H-K Defeats Bellringers a Second Time

A rough first inning forced the East Hampton High School baseball team to play catch up all day. The Bellringers couldn't quite get there.

East Hampton lost for the second time this season to Haddam-Killingworth, losing 10-6 on Friday in Higganum.

"It was a tale of two games," East Hampton coach Scott Wosleger said. "We settled down and out-hit them after the fourth inning, but it was too late. That first inning killed us."

The bottom of the first was a rough one for the Bellringers. An error, three hits, and a hit batter and before you knew it the score was 4-0. Adam Michaud started and struggled early in the game giving way to Austin Shumbo who threw well considering he had not pitched in a while.

"I thought he threw pretty well,"Wosleger said. "He settled us down a bit as we started the road back into the game."

A run in the second and three more in the third put the Cougars up, 8-0, but East Hampton (12-4) did not pack it in.

"We were starting to have good at-bats and we knew they had trouble closing games out," Wosleger said. "If we could get it in play enough, there defense could struggle."

The problem was that the Bellringers' defense struggled themselves, committing four errors in a game for the first time this season.

"We were not good defensively today. Disappointing because that has been our calling card," Wosleger said. "Had we played our normally solid defense, the game isn't close and we win easily."

Colin Sledzik pitched for H-K against the Bellringers for the second time this season and got the win, but the Bellringers had much more success against him the second time around, pounding out 12 hits.

"I thought we were patient and for the most part, laid off the curveball early in the count," Wosleger said. "He's one of the best pitchers in our league and we had tremendous ABs against him. If anything, I think our guys feel they can hit anyone after today."

After scoring a run in the fourth on an Adam Michaud double and an Alex Iannone RBI single, the Bellringers put up four more in the fifth on another RBI double by Michaud and a two-run single by Marvin Gorgas. However, the Cougars quickly answered to make it 10-4. Refusing to go away, East Hampton scored two runs again in the seventh and were a swing or two away when Sledzik got the final out with the bases loaded.

H-K (11-5) held on maybe feeling a bit fortunate.

"I'm not sure how they felt over there," Wosleger said. "But, it couldn't have been comfortable. We gave it to them early and it cost us the game."

East Hampton is back in action next Wednesday at home against Coginchaug. Three conference games remain in the schedule and postseason looms.

"We need to keep our feet on the throttle and finish strong." Wosleger said. "We are learning from the process every day. Today's result wasn't what we wanted, but we will take something from it. Always something positive to take away. That's how you keep going and how you grow and get better."