Wilton Little League Suffers Second Defeat in LL Tourney

A tough first inning left the Wilton Little League team in jeopardy of an early elimination in the District One tournament.

Norwalk scored five runs in the bottom of the first Thursday en route to a 6-2 victory over Wilton in Pool A play at Billy Terry Field.

The loss left Wilton with a 1-2 mark and tied for fourth with Darien American in the pool behind North Stamford (4-0),  Stamford's National Lione (3-1) and Norwalk (2-1).

Only the top two finishers in each pool qualify for the single-elimination semifinals, meaning Wilton almost assuredly has to win its final three round robin games to have a chance to advance.

Wilton rebounded from a 1-0, eight-inning loss to  North Stamford in its tournament opener to defeat Ridgefield American, 4-1, in its previous game .

But Wilton found itself in an early Thursday from which it could not recover.

After Wilton grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first,  Norwalk quickly took control in the bottom half on Edwin Owolla's two-run home run and a three-run shot  by Corey Hayes.

Wilton closed the gap to 5-2 in the fourth, but missed a chance to draw closer, stranding two runners.

During the fourth, an odd controversy ensued when Wilton coach Bob DeSantis tried to help his pitcher clear the mound of loose soil, which according to the umpires, is a no-no. It led to rising tensions on the field.

Then in the sixth, the game got even more bizarre, as Norwalk coach Frank Diurno, who substituted liberally throughout the game, lost track of reporting his substitutions.

Eventually, Diurno had to use a player whom he claimed already had been in the game.  However, according to the official scorer, that player never entered the contest previously.

Wilton made things interesting in the sixth, bringing the tying run to the plate, but left the bases loaded.