Wamogo rallies for key victory over Cowboys |
Wamogo's Chad Dickinson slides headfirst with a run during Friday's 5-2 win over Litchfield, whose catcher, Mark Luzzi, can't make the tag. Below, winning pitcher Sam Shurberg delivers. John McKenna photos
An early-season game the Wamogo and Litchfield baseball teams both were in desperate need of winning was owned by Litchfield for four innings in Friday. But four innings doesn't make a game. Wamogo came alive in the fifth inning to forge a 2-2 tie and added three more runs in the sixth inning to take a 5-2 lead. The Warriors held on for a 5-2 victory that improved their record to 2-4. Litchfield fell to 1-4 "This is a huge win for us," said winning pitcher Sam Shurberg, who went all seven innings and struck out four. "It was a must win." Shurberg gave up a run in the first inning when Drew Gauvain doubled and scored on a single by Mark Luzzi and allowed a second on Gauvain's suicide squeeze bunt in the third. But that would be all the Cowboys could do with Shurberg, who escaped from a jam in the fourth inning when Litchfield botched another suicide squeeze attempt with one out and runners at second and third. The blown attempt turned into a double play that ended the inning. Wamogo tied the game on Jed Gravel's two-run double in the top of the fifth. In the sixth for the Warriors, Chad Dickinson walked, Connor Rollins beat out an infield single, and Brendan Roden single sharply to right field to drive in Dickinson with the go-ahead run. Rollins scored on a single by Doug Whipple for a 4-2 lead and Roden scored on a throwing error for a 5-2 lead. Shurberg allowed a pair of base runners with one out in the bottom of the sixth but got out of the jam and retired the Cowboys with ease in the bottom of the seventh. "My team was behind me and made the plays and my curve was working well," said Shurberg, who pitched seven innings in a loss to Nonnewaug on Monday. "The biggest thing was that I pitched with confidence." Sherberg and Roden each had a pair of singles. Luzzi had a single and double and Chris Stern two singles for the Cowboys. Cowboys starter Chad Fagan pitched into the sixth inning in taking the loss. Below, Wamogo's Chad Dickinson steals second base while Litchfield second baseman Trevor Keller waits for the throw and Litchfield catcher Mark Luzzi prevents Tristan Pepin from reaching the plate. John McKenna photos Back to Sports |
