With the Bobcats (5-11, 3-8) baseball season winding down the team is working hard to win three more games to earn a berth in the state tournament. Playing at Joel Barlow (5-11, 2-4) on Friday they felt it was a game they had to have if they wanted to achieve the goal they had set for themselves when the season began.
A sea-saw affair ensued with both teams battling for a late-season win. Barlow took a 2-0 lead in the first inning only to see Brookfield rally to tie the game in the third. The Bobcats then took two separate one-run leads, pushing ahead in the fifth and sixth innings. Each time they did Barlow responded, first tying the game at 3-3 in the fifth, then waiting to tie the game at 4-4 in the seventh to force extra innings.
Finally in the bottom of the ninth the Bobcats were undone and another opportunity was lost. The Falcons drew back-to-back walks and scored the winning run on a double-steal that drew a wild throw to third from the catcher enabling the number nine-hitter in the line-up to trot home for the 5-4 win.
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"We needed this one," Brookfield coach Dan McKee said. "We needed the one at Weston on Tuesday too."
With only four games remaining in the Bobcats season the loss put's them in a virtual must win situation the rest of the way.
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They have two games with New Fairfield (7-9, 4-6), the first of which will be played Monday night at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, N.Y. which is the home of the Tampa Bay Rays Class A minor league baseball team the Hudson Valley Renegades.
They also play at powerhouse Pomperaug (14-2, 5-2) before finishing the season in a game to be played in Cooperstown Doubleday Park against Danbury (8-8, 7-8).
"We're still alive," McKee said of the team's chances.
Brookfield received a surprisingly strong pitching effort from their usual third baseman Evan Mozingo. Making his first start of the year, Mozingo went six innings, giving up three runs, two earned on six hits with three strikeouts and only one walk.
Barlow led off the game with back-to-back doubles by shortstop Will Kiriazidis and first baseman Tom DeSimone. Pitcher Stephen Fitzgerald added a run scoring single for the early lead.
Brookfield then used two walks to center fielder Janco Cornelius and catcher Tom Pisarick to get men in scoring position in the third inning. Second baseman Mike Palicz drove them both in with a deep double to left field to tie the score.
The Bobcats took the lead in the fifth inning when Pisarick walked again and Palicz stroked a double down the third base line that brought in his third run batted in of the game. Brookfield could have had more but Palicz was called out at the plate when he appeared to slide in under the tag later in the inning on a double steal attempt.
Barlow got the run right back in the bottom of the inning when leadoff batter Kiriazidis reached base on an error by the third baseman. After stealing second base he was driven in by right fielder Tyler Colby's double.
Brookfield re-took the lead in the sixth on an infield hit by third baseman Casey Burdick who advanced to third on a stolen base and a passed ball. He came home to score when Austin Yusko reached on an infield hit.
Ryan Berry entered the game for Mozingo in the bottom of the seventh to close things out for Brookfield but was undone by a hot shot to the shortstop by Colby that took a bad hop.
"We didn't get any breaks," McKee said. "The bad hop killed us."
Pisarick walked for the third time in the top of the seventh inning and advanced to third when Palicz smashed his third double of the game to deep center field with one out. Brookfield stranded both runners failing to get the insurance runs it needed. The Bobcats made solid contact over the final 2 2/3 innings but were denied any hits by the Rebels.
"He's a great player," Joel Barlow coach Jeff Rago said of his right fielder, Colby, who had the big hits and also made a spectacular catch in the ninth inning to help keep the game tied. "He's the most amazing kid, such a leader. He was outstanding."
The entire Barlow team played outstanding defense, keeping Brookfield from tacking on more runs and keeping the game close.
"Their outfielders were catching everything," McKee said. "They have the best outfield we have seen. That was one hell of an effort."
