Brookfield Baseball Gets Wild Walk-Off Win

After giving up five unearned runs in the top of the 1st inning to New Milford (1-3), Brookfield (2-0) starter Ryan Berry kept himself and his team in the game by going seven strong innings giving up five hits and striking out six.

"I was just trying not to give up anymore runs," Berry said.  "I wanted to keep the team in the game."

Meanwhile his team was able to battle back by scratching out four runs on four hits in what turned into a pitching duel.

"We manufactured some runs," head coach Dan McKee said.  "We stole a few bases, drew some walks and Ryan shut them out."

Austin Yusko and Janco Cornelius delivered big run-scoring hits as the Bobcats plated three in the 2nd inning and got one more in the 4th inning.

"He's a clutch player," McKee said of Cornelius' hit that drew the team within one run.

Trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning Brookfield began its game-winning rally with a base hit and a bunt that led to an error moving both players into scoring position.  Tom Pisarick delivered the game-tying sacrifice fly that also moved the go-ahead run to third.

Up stepped Berry who was already the star of the game.  He promptly squared around to bunt as the team called for the suicide squeeze play.  With Cornelius barreling down the base-path New Milford's pitcher made the smart play by throwing at Berry, but the ball sailed behind him and the winning run scored.

"I was just hoping Janco could get home in time," Berry said of the wild ending.

As it turns out Berry did more then just pitch in the game, he did a little bit of coaching too.

"We practice bunts a lot so I mentioned it to coach that I was comfortable with the play," he said of the coach deciding to call the gutsy play.  "I left it up to him."

"We got lucky," the coach added.

McKee is hoping the team can carry the momentum from this big win into today's matchup with Masuk (2-2) who is coming off an 8-3 loss to Bethel (3-0).

"A win like this might carry over," he said.

He gathered the players together at his house the night before to watch Bull Durham.

"I'm always using the lingo from that movie and the guy's don't know what I'm talking about," he said of his film selection.  "We have a small team, only 11 players.  My goal is to get them into states. If we get there it's a whole new ballgame.  The guys' are hungry."