Canton is one win shy of earning a state tournament berth

CANTON – Look at the bench when the Canton High baseball team is on the field. You won’t find many players sitting on the hardwood with long-time coach Brian Roy. Most of them are out playing defense.

Just past the midway point of the 2013 season, the Warriors are doing pretty well. Canton was 7-4 overall and 6-4 in the NCCC, just one win shy of earning a berth to the CIAC Class S tournament are sitting home the past two seasons.

“We’ve had good pitching and clutch hitting,” Roy said. “I would like to play some better defense.”

Last week, the Warriors committed three errors that led to three unearned runs in a 7-3 loss to Sport Science Medical Academy at Colt Park in Hartford. That ended a modest surge that had seen Canton win four of its previous five games.

Canton’s success isn’t limited to just one player. It seems a different player steps up to contribute in each game.

In the loss to SMSA, sophomore Kevin Gurry had two hits including a double. In a 7-5 win over Stafford, Canton scored four runs in the fourth inning to break the game open. The key hit came from junior Brenden Reilly in the fourth with a three-run double.

In a 3-0 win over Granby, left-handed pitcher Chris Enns (3-1) struck out nine and scattered two hits. Enns pitched for the Warriors as a freshman but missed his sophomore campaign with an injury. Senior centerfielder Chris VandeBogart had two hits in the win.

On opening day, Enns struck out 11 and tossed a no-hitter in an 8-0 win over East Granby. It was the first no-hitter by the Warriors in at least 20 years.

Against Wilcox Tech-Meriden, Canton scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings and won it on a Reilly RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Patrick Sullivan had three hits and four RBI in a 6-5 victory over Bolton.

Sullvan, a right-hander pitcher (2-0), is an experienced hurler while junior catcher Jake Wood and Riley, the junior at shortstop, have played well. Wood leads the team in RBI at the midway point of the season.

However, there have been setbacks.

Canton dropped a 1-0 decision to Windsor Locks, allowing just two hits. But Windsor Locks hurler Mike Gentile was even better with 10 strikeouts and a complete game no-hitter. It was the first no-hitter against Canton in 12 seasons since 2001 when Enfield didn’t allow a single hit in a 10-0 victory.

Ellington pitcher Neil Janga handcuffed the Warriors in a 2-0 victory on Wednesday. Janga allowed just two hits and fanned 13.

Upcoming schedule
MAY: 3: at East Windsor; 7: at Avon; 9: at Coventry; 13: WINDSOR LOCKS; 15: at Somers; 20: SOMERS, 21: at Stonington (Dodd Stadium, Norwich)