MANCHESTER, August 9, 2020 — The Brass City Bombers baseball team used plenty of late-inning comebacks to win their first Connecticut Collegiate Baseball League championship. The Bombers won five straight elimination games to earn a shot to win a league title.
And the Waterbury team rolled to a 13-1 win in six innings over Manchester Eagles to win the championship at East Catholic High on Sunday. Brass City (20-6) rallied in the opener to force a decisive final game in the double-elimination tournament with a 10-9 win.
With two outs, Brass City’s Jack Drury singled and Rob Taylor walked. Pinch runner Grant Stone replaced Drury and scored when his brother Adam drove a single into the outfield to snap a 9-9 tie and give Brass City the lead in the top of the seventh inning.
Brass City’s Nick Lorusso continued with his postseason heroics. Lorusso, the 2019 Big East freshman of the year at Villanova, hit a pair of home runs on Sunday. He had a three-run home run in game one and added a two-run homer in the championship game. Lorusso attended Masuk High in Monroe.
After Brass City dropped their second game of the tournament to the Manchester Meagles last week, the Bombers had their backs against the way. Brass City beat Glastonbury, 7-3, in their first elimination game. Against the Hamden Miners, Lorusso had an RBI double in the fourth inning that was the difference in a 1-0 victory.
In the final of the consolation bracket, Brass City rallied for two runs off Manchester Meagle reliever Andrew Marrero to tie the game at 3-3. In extra innings, Lorusso’s single to center field drove in Adam Stone with the game winning run.
It was the first time in the CCBL championship game for both teams.
2020 Connecticut Collegiate Baseball League
Double-elimination playoffs
Monday, August 3
Game 1: (1) Manchester Eagles 2, (8) Tobacco Valley 0
Game 2: (4) Manchester Mavericks 2, (5) Glastonbury Arrows 1
Game 3: (2) Brass City Bombers 5, (7) Simsbury Sabercats 0
Game 4: (3) Manchester Meagles 2, (6) Hamden Miners 1
Wednesday, August 5
Game 5: Manchester Eagles 6, Manchester Mavericks 4
Game 6: Glastonbury 7. Tobacco Valley 6 (8), Tobacco Valley eliminated
Game 7: Manchester Meagles 4, Brass City Bombers 2
Game 8: Hamden 1, Simsbury 0, Simsbury eliminated
Thursday, August 6
Game 9: Brass City 7, Glastonbury 3, Glastonbury eliminated
Game 10: Hamden 9, Manchester Mavericks 7, Mavericks eliminated
Friday, August 7
Game 11: Manchester Eagles 11, Manchester Meagles 1
Game 12: Brass City 1, Hamden 0, Hamden eliminated
Saturday, August 8
Game 13: Consolation bracket final: Brass City 4, Manchester Meagles 3 (8), Meagles eliminated
Sunday. August 9
Game 14: Brass City 10, Manchester Eagles 9
Game 15: Championship: Brass City 13, Manchester Eagles 1 (6)
2020 Connecticut Collegiate Baseball League
Regular season standings
| Team |
W-L-T |
Points |
| Manchester Eagles |
14-4-1 |
48 |
| Brass City Bombers |
14-5 |
47 |
| Manchester Meagles |
11-7-2 |
44 |
| Manchester Mavericks |
12-8 |
44 |
| Glastonbury Arrows |
10-10-1 |
42 |
| Hamden Miners |
10-8-1 |
40 |
| Simsbury Sabercats |
7-12-2 |
35 |
| y-Southington Shock |
5-12-2 |
31 |
| y-Wallingford Silver Miners |
7-10 |
31 |
| Tobacco Valley Renegades |
3-17-1 |
28 |
Teams earn three points for a win, two for a tie and one for participating in a game.
y-Southington and Wallingford are not eligible for the playoffs and will conclude their season with a three-game series on August 5-7.
Previous CCBL champions
Double-elimination tournament
2020: Brass City Bombers 13, Manchester Eagles 1 (6)
2019: Manchester Mavericks 8, Glastonbury Arrows 3
2018: Simsbury Sabercats 2, Wallingford Silver Miners 0
Best-of-3 championship series
2017: Glastonbury def. Manchester Mavericks, 2-0
2016: Southington Shock def. Manchester Mavericks, 2-0
2015: Southington def. Glastonbury, 2-0
2014: Southington def. Glastonbury, 2-0
2013: West Hartford Thunder def. Manchester Mavericks, 2-1
2012: Tobacco Valley Renegades def. Simsbury, 2-1
2011: Southington def. Tobacco Valley, 2-1
2010: Southington def. Tobacco Valley, 2-0
2009: Southington def. Simsbury, 2-0
