Hits are scarce for Crushers in pair of Tri-State League defeats

Jake Bryant had a single and a double in Sunday’s 2-0 Tri-State League loss to Amenia at Bowdoin Field.

CANTON, July 10 – The Canton Crushers played two games in two different towns Sunday. But the results were the same on both fields. In both games, the Crushers had few hits and no runs.

Early Sunday afternoon, Canton had just three hits and dropped a 4-0 decision to the Brass City Brew in Prospect. Later in the day, the Crushers had four hits but fell to Amenia, N.Y., 2-0 at Bowdoin Field in Canton, to fall to 2-13 on the season.

Against Brass City (5-5), it was a one-run ballgame until the fifth inning when Brass City scored three runs to take command of the contest.

The Crushers did make some nice defensive plays. Second baseman Taylor Riley made a diving play to knock down the ball on the outfield grass before scrambling to his feet to throw the runners out. Riley did come on in relief of Canton starting pitcher Jake Bryant in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and none out. Riley got three outs to keep the Crushers in the game.

Riley had a double for Canton in the game while Jim Spirito and Trey Van deBogart each had singles.

After facing Brass City, the Canton players hustled back to Bowdoin Field for a nine-inning contest with the visiting Monarchs (3-7). Amenia took an early lead in the first inning with a home run from Thomas Downey, Jr., that barely cleared the left field fence.

Amenia, who had just five hits off Spirito, added a second run in the third inning off an RBI single from Dylan Sartori for a 2-0 lead.

Bryant had a single and a double for Canton while Heath Cotton, Chris Van deBogart and Trey Van deBogart each had singles. Spirito strick out three and went the distance on the mound for the Crushers.

Canton has three games next week to close out the 2016 campaign. The Crushers host Southington on Tuesday night at Bowdoin Field at 6 p.m. Canton travels to Wolcott on Thursday night to face the Valley Thunder at 6 p.m. at Tyrell Middle School and play the final game of the season on Sunday, July 17, when Canton hosts East Mountain at 5 p.m. at Bowdoin Field.

Amenia, N.Y. 2, Canton 0
At Canton
Amenia (3-7)                  101  000  000 – 2-5-0
Canton (2-13)                000  000  000 — 0-4-0
Travis Hyatt and Hasor; Jim Spirito and Jeff Mulhall; WP: Hyatt; LP: Spirito (1-4); 2B: none; 3B: none; HR: Tom Downey, Jr. (A)

Brass City 4, Canton 0
At Prospect
Canton (2-12)                000  000  0 – 0-3-1
Brass City (5-5)              001  030  x – 4-5-0
Aaron Macgee and unknown; Jake Bryant, Taylor Riley (5) and Jeff Mulhall; WP: Macgee; LP: Bryant (1-3); 2B: Riley (C)