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Sports

Bobcats Shutdown By Bunnell

Baseball Team Comes Out On Wrong End Of 2-1 Pitchers Duel

On a day when Brookfield (2-2) junior Ryan Berry pitched well, Bunnell's (2-5) starting pitcher pitched better.  Berry worked a complete game, scattering five hits while striking out seven, but took the loss in the 2-1 defeat. 

He worked out of a few jams early, leaving the bases loaded in the first and stranding two runners in the second and fourth.

With the scored tied 0-0 in the sixth he was unable to keep the Bulldogs down.  A one-out single was followed by a blooper that fell just in front of left fielder David Long putting runners at first and second.

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"With the wind blowing the way it was that was a tough play," Brookfield coach Dan McKee said of the flare that fell in.  "I actually thought it was the shortstops ball."

Bunnell pulled a double steal to put both runners in scoring position before Berry got a big strikeout.  With two outs he couldn't get the last out he needed, surrendering a clean single up the middle that scored two runs.

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"He had the one hiccup," McKee said of his number one pitcher.  "He pitches real well."

Brookfield tried to pull off another seventh inning comeback but it came up just short.  Senior Mike Palicz led off with a walk and junior Evan Mozingo roped a single to put runners on the corner for the Bobcats with no outs.  Mozingo stole second and Long, a junior, hit a sacrifice fly to plate the first run of the game for the Bobcats.

"Their guy had a good slider working," McKee said of Bunnell's pitcher, who went the distance.  "He wasn't throwing hard."

The rally would end with Mozingo stranded on second as sophomore's Bryson Herr and Nick Rolen both struck out to end the game.

"How many strikeouts were looking?" the coach wondered.  "Too many.  We are looking at a lot. We need to swing at it."

The strike zone was in question throughout the game with many Brookfield batters left shaking their heads.

"You have to play to the strike zone," McKee said.  "They swung and we didn't."

Brookfield had a chance to take an early lead when Palicz drilled a lead off triple to deep right field in the second inning.  The Bobcats were unable to drive him in however as the bottom of the order stranded him there.

"We were too deep in the box," McKee said of his hitter's troubles at the plate.  "We didn't adjust soon enough."

The Bobcats will look to bounce back when they play at New Milford on Wednesday.

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