Boys Suffer Another Tough Loss On Senior Night

In a season that has fallen short of expectations, the Brookfield (5-14, 3-11) baseball team was hoping to give itself a positive ending on senior night.  Facing a New Fairfield (9-10, 5-7) team that had just beat them 11-6 on Monday night they weren't able to make the proper adjustments and come up with the win.  They fell by a similar score of 11-5 on a day they honored their seniors.

"They're a good group," head coach Dan McKee said of his entire team.  "We struggled all year with pitching.  We have a lot to work on."

The Rebels took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but the Bobcats rallied for three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning.  Juniors Evan Mozingo and David Long had the big hits in the inning, with Mozingo delivering a double.  Senior Mike Palicz had a run-scoring ground out to help give Brookfield the 3-1 lead.

"We all get along," Palicz said of his teammates.  "It's good to play with good friends."

Starting pitcher, junior Ryan Berry gave up another run in the top of the second before surrendering the lead by giving up two more runs in the third inning to put the Bobcats down 4-3.

Again Brookfield would rally to tie the score.  Junior Janco Cornelius led off the bottom of the third inning with a double.  Palicz reached on an error moving Cornelius to third base.  Long drove in the tying run on a ground out.

"It's been frustrating," Palicz added.  "We are in every game.  We've been competitive all season."

New Fairfield retook the lead with four more runs in the top of the fourth inning, knocking Berry out of the game.  Reliever A.J. Cresci came in and got the team out of the inning and then pitched a one, two, three fifth before surrendering three runs of his own in the sixth to give the Rebels an 11-4 lead.

Senior Tom Pisarick drew a walk and then stole second base in the sixth inning to get himself in scoring position.  Long came through with a run-scoring single but that was all the damage the Bobcats could do.

"It was a senior year filled with a lot of adversity," Pisarick said of his final year as a Bobcat.  "We didn't have the cast we thought we'd have.  We did our best."

Although the season was filled with difficult defeats there were highlights as well.  The team enjoyed a thrilling opening day win over Ridgefield in a game played at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard.  They also were able to play in the Tampa Bay Rays Class A facility in Fishkill, N.Y., Dutchess Stadium.  Following the senior day game the team was getting on a bus and heading for Cooperstown to play in Doubleday Park.

"The different venues has been a plus for my senior year," Pisarick said.  "It's an opportunity I'll never have again."

Even though the team fell short of it's stated goal of making states, the coach couldn't find fault in his senior players.

"Mike Palicz has been here four years, a three-year captain.  He's always on time and never gave up.  Tom Pisarick the same thing.  The O'Neill twins too, they're good kids," McKee said of his four departing seniors.  "I wish them good luck in the future."  

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