Bobcats End Tough Week With Big Win

They lost a pitcher's dual against Bunnell (2-5, 1-1), a high-scoring affair against New Milford (3-5, 2-2) and hard fought battle against Newtown (6-2, 3-1).  The Brookfield High (3-4, 0-4) baseball team needed a win in a big way.  In a Saturday morning game played at home they got just what they needed.

Behind another strong pitching performance by junior Ryan Berry and a shakeup in the lineup that inspired an offensive outburst, the Bobcats were able to cruise to a 14-1 pounding of Abbott Tech (4-6).

Berry worked around back-to-back singles and an error that loaded the bases for Tech in the first inning by striking out back-to-back hitters to end the threat without allowing a run.  The team couldn't afford to get behind early with the way things had been going.

"I was more impressed with the pitching today," coach Dan McKee said.  "Ryan was strong.  He loaded the bases and got out of it.  We had a different catcher going today and they might have been mixed up early.  But they communicated and got on the same page."

After getting out of the jam the Brookfield bats went to work.  Led by junior center fielder Janco Cornelius who went four for five and scored four runs on the day to set the table for the middle of the order, the Bobcats pounded out 25 hits to score their 14 runs. 

With Cornelius on second base in the first inning after a single and a stolen base Berry ripped a triple for the first of his five runs batted in on the day.  Senior Mike Palicz, who was playing third base, followed him with a run-scoring double and junior Evan Mozingo, who was catching, drove Palicz home with a single for an early 3-0 lead.  

"Just get some contact," Cornelius said of his approach at the plate.  "We haven't been hitting a lot."

In the second inning sophomore second baseman Bryson Herr led off with a walk.  Freshman shortstop Casey Burdick who was playing in his first varsity game got a single in his first at-bat and junior first baseman Austin Yusko loaded the bases with a single.  Cornelius promptly drove in two runs with a base hit and a big inning was underway.  Berry delivered another run with a single before Mozingo's deep double opened things up. 

The Bobcats brought ten men to the plate in the inning, bashing six hits and scoring six runs for 9-0 lead.

"It was good to come back and get a win," Berry said.  "We were trying to keep a good mentality and not get down."

After the two hits Berry surrendered in the first inning he only gave up two more in his five innings of work while striking out seven and allowing one run.  To go along with his five runs batted in, he went five for five on the day.

"This was a good pick-me-up game," the coach said.  "We can't rest on our laurels."

Palicz went two for three with a sacrifice fly and three runs batted in.  Mozingo had three hits with four runs batted in.

"I think everybody got a hit," McKee said.  The entire lineup including late game replacements Robert and James O'Neill were in the hit column.  Burdick ended up going three for four.  "That was his first game up, I like him.  And the O'Neill brothers were back and both got hits."

Hard throwing left handed relief pitcher David Long, a junior, replaced Berry in the sixth inning and struck out the side.  Palicz finished things off with a solid showing in the seventh inning.

"We got to come out strong," Cornelius said as the team looks ahead to next week, putting the losing streak behind them.  They face Newtown again, Stratford (1-7, 0-3) and Notre Dame, Fairfield (1-6, 0-1).  "Our main goal is to make states.  If we can win two more games next week that would be a good start."

Download the movie