East Hampton's Winning Streak Ended by H-K

That thud you might have heard in East Hampton on Friday could well have been the Bellringers' baseball team falling back to Earth.

East Hampton fell behind early and never could mount much of a challenge against visiting Haddam-Killingworth, which used three home runs, including a grand slam, to bring an end to the Bellringers’ seven-game winning streak with a 10-2 victory.

“We knew they were going to come in here and be ready to play,” East Hampton coach Scott Wosleger said. “We don’t pay any attention to the opponent’s record, we never do. I think they came in here with a little more energy than we had.”

East Hampton starter Adam Michaud entered the game without allowing a run in 13 innings this season. H-K quickly brought an end to that on Colin Sledzik’s one-out RBI double in the first.

With two out in the second inning, Michaud hit two consecutive batters to bring another run home for the Cougars (6-4). In the third, H-K made it 3-0 on Mitchell Fulner’s two-out home run.

Despite the sluggish start, the Bellringers, who had scored fewer than four runs only three times this season, were hanging around, and in the bottom of third broke through against H-K starter Sledzik. Joe Tuxbury reached on an error, stole second and scored on Spencer Daly’s single.

“A 3-1 game for a while seemed like a struggle,” Wosleger said. “Even though it was 3-1, it seemed like a struggle for us, a real struggle. We were just hoping we could keep it close and get a big swing late, and then we had the bad inning.”

The bad inning Wosleger was referring to was the fifth.

It started innocently enough. Michaud walked Sledzik leading off the inning, but Daly threw him out trying to steal. When Wes Nuhn and Chris Milardo followed with singles, Wosleger summoned Ben Fortin to the mound to take over for Michaud. After Fulner reached on an error to load the bases, Matt Stojak stepped up to the plate and in an instant the score was 7-1.

“It was the first home run I’ve ever had on the big field,” Stojak said. “I needed a big at-bat, bases were loaded, and it was a close game at the time.  I had to come through in the clutch. Saw my pitch, swung, and the next thing I knew it was over the fence.

“Complete shock. It was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in my life. I used to play in this town. I used to play against all these kids. Against these kids, it makes it extra sweet.”

The Cougars weren’t done. With two out, Dan Milardo hit a two-run homer to make it 9-1.

“The important thing about our season now is how we come out of this game,“ Wosleger said. “How we react to this and how we come out Sunday morning and practice and go to work. This will be, midway though the season, as good as we’re playing to this point, still a lot of room for improvement, this will be a good measuring point.  This will tell me what these guys are made of.”

Wosleger indicated he would have gone with Austin Shumbo in relief of Michaud, but in a scary moment, Shumbo had left the game in the third inning after fouling the ball off his right cheekbone. The senior fell to the ground in pain and was taken to Marlborough Medical Center to be examined.

After the game, Shumbo had returned to the school grounds and said he would be OK, though the swelling was extensive.

“I think as long as he can see out of that eye, I think he can play on Monday, according to the doctor,” Wosleger said. “Everything else was OK. No concussion and no damage to the eye.”

Brian Roberson also was not available for the Bellringers on Friday because of family obligations.

Marvin Gorgas continued his impressive spring for East Hampton (8-2) with a home run in the sixth and H-K tacked on its final run in the seventh.

For East Hampton, which had been ranked No. 1 in Class S, the loss might be a bitter dose of reality.

“They start reading it and believing it and I just told them, ‘How dare you think you can’t be beat by anyone,’” Wosleger said. “It’s a little bit of a humbling experience. My strongest words to them were, ‘The most important point in our season was not a 4-3 win against Westbrook, not a 5-4 win at Old Lyme the other day. The most important thing about our season right now is how we come out of this.’”

East Hampton plays at Valley Regional on Monday.