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08/24/2020 12:00 AMThe Clinton Huskies 16-U AAU East Shore Travel League baseball team had a busy week with high-stakes action in a double elimination playoff tournament. The Huskies won two games and lost two games to finish the year with a 8-10-1 overall record. The Huskies opened up postseason play with a 3-2 win against The Boys of Summer, then lost a 3-2 contest against the Copperheads to move into the losers’ bracket. The Huskies then played a doubleheader earning a 3-1 victory over the Clippers to stay alive, but then took a 6-2 defeat against the Technique Tigers, which eliminated Clinton from the tournament.
On Aug. 18, the Huskies hosted The Boys of Summer at East Haven High School and claimed a 3-2 victory. Ethan Ranaudo was on the mound for the Huskies and had a strong performance. Ranaudo threw seven innings, struck out five, and he allowed just three hits and two walks.
In the top of the first inning, The Boys of Summer hit a single to center field. That runner stole second, and after a base hit to left, the runner scored to make it 1-0.
In the bottom of the second inning, Dom Carpenter walked, and Declan Christopher dropped down a bunt to move Christopher to second base. Lucas Kamoen tied it up at 1-1 for the Huskies with a base hit to score Carpenter.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Kamoen reached on a base hit, then advanced to third base on an error. Ranaudo was awarded a base after being hit by a pitch, and Kamoen subsequently scored on a wild pitch to take a 2-1 lead.
The Boys of summer tied it 2-2 in the top of the fifth after a walk, a single, another walk, and a fielder’s choice.
The Huskies took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth after Ryan Inglis reached base, a wild pitch moved him to second base, and Brady Fritz hit a scorcher to right center field that drove in Inglis to make it 3-2.
On Aug. 19, the Huskies headed to Torrington to take on the Copperheads, a team that mercied the Huskies two times this year. Kamoen took the mound for the Huskies and gutted out six innings on 75 pitches with five strikeouts. Kamoen also allowed three walks and took the loss.
The Huskies took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Carpenter reached base and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kamoen hit a double to bring in Carpenter for the Huskies first run.
The Copperheads answered with a run in the bottom of the second. In the top of the fourth, Ethan Reemsnyder hit a bomb over everything for a solo home run to make it 2-1.
The Copperheads tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Then in the seventh, the Copperheads went ahead and walked it off for the 3-2 win. The loss moved the Huskies into the losers’ bracket.
On Aug. 20, Clinton played a pair of home games at the Indian River Complex starting with the Clippers. Garret Garbinski pitched seven innings, struck out six, and allowed, three hits, three walks, and one run.
The Clippers drew first blood in the top of the fourth after a base hit and an error advanced the runner to second base. The runner advanced to third base on ground ball, and then scored on wild pitch to make it 1-0.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Fritz got a base knock, and quickly stole second. Reemsnyder walked, and a wild pitch gave both runners the opportunity to take second and third. Christopher drove both runners in on a base hit to make it 2-1.
The Huskies tacked on a run in the bottom of the sixth. Garbinski hit a double, and Inglis had a long single to right-center field, which scored Garbinski easily to make it 3-1.
In the nightcap, the Huskies had a tough contest. Fritz was on the mound and went three innings with five Ks and no hits. After the third inning though, Fritz tweaked his back and was no longer able to get the ball over the plate.
Fritz walked three and then hit a batter in the top of the fourth, and Inglis came in to clean up. Ultimately, Fritz was charged with four runs in the process, and Inglis allowed two runs of his own to score. The Tigers scored all six of their runs in the top of the fourth inning.
The Huskies tried to fight back in the bottom of the fourth. Fritz whacked a double. Reemsnyder got a base hit to make it first and third. Kamoen drove in Fritz with a base knock, and Ryan Luciani was able to drive in Reemsnyder to make it 6-2.
After their second loss in the tournament, the Huskies were eliminated from the playoffs.