Tri-State Semi-Finals

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Semi-Finals Tri-State Playoffs: (best of three series)
Tuesday August 14:
* Terryville Black Sox 6 Litchfield Cowboys 4
* Naugatuck Dogs 9 Tri-Town Trojans 7
Wednesday August 15:
* Tri-Town Trojans 5 Naugatuck Dogs 3
* Terryville Black Sox 12 Litchfield Cowboys 3

Copyright Peter Wallace Register-Citizen 8/15/18
Terryville’s Black Sox stormed into next week’s Tri-State Baseball League tournament finals with a 12-3 win over the Litchfield Cowboys Wednesday night at Fuessenich Park. The Cowboys played it close to the regular-season leaders in a 6-4 loss at Waterville Park Tuesday night in the best-of-three semifinal series, but errors caught up with Litchfield in the first part of Wednesday’s showdown, then Terryville bats and Kody Kerski’s right arm finished the job. The teams were at 3 in a four-inning duel between Kerski and Litchfield’s Steve Consiglio, with just three hits apiece to go with three errors each. The Black Sox broke through for two more runs in the top of the fifth on just two hits, by Christian Callahan (3-for-4, double) and Kerski. Then, with two outs in the top of the sixth, the Black Sox chased Consiglio with three straight hits, by Ian Schmidt, Callahan and Kyle Tehan, combined with a walk and a two-run single by Chris Ayer.
At 8-3, the game was over, despite four more Black Sox runs in the top of the eighth inning. “We stayed with them early, but you can’t make errors against a team like that,” said Litchfield player/coach Brooks Belter. Iron-man Kerski had more than enough runs to steam through the eighth on just four more Litchfield hits and 12 strikeouts.
With no pitch count in force for Tri-State, Kerski pitched 14 innings in five days for the Black Sox. “I used mostly my fast ball tonight, mixed in with sliders,” he said. “Then, late in the game I threw some cutters.” The Black Sox play the winner of the Naugatuck Dogs/Tri-Town Trojan semifinal series in a best-of-three championship series next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Fuessenich Park.
Thursday August 16:
Tri-Town Trojans 3 Naugatuck Dogs 2
Copyright Peter Wallace Register Citizen 8/16/18
The Tri-Town Trojans join the Terryville Black Sox in next week’s Tri-State Baseball League’s championship series on the strength of a 3-2 win over the Naugatuck Dogs in a riveting semifinal game Thursday night at Fuessenich Park.
The final game in the best-of-three series was everything you could ask of a hard-fought battle in which Naugatuck won 9-7 Tuesday, Tri-Town came back for a 5-3 win Wednesday and both teams showed what they were made of Thursday.
The Trojans scored all three of their runs in the first two innings before Naugatuck’s Tyler Boisvert and his defense found their footing.
Shane Bierfeldt drew a leadoff walk in the first, then came home on hits by Casey McDonald and Dan McCarty. In the second inning, two Naugatuck errors contributed to a pair of runs as Sam Sherberg, Tom Troy and Matt Troy provided the hits. Boisvert came out rocking in the third, giving up just one more hit in the game. “He threw a great game after he settled in,” Dogs manager Jay Harlaman said. Nevertheless, he had to be perfect to match Trojan Dan Livingston’s performance. “We won on the arm of a crafty veteran,” said Trojan player/coach Dan McCarty, watching the sidearming master pitch six perfect innings before giving up a walk and a two-run homer to Ryan Plourde in the seventh. “That’s as close as I’ve come to a no-hitter in this league,” Livingston said. “I knew about it but things can change so fast in this league, I didn’t really think about it.”
With Boisvert dealing the zeroes for Naugatuck, the Dogs came in hot pursuit in the eighth and ninth. Mack Consiglio led off with just the second Naugatuck hit, in the top of the eighth, only to be doubled off in a nice play by Livingston. Sean Miller-Jones drew a lead-off walk in the ninth and Livingston was done. Lefty Shane Bierfeldt came in for a strikeout, walk and one more Trojan double play to issue the Trojans’ ticket to next week’s final series, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday if necessary.
Tri-State World Series (best of three series)
DATES: Tuesday August 21, Wednesday August 22, Thursday August 23
NOTE: All games to be played at Fuessenich Park 7pm start