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08/01/2018 12:00 AMThe Shoreline Cougars 18-U AAU baseball team recently played a handful of games and came away with three wins, a loss, and a tie. The Cougars improved their record to 11-10-2 as the home stretch of the regular season approaches. In last week’s action, Shoreline started off with a tie, split a doubleheader with the Hamden Yard Dogs, and then swept a doubleheader against the Clinton Huskies.
On July 23, the Cougars headed to the Connecticut Sportsplex to face the Connecticut Dodgers, where the two teams played to a 0-0 tie. On the mound for the Cougars was Sam Loda, who pitched six innings and struck out 12 batters. Owen Marica pitched two innings in relief and struck out two. The game was deemed a scoreless tie after neither team was able to score in eight innings. Loda and Marica both grabbed hits at the plate, as did Ryan Kehlenbach and Ryan Luther.
On July 28, Shoreline played a doubleheader against the Hamden Yard Dogs at Haddam-Killingworth High School. The two clubs split the pair of contests with the Cougars taking a 5-1 win in the first game, while losing 5-1 in the nightcap. In the first game, Shoreline struck first with a run in the fourth inning. Sam Luther got on base with a two-out single, Ryan Kehlenbach was hit by a pitch, and Carmelo Rosa walked to load the bases. Luther then scampered home on a wild pitch with Jimmy McGoey at the plate.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Yard Dogs plated a run to tie the game 1-1. Shoreline responded by scoring three runs to make it 4-1 in the bottom half of the inning. Owen Marica reached on a fielder’s choice and then stole second with Ross Meglin at the dish. Meglin proceeded to work a walk to put runners at first and second with one out. Darren Hiller singled to drive in Marica, and then Meglin advanced to third to put runners at the corners with two down. With Sam Luther at the plate, Hiller and Meglin both scored on a botched pickoff attempt to put the Cougars up 4-1. The Cougars scored their final run when Alec Erskine walked and hit a double to bring him in.
Marica had a pair of hits, an RBI, and a run scored, while Sam Luther went 2-for-2 with a run and a walk in the victory. Chris Garrelts earned the win on the mound by pitching six innings, allowing one run, and striking out eight batters.
In the second game, the Cougars were outpaced by the Yard Dogs, 5-1. Shoreline got on the board first in the fourth inning with an RBI from Marica. Noah Snyder reached base on an error, and Alec Erskine knocked a single to put runners on first and second. Both runners advanced a base after Hamden threw the ball away on a pickoff. Rosa grounded into a fielder’s choice that cut down Snyder at the plate, while Erskine moved up to third to put runners at the corners. Marica then drove in Erskine with a fielder’s choice. The Yard Dogs tied it up in the fifth inning with a run to make it 1-1 and went on to score five more in the sixth.
The next day, the Cougars played a doubleheader against the Clinton Huskies at the Indian River Complex. The Cougars won the first game 5-3 and then grabbed a 5-0 shutout victory in the second contest. For the opener, Clinton took a 1-0 lead in the second inning and added another run in the fifth to make it 2-0. In the top of the sixth inning, Shoreline plated five runs, beginning with an error that put Ian Danaher on first base. Garrelts walked, and then Alec Erskine singled to load the bases. After that, Marica roped a double to score Danaher and Garrelts, tying the game 2-2. With Erskine advancing to third on Marica’s double, Mike O’Toole dropped down a sacrifice bunt to bring him home and move Marica to third. Marica then scored on Sam Luther’s fielder’s choice. Hiller grounded into a fielder’s choice, as well, to get aboard with two out, after which Ryan Luther walked to put runners at first and second. Kehlenbach brought in the Cougars’ final run with a double that scored Hiller, and they went on to win 5-3.
Marica had three hits and two RBI, while Kehlenbach, O’Toole, and Sam Luther all added an RBI. Carmelo Rosa picked up the win on the mound for Shoreline with five innings of work. Sam Luther came on in relief and pitched two innings for the save.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Snyder pitched a complete-game shutout with four K’s to lead Shoreline to a 5-0 win. The Cougars did the bulk of their scoring in the second inning, when Hiller singled, stole second, advanced to third on a ground-out by Sam Luther, and then scored on a passed ball for a 1-0 lead. Next, Ryan Luther reached on a single. McGoey and Sam Erskine both worked a walk to load the bases. Kehlenbach then picked up an RBI with a walk to bring in Ryan Luther for a 2-0 advantage. Garrelts followed with a base hit to bring in Sam Erskine and McGoey to make it 4-0 before the final out of the second. Shoreline picked up its final run in the bottom of the sixth. Alec Erskine walked, Marica grounded into a fielder’s choice, and then scored on a double from Mike O’Toole to give the Cougars a 5-0 lead.