Pilgrims Down Westerners in Heartbreaker
By, Sam Hooker
DANBURY- The Danbury Westerners (17-22) were overpowered by the Plymouth Pilgrims (23-17) 11-9 in Wednesday night’s contest at Rogers Park. The loss takes Danbury out of the running for any postseason contention.
The Westerners were resilient at the plate, but for every run Danbury scored the Pilgrims had an answer. Danbury appeared to have begun a rally in the bottom of the 3rd when right fielder Tyler Panno (Bryant) hit a double that sent Randy Taveras (Marist) and Cameron Devanney (Elon) home. Centerfielder Giovanni Dingcong (St. Thomas Aquinas) continued the surge with a two-run homerun that was ripped over the centerfield fence.
First basemen Griffin Dey (Yale) slammed a three-run homerun over the centerfield fence in the bottom of the 5th to keep the Westerners alive, but it wouldn’t prove to be enough to fend off the Pilgrims.
Danbury struggled at the mound throughout the game. Peter Horn (Fairfield) pitched the first four innings and gave up 10 hits, six runs, six earned runs, one walk and had two strikeouts. Nick Wood (Pikeville) came in at relief to pitch half of the 4th inning and allowed two hits, four runs, one earned run and one walk. McLane Hill (Trinity) pitched the remainder of the 5th and the 6th inning and gave up two hits, one walk and recorded one strikeout before Baylor Sundahl (Sacred Heart) came in to pitch the 7th and 8th innings. Sundahl allowed two hits, one run, one earned run, two walks and tallied four strikeouts. Brendan Welch (Southern New Hampshire) finished the game and recorded just one strikeout.
The Westerners would like to thank its sponsors and honorees, the Women’s Center in Danbury, Western Connecticut State University’s Alumni Association and Hillcroft Apartments in Danbury.
Danbury’s next match-up is a doubleheader on Saturday July 29th against the Ocean State Waves (27-10), with the first game set to begin at 4:30pm at Rogers Park.