2024 Post Season

WINSTED, July 30, 2024 – Mitch Gryniuk’s two-out single to center field drove in T.J. Kent from second base to lift the Winsted Whalers to an 8-7 win in eight innings to beat the Canton Crushers in a Tri-State League playoff qualifying contest Tuesday at Walker Field. Canton (6-17) tied the game at 7-7 in top of the seventh inning to force extra innings when Ben Sullivan scored from third base on a wild pitch with two outs. Winsted will advance to the best-of-3 first round series against No. 2 seed Tri-Town, the two-time defending Tri-State League champions beginning on Saturday.

Canton ends their season with their fifth loss in the last six games and their second loss to Winsted in a week. The Crushers led 6-4 after three innings only to see Winsted (12-11) take a one-run lead with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Chet Warner led off the inning by reaching first base on a dropped third strike. Warner was replaced by pinch runner Oliver McMahon, who moved to second base on a wild pitch. Kent walked and both scored when Steele Broston ripped a two-run triple to right field to tie the game at 6-6. Broston scored on a wild pitch. Canton rallied in the top of the seventh. With one out, Sullivan singled to center field. With two outs, Jack Rose singled to center field with Sullivan moving to third base. Sullivan scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 7-7. Canton reliever Angel Valentin retired the side in the seventh inning. In the eighth, Canton was retired in order.

copyright Mitchell Gryniuk Winsted Whalers

Do or die wildcard game, Winsted v Canton. From the regular season, it was obvious who was starting for both teams; Matt Rose for Canton and Casey Weingart for Winsted. Rose threw a no-no against Naugatuck while also giving Bethlehem their only loss for the season. Weingart, nicknamed “Acey”, has the most IP for the Whale and has been their most dominant starter. Despite the pitching being top notch, the offenses of both teams would simply not care. First inning, Mitchell Gryniuk and Jay Torres would tack on two singles, letting Austin Brochu come through with a 2RBI single, driving them in. Canton would respond in the second inning with Angel Valentin and Jake Bryant getting on base. Jimmy Spirito would hit a nice easy fly ball to right field only for it to be dropped by Steele Brobston resulting in a run scoring; Brobston would make up for that later. 2-1, Whale leads.

Come the 3^rd inning, flood gates would open. Being up by 1, Weingart, in good sportsmanship fashion, would let Canton back into the game. Almost going through the entire lineup, Canton would score 8 hits in a row. Surprisingly, still with a bum knee, Jeff Mulhal smoked a double over the left fielder’s head. Mulhal, Valentin, and Jack Rose would collect 5 RBI during this inning. 6-2 Canton. The Whale would answer back. Jay Torres would single and Johnny Lippincot would hit a bomb to left field, scoring an RBI triple; he would then score on a passed ball. 6-4 Canton. It would stay quiet for a couple of innings. Weingart would eventually be taken out, going 5 IP, letting a lot of hits and 5 ER.

Being down 4-6, the Whale had to make something happen. Come the 6^th inning, Chet Warner would K on a ball 5 feet before the plate and, the fastest we have ever seen, sprint to 1^st to get on base. Owen McMahon, who is second fastest on the team (confirmed by multiple sources), would pinch run for Warner. TJ Kent would walk, making it a first and second, no outs situation for Canton. Remember Brobston from the first inning dropping the fly ball? Well on a full count with no outs, he would laser the ball to right center, almost reaching the barns in right field. With a bases clearing triple, Brobston would pick up two RBI and tie the game! Gryniuk would single again, driving in Brobston, giving the Whale the lead, 7-6.

Top 7, do or die for Canton. With Peter Greenwood on the mound, the Whale were confident they would shut it down here. Asmar would pop up, 1 out. Ben Sullivan would single, and Matt Rose would pop out, 2 outs man on first. Jack Rose with all his power, would hit the softest single to right field, letting Sullivan get to third; still two outs, men on first and third. Gryniuk would take the relief spot and on his very first pitch, spike a fastball in the dirt sending it to the backstop. Sullivan with his speed would make it a no chancer and tie the game. Rose on second and Mulhal at the plate, the Whale would get a popup, ending the inning. To extras the game went.

Gryniuk would go 123 with their lineup and get the Whale on the offensive as daylight was leaving. TJ Kent and Steele Brobston would knock two critical singles, making it a first and second, one out situation. Mark Cummings, doing what he does best, would fly out to the center fielder. With two outs, Gryniuk was up at the plate. On what we would call almost unplayable, not safe baseball light, he would hit another single up the middle, driving in Kent and with a close play at the plate, Kent would be safe! Game over, Whale win, 8-7.

As it is mens league and, debatably, with the two teams who will lose winnable games the most, Canton and Winsted wanted these included: Tim Smith caused runners interference sleeping at third, leading to an out at the plate to be changed to a run scored. Jay Torres, who was still admiring his swing finish, decided not to run to first on an infield fly ball, causing a smart double up by Brandon Spadolino. TJ Kent, sprinting to first on an infield hit, saw a cute butterfly in short right field and took two steps left of the line to go after it; Canton saw this and tagged him out before he could get back to the bag. Jake Bryant, who was on third in a critical moment for Canton, forgot where the bag was; Torres at Shortstop saw this and slowly walked over to the stunned Bryant and tagged him.