The Bethlehem Plowboys took another step toward the top seed in the upcoming Connecticut Tri-State Baseball League playoffs with an 8-3 road win over the Tri-Town Trojans on Saturday afternoon at Community Field in Litchfield.
Former Lewis Mills standout Greg Campbell homered, doubled, singled, drove in four runs and scored two more to pace a 15-hit attack. Brett Davino (homer, double, single, two RBI, two runs) and Nate Cormier (double, three runs) each tallied three hits. Ian Schmidt (RBI) and Isaiah Johnson (double) had two hits apiece while Ryan Ponte (RBI double) and former Wolcott standout Chase Belisle added a hit apiece.
Bethlehem scored three runs in the top of the first inning on RBI hits by Campbell, Davino and Schmidt. In the third, Davino launched a solo home run to right field over the only outfield fence at Community Field. Campbell had an RBI single in the fifth and Ponte tallied an RBI double in the sixth for single runs. Campbell put a cap on the Plowboy scoring with a line drive over the right field wall for a two-run home run.
“We all hit them to the right spot, thank God,” Campbell said with a laugh, referring to both home runs and other balls that found gaps.
On defense, Belisle did a great job hanging in behind the dish despite getting drilled multiple times by foul balls. Loyola Marymount University guard Tom Peabody was known as “The Human Bruise”, but Belisle could give him a run for his money on the diamond, and he still comes back to catch the next day. Belisle threw out two runners trying to steal second base. At shortstop, Cormier made a couple great throws in the hole to get batters at first base.
“I tip my hat to (Tri-Town player/manager Danny McCarty),” Bethlehem manager Rich Revere said. “Last year, he told me, he said the one piece of advice he could ever give me is you want guys that play good defense. I went out and got a shortstop that plays great defense.”
Schmidt snared a line drive for an out at first base, Campbell ran down a long fly ball in left-center field, and Jon Wilson chased down a couple balls in center field.
On the mound, Kyle Banche provided eight innings of one-run, five-hit ball. Tri-Town’s Matt Troy smacked a single to score twin brother Tommy Troy in the eighth inning for the lone run off Banche. The right-hander got ahead with his fastball, then worked a slider/curve mix to induce soft contact. He gave credit to his offense, which gave him a quick lead to work with and didn’t let up.
“It’s always good when you get run support when you’re pitching,” Banche said. “It takes a huge weight off your back, and those guys have been solid all year.”
Former Woodland standout Tyler Boisvert gave up a two-run double to Bryon Carr in the ninth, but closed the game out after that.
“We took the regular season series, 2-0. Now we got to go into the playoffs, and the goal is to win a championship,” Revere said. “We’re probably going to see them in a couple weeks, and we’ll be ready for a dance.”
CAPTION: Greg Campbell (home run, double) had two of Bethlehem’s six extra-base hits in an 8-3 Plowboy road victory over the Tri-Town Trojans on Saturday afternoon at Community Field in Litchfield.
GALLERY: Here are my photos from Saturday’s game.
