A great run came to a disappointing end for Wolcott baseball in the Class M state final against St. Joseph (Trumbull) on Saturday night at Middletown’s Palmer Field.
The top-seeded Eagles saw an early lead disappear and lost 6-3 to the No. 11 Cadets. Wolcott’s season ended with a record of 25-3. It was the second straight trip to the Class M final for the Eagles, and the second straight loss.
Alex James gave Wolcott a 2-1 lead with a two-run home run just two batters into the bottom of the first inning. St. Joseph’s Stephen Paolini had led off the game with a first-pitch, opposite-field home run, but James had the answer and the Eagles had an early lead.
Wolcott maintained that one-run lead until the top of the fourth inning, when St. Joseph scored five times to grab a 6-2 advantage. Tom Marciano got a run back with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the fourth inning, but a strikeout left Marciano stranded on second. The Eagles left two runners on base in the fifth and sixth innings before going down in order in the seventh.
Alec Calabro doubled, walked and scored a run. Dane Hassan singled and scored, Trey Nastri had a double and Jack Drewry added a single.
Brett Adams pitched the first 3 2/3 innings and took the loss for Wolcott. He gave up six runs (one earned) on five hits, struck out five and walked five. Hassan gave up one hit in 3 1/3 innings of relief. He struck out four and walked four.
It was the final game for Wolcott seniors Calabro, Hassan, Nastri, Drewry, Adams, Anthony Ligi, Jeff Nicol, Reece Ketchum, Tyler Brzankalski, Branden Casanova, Colby Regan and Benjamin Tapley. The Eagles compiled a record of 47-8 over the past two seasons to go along with their NVL Tournament title and two straight Class M finals appearances.
Cover photo: Wolcott baseball saw a great run come to an end in Saturday night’s loss to St. Joseph (Trumbull) in the Class M state final. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69, file)
