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08/05/2015 12:00 AMA solid team is one that peaks at the right time and plays well in the clutch—two things that were tacked on to the résumé of the Post 79 Junior Legion baseball squad in its 2015 campaign.
Led by skipper Pat Talbot, Madison returned to the Legion circuit after not fielding a program in 2014. Following a 12-16 regular season mark for fifth place in Zone 3, Post 79 won two games in the double elimination State Tournament, including a 9-8 victory versus Niantic that proved the club’s finest hour.
“The Niantic win was the best game we played all year. It was an up-and-down game, but they kept fighting in a long game,” said Talbot. “All of our games in states were away, but they came ready to play in the heat. It was really electric.”
Post 79 also benefited from an American Legion rule in the State Tournament. It appeared Madison’s season was over following a 6-4 loss to Tolland on July 19 and a 3-2 defeat against South Windsor three days later. However, for the South Windsor contest, a game that was resumed and completed the next day due to rain, Post 79 won by forfeit when South Windsor put a pitcher into the game who exceeded the innings-pitched limit for consecutive days. From there, Madison dispatched Niantic before concluding their year with a 13-7 loss to Tolland on July 25 to finish at 14-18.
No matter how Post 79 extended their journey on their diamond, they did it with a team-first attitude while waking up the bats midway through the campaign.
“They really came together as a team and played unselfish baseball. It was great to see them pick each other and play for the guy next to them,” Talbot said. “They forgot about the stats and really stepped up in the playoffs. We weren’t swinging before, but we started having aggressive hitting and it showed through the most. Guys that were also in the dugout were there for the other guys by running out there to pick up the hat of the guy running to first base. They were a really cohesive unit.”
Standout leaders for Post 79 this season included shortstop/pitcher Will Levis, pitcher/outfielder Chris Hartmann (3-1, 3.45 earned-run average), infielder/pitcher Michael Elias (.330 batting average), catcher/pitcher/outfielder Will Reiner (hitting .340), and infielder/pitcher Michael Scoopo.
“Will Levis did the job in producing and manufacturing runs. Chris really busted us out of some jams this year. Michael Elias was the complete utility guy both on offense and defense. He was a set-up man and closer, plus he stayed consistent in the lineup,” Coach Talbot said. “Will Reiner did a great job behind the plate. He snapped corners and caught guys napping. He was great with our pitchers in calling games and had a huge triple in the Niantic game. Michael Scoopo was on highway patrol in the outfield as he could catch anything. He really made some catches in foul territory to help us get out of trouble.”
In Talbot’s view, the keys for Madison 2016 season are for his players to benefit from being battled-tested and apply what they learned from competing in some big spots this year.
“I feel that they will be more familiar with tight in-game situations. They won’t be as nervous and that comes with maturity, as well. Their plate presence and discipline will be different because they were more comfortable at the plate as the year wore on,” said Talbot. “The guys have to realize that as the year goes by, they will know how to handle the sloppy situations. They looked more comfortable with things as the year progressed and it will only get better as time goes on.”
Filing out the remaining roster for Post 79 are utility man Christian Bray, pitcher/outfielders James Degrasse (.365 batting average) and Chris Iannuzzi, outfielder/catcher/pitcher CJ Licari, infielder/outfielder/pitcher Logan Manttzaris, pitcher/outfielder Graeme McGivern (2-1, 3.75 ERA), pitcher/third baseman Oliver Spencer, shortstop/pitcher/outfielder Colin Reed, pitcher/outfielder Aaron Rubin (3-2, 3.55 ERA), pitcher/shortstop/outfielder Ian Tolis, and outfielder/pitcher Luke Weber.
From the Sidelines
Pat Talbot was assisted by Brian Levy in the dugout this summer.
Of Madison’s 14 wins, 10 came by two runs or less.
Post 79 also took three of four from rival Guilford in a series from July 6-9 by winning 2-0, along with a pair of 6-4 victories, while also taking a 6-5 loss.