Tri-State Playoff Schedule Round 3

Posted on Posted in Uncategorized

Saturday, August 1st:
Winner’s Bracket:
Brass City Brew vs Burlington Hunters
11:00am     Waterville Park
Bethlehem Plowboys vs Wolcott Scrappers (Wolcott defeated Bristol 9-8 in 16 innings)
10:00am     Gallup Field
Loser’s Bracket:
Litchfield Cowboys vs Tribury Pavers
10:00am     Nonnewaug HS
Tri-Town Trojans vs Winsted Whalers
11:00am     Fuessenich Park
Amenia Monarchs vs Bristol Greeners
 2:00pm     Fuessenich Park
Waterbury Wild vs Mazda Dodge Red Devils
 5:00pm     Fuessenich Park

Sunday August 2nd:
Matchups TBA after Saturday results…
Copyright Peter Wallace – Register-Citizen
In the midst of a frantic tournament time for summer baseball leagues, the Tri-State League’s Wolcott Scrappers deserves special dispensation as they enter the first round of the state-wide Stan Musial Tournament today at Fuessenich Park (7 p.m. vs. All-Star Batting from the Housatonic League). In the first round of the Tri-State League’s own playoffs last Saturday, Wolcott (11-7), ranked sixth in the league, beat No. 11 Mazda Dodge (7-10), then stepped up against the third-seeded Bristol Greeners (12-5) on Sunday.
The Greeners had Wolcott 8-0 after seven innings. Then the Scrappers, earning full rights to their name, reeled off eight runs in the top of the eighth. The score stayed right there, 8-8, through 12 innings; then lightning suspended it until Tuesday at Wolcott’s BAW. The Scrappers loaded the bases in the top of the 13th, one out. Nothing.
The Greeners loaded them in the bottom of the 15th, two outs. Wolcott pitcher Sal Messina caught a Bristol batter looking at called strike three for the final out. With two outs in the top of the 16th, Scrapper Eddie Belval reached first. Then a walk and a hit batter loaded the bases one more time before player/coach Ryan Soucy walked for the go-ahead run, 9-8.
But the Greeners had one more chance. Bristol’s first batter hit a dribbler down the first base line. Messina’s throw to first went wild, leaving the runner on second. “We’re all right,” Messina said to Soucy. The Scrappers were. Messina induced a ground-out, fly-out to left and struck out the final batter for the win and right to the title “Scrapper Supreme.” Ah, but now, the day after, Wolcott joins two other Tri-State teams — the Tribury Pavers and Brass City Brew — in the 12-team Stan Musial State Tournament. Like the Tri-State playoffs, Stan Musial is a double elimination tournament. The winner goes on to Regional competition in Massachusetts beginning Aug. 6.
Meanwhile, the Tri-State playoffs rumble on. After two rounds among the 12 teams that qualified, winners and losers brackets are established for this weekend’s elimination rounds, beginning on Saturday. Brass City, Burlington, Bethlehem and Wolcott sit happily in the winners’ bracket. Waterbury, Mazda Dodge, Tri-Town, Winsted, Litchfield, Tribury, Bristol and Amenia all play must-win games in the losers’ bracket. One thing is certain. Wherever the Wolcott Scrappers end up, nobody worked harder to get there.