Ellington Baseball Tops Rockville in Extras to Advance

It took an extra inning, a game-saving play at the plate, and some heroics from third baseman Jack Paul, but the Ellington 11-12 All-Star baseball team clawed all the way back from a five-run deficit Thursday night at Brookside Park to defeat Rockville 10-8 and advance to the double elimination round play.

The victory closed out Ellington’s pool play record at 4-1, while Rockville’s loss dropped it to 2-3. Ellington’s spot in the next round is secure, but Rockville will be eliminated if South Windsor wins its final game to match Ellington’s 4-1 record.

After Ellington got on the board with one run in the top of the second inning, the Rockville offense had its turn and exploded for six runs in the bottom half. Second baseman Pat McCoy got things going with an RBI double to center to knot the score at one, then a throwing error in the subsequent at bat led to two more runs.

Number nine batter Dee Gonzalez continued the onslaught with an RBI single, and two batters later Shayne Tozzoli ripped a pinch-hit double to drive in the fifth run. JeQuan Hutchins drove in the final run of the inning on an infield hit.

Following a quick third inning that saw seven batters total, Ellington made its comeback in the top of the fourth. Rockville committed five errors in the inning starting with a dropped throw at first base that led to two runs as Jack Zuffelato reached first safely.

Another error at first and an ensuing base on balls with the bases loaded gave Ellington two more runs, then after consecutive outs, Rockville pitcher Nick Montie walked two batters in a row to give Ellington a 7-6 lead. A final error at second base allowed starting pitcher Josh Sumaslaski to come around and add onto the lead.

Ellington’s Jack Snyder entered midway through the bottom of the fourth and retired the first four batters he faced, carrying through the fifth inning, so Ellington’s 8-6 lead remained intact heading into the sixth.

McCoy, in relief of Montie, retired Ellington’s batters in order in the top of the sixth after walking the leadoff, and then in the bottom half of the inning, Rockville put in a bid of its own for a heroic comeback effort.

McCoy got things going with a leadoff single and a stolen base, then Montie singled and advanced to second on an errant throw. Both players then scored on a Jimmy Petrella double to right to tie the game at eight with just one out. Brendan Jones singled and stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Hutchins stepped to the plate and sent a fly ball into shallow centerfield, which Owen Kloter caught and came up throwing as Petrella tagged at third. Kloter’s throw was right on the money, and catcher Bailey Bassett made a diving tag to get Petrella out in a cloud of dust and send the game into extras.

McCoy retired the first two Ellington batters, but gave up a bloop single to Sean Lavey, and the inning remained alive for Paul. Facing a 1-1 count, Paul turned on a high fastball and drilled a two-run home run over the fence in dead center to put Ellington on top for good.

Ellington’s Ryan Weitz came in to close the game on the mound, and though things got dicy after a leadoff single and a hit batter, Weitz struck out two in a row, and then Bassett fielded a fortunate bounce off the backstop from a passed ball and gunned down the Rockville runner stealing third to end the two and a half hour contest.