Five-Run Explosion In 8th Inning Powers Eagles Past Fermi, 8-3

A two-run double by Kelvin Sims keyed a five-run East Catholic rally in extra innings, as the visiting Eagles went on to defeat Fermi 8-3 in high school baseball action Monday in Enfield.

Winning pitcher Tyler Aprea recovered from a shaky first inning, tossing all eight innings to earn the victory in his first varsity start. He allowed just six hits, struck out 11 and did not walk a batter.

"I was very impressed with his poise," Eagles coach Jim Penders said. "He's a competitor, and really wanted to finish this game."

Fermi pitcher Jeff Kraucunas also turned in a strong performance, allowing six hits and striking out four in seven innings.

"This early in the season, there were a lot of positives in this game, and one is we saw we have a great number-two pitcher," Fermi coach Connell Clark said. "He pitched a hell of a game."

The Falcons played small ball to push across a pair of runs in the first. Alex Zachary led off with an infield single and promptly stole second. Joe Bowker laid down a sacrifice bunt which Aprea fielded, but his throw hit the batter in the back and caromed away as Zachary scored and Bowker went to second. A bunt single by Chaz Millet put runners at the corners, and an out later, Trevor Breton's single brought in Bowker.

Kraucunas worked his way out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the second, retiring the final two hitters on a strikeout and a fly ball. Both pitchers settled into a groove that lasted until the fifth.

John Brownell drew a one-out walk for the Eagles in the fifth, went to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on an infield out. Sims hit a chopper to third baseman A.J. Latulippe, but his throw to first pulled Zachary off the bag for an error as Brownell scored the Eagles' first run.

East Catholic tied the game in the sixth, when Garrett Riccardello scored on an infield single by Garrett Rooke. The Eagles had the bases loaded with no outs, but Fermi escaped the inning with no more runs, aided by a brilliant pitcher-to-catcher-to-first base double play off a hard grounder by Nick Benoit.

The Eagles took the lead for the first time with a run in the seventh, when a sacrifice fly by Riccardello brought home Tucker Panciera, but Fermi tied it again on a single by Breton and an RBI double by Ethan Murray. Pat Bordeau then grounded an infield single into the second base hole; Murray rounded third and never stopped running, and was thrown out at the plate by Sims, sending the game into extra innings.

Travis Smith came on to pitch the eighth for Fermi, and issued a one-out walk to Alex Fulco. An infield error put runners at second and third, and a single to left by Brownell scored pinch-runner Nick Fleming. A Panciera single drove in Benoit, and Sims' two-base hit brought home Brownell and Panciera. Sims later scored on Riccardello's single.

Aprea finished off in strong fashion, striking out the final two Fermi hitters to nail down the win.

East Catholic (2-1) travels to Weaver Wednesday at 3:45 p.m. That same day, Fermi (1-1) visits RHAM at 4 p.m.