff batter Zakary Morales smacked the first pitch he saw over the left field wall for a 1-0 lead. In the top of the seventh, Rob Rosko launched a two-run homer to right field for a 9-1 lead. Unfortunately for the Crusaders, the Wolverines pulled off one of the craziest rallies possible, a 10-run seventh to claim an 11-9 walk-off win. Oxford hit three home runs, including two grand slams, in that final inning.
Wolcott put up new scoreboards on both its baseball and softball fields, and Mike Greene rocketed a two-run home run off the baseball scoreboard, which stands above the 350-foot marker in center field.
Photo caption: Wolcott High’s baseball scoreboard got dinged in its first game Saturday by a Mike Greene home run.
