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07/25/2016 12:00 AMAfter winning nine games in a row and 11 of 12, the Shoreline Cougars 18-U AAU baseball team cooled of a bit by dropping its final three games last week. The Cougars started the week by posting a 3-1 win over the Hamden Yard Dogs, but then took defeats against the Connecticut Capitals (6-0), Madison Senior American Legion in a non-league game (5-4), and the New England Knights (5-4). The Cougars now have a record of 13-5-1 on the season.
“I think when you play a lot of games, sometimes its goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t,” Head Coach Dennis Annicelli said. “A guy hits the ball hard with two on and the pitcher throws out his glove and snags it or it’s right at somebody. I think we are playing good baseball and, by playing great earlier, we are in a decent position for the playoffs. This is just a little skid.”
On July 19, the Cougars played one game versus the Hamden Yard Dogs and another against the Connecticut Capitals at East Shore Field in New Haven. The Cougars were the road team against Hamden and won 3-1 behind great starting pitching as Luke Bauer of Haddam-Killingworth went the distance with eight strikeouts, allowing just one run on four hits. With Shoreline trailing 1-0 in the top of the second inning, Ross Meglin singled home fellow H-K student Owen Marica from second base to even the game at 1-all. Then in the top of the fifth inning, 2015 Valley Regional graduate Evan Makowicki laced a single to left field that scored H-K’s Justin Popp and Trevor Mann from second and third base, respectively, to give the Cougars a 3-1 lead. Bauer shut down the Yard Dogs the rest of the way to seal the win. Marica was 2-for-4 with a run scored, Makowicki went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Meglin finished 1-for-3 with an RBI. Mann and Justin Popp were both 1-for-3 and scored a run, while Scott Masse of Old Saybrook and Bauer each went 1-for-3 at the plate.
“Well-played game. Bauer threw a complete game. He kept the ball down in the zone and forced a lot of ground-ball outs and got the strikeout when he needed them and it was a good pitching performance to say the least,” Coach Annicelli said. “We were quiet on offense tonight. Evan had a big hit for us and we did just enough to get the win.”
In its second game of the day, Shoreline lost 6-0 to the Connecticut Capitals. Marica took the hard-luck loss on the hill. He threw five innings and allowed just one unearned run. In relief, recent H-K graduate Gavin Figurelli gave up four runs.
“Owen [Marica] is such a good shortstop that I hate to not play him there, but I wanted to see him on the mound to get ready for the playoff push,” Annicelli said. “He did really well, which was good to see, but [he] tired in the fifth. Gavin didn’t pitch badly. The ball just found the holes on us and their pitcher did well and put us in hard counts all night.”
In the Cougars’ next game on July 22, they lost 5-4 to Madison Senior Legion on the road in a non-league game that doesn’t count in the standings. The contest was scoreless until the Cougars broke through in the top of the fourth inning, when Mann hit an inside-the-park home run for the 1-0 lead. In the fifth, Meglin singled and later raced to third after an errant pickoff attempt. Justin Popp then singled in Meglin and stole second. On the next pitch, Mike Martorelli, who just graduated from Valley Regional, hit a single to plate Popp. Martorelli stole second, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a passed ball to make it 4-0 Cougars. In the bottom of the fifth, however, Madison scored three runs to make it a 4-3 game. Then in the bottom of the seventh, Madison won the game in walk-off fashion with a two-run double for the 5-4 victory.
“The losses have been tough ones, but they’re all close, so I’m pleased with the way the guys are playing,” Annicelli said. “A couple things go our way and the losses would be wins.”
Finally, on July 24, Shoreline had a home doubleheader scheduled against the New England Knights at Haddam-Killingworth High School, but it was instead changed to one nine-inning contest. The Knights, who are in first place in Shoreline’s division at 11-1, handed the Cougars their third-consecutive loss by earning a 5-4 win. Shoreline fell behind early as Figurelli gave up four runs. Marica came in for relief and pitched six innings without allowing a run, while striking out seven. In the bottom of the sixth, the Cougars tied it up at 4-4. The rally started when Makowicki walked, Justin Popp singled, and Mann walked to load the bases. That set the table for Pat O’Leary, who cleared the bases with a grand slam to right field.
“Pat is such a good hitter,” Annicelli said. “The ball stayed 12 feet off the ground the entire way over the fence. It was just a great piece of hitting going the other way. He is probably the toughest out in the league.”
In the eighth inning, New England got a runner on second against Marica, who then left for relief pitcher John Grasso. Grasso gave up a single to score the winning run as Marica took his second tough loss of the week with the 5-4 defeat.
“Owen pitched phenomenally,” Annicelli said. “He had all three pitches going: fastball, change, and curve. It was the best stuff I’ve seen from him and, when he gets stronger and more velocity, he will really grow as a pitcher.”
O’Leary had quite a day at the plate by going 3-for-3 with four RBI, including a home run, double and a single, to go with a run scored and an intentional walk. Justin Popp had three singles in four at-bats, Martorelli had a walk and a steal, and Makowicki had a single.
With their record of 13-5-1, the Cougars are currently in third place in their division standings. Shoreline will play an important doubleheader on the road versus the second place Clinton Huskies (17-3) at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 28 at the Indian River Sports Complex. The game will be crucial in terms of the playoff scenarios for both teams. The playoffs begin on Monday, Aug. 8 at Sage Park in Berlin.