A day after hitting a solo home run, Bethlehem’s Jesse Swartout rounded the bases again Sunday after hitting a grand slam as the Plowboys completed a semifinal sweep of the Valley Ducks.
Jesse Swartout homered for the Bethlehem Plowboys in the first game of their best-of-three Connecticut Tri-State Baseball League semifinal series Saturday against the Valley Ducks at Gallop Field in Bethlehem.
Swartout got a chance to jog around the bases again on Sunday, this time following a grand slam. He also drew a bases loaded walk and ended the day with five RBI in a 6-3 victory over Valley at Gallop. Jarrett Michaels drove in the other run with a sacrifice fly.
The Plowboys swept the series, 2-0. Bethlehem will play in the World Series for the third straight year, and for the third straight year, its opponent is the Tri-Town Trojans. Coleby Bunnell had a two-run single in the ninth inning to give Tri-Town a 3-2 win over the Burlington Hunters. The three-time defending champion Trojans also swept their series, 2-0.
Both winners once again got solid pitching in Game 2 of their respective series. Austin Brown went seven innings for Bethlehem and struck out 12. Brett Wilkes worked the final 1 ⅓ innings (three strikeouts) for the save. Brown’s strong start followed the one from Tyler Boisvert in Game 1, where he went eight innings.
For the second straight game, Valley tried to rally late. Ty Pelletier had an RBI single and Chris Oliwa tallied a two-run double in the eighth inning to get the Ducks to within 6-3, but they were unable to get closer.
Bobby Chatfield threw all nine innings for Tri-Town in its victory. Bunnell gave Chatfield and the Trojans the lead with his two-run single in the top of the ninth inning at Fuessenich Park in Torrington. Burlington again scored a pair of runs early in the game, but couldn’t build on it. Chatfield held the Hunters at bay the rest of the afternoon, and the Trojans rallied in the ninth.
Chatfield’s complete game was the second straight for Tri-Town, which got one from MIles Scribner in its 6-2 victory in Game 1.
The World Series begins this coming Friday at Fuessenich Park. Game 1 follows the Hall of Fame ceremony, which takes place at 7 p.m. Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) are at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury on Saturday, Aug. 17 and Sunday, Aug. 18. Both of those games are scheduled for 2 p.m.
GALLERY: Here are my photos from Bethlehem’s Game 1 win.
GALLERY: Here are my photos from Tri-Town’s Game 1 win.
