Bethel Boys Win

Over Canaan

By Laurie-Jean B. Gauthier

The Whitcomb Hornet boys baseball team received the #4 seed and faced the #5 seeded Canaan Eagles Friday, June 6 in Bethel. The Hornets prevailed with a 5-2 victory in quarterfinal action, with senior Ryan Rogler responsible for all the Hornets' runs.

Rogler’s RBI single in the first inning brought Ryan Litchfield across the plate for Whitcomb’s first run. A 2-RBI single to centerfield in the third had Jacob Hunt and Litchfield again scoring, and the Hornets out in front three-zip.

In the fifth, Eagle Jake Smith scored off brother Eli’s swat to center, erasing the shutout bid, and then Eli scored off Anthony Havalotti’s sacrifice, cutting Whitcomb’s lead to one. Rogler capped the Hornets’ scoring with his second 2-RBI offer this time, a double that turned into a triple, off a passed ball that scored both Joel Wright and for the third time in the game, Litchfield. In the sixth inning Canaan loaded the bases, but scored only one run, when Jeremy Schichtle singled in Zack Daley.

Rogler started on the mound and issued six strike-outs, with Litchfield taking over two batters into the fifth inning, and finished with five strike-outs of his own. Whitcomb had five hits and reached on errors five times. Canaan had 11 hits and walked on three times.

The Hornets’ semi-final game got moved from Tuesday to Wednesday, June 11, due to weather.

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