
Canton’s Andrew Tremblay connects on a swing during Sunday’s Tri-State League opener against Burlington at Bowdoin Field. The Hunters beat Canton, 6-5.
CANTON, May 23, 2021 – Canton’s boys of summer are back on the diamond again. The Canton Crushers baseball team didn’t play last summer when the Tri-State League cancelled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But a year has gone by. We’ve learned more about the contagious virus and how to live with it. We have three vaccines available.
So, on a warm spring afternoon with temperatures in the mid-80s and breezes to cool players and spectators, the Crushers began their seventh season in the Tri-State League with a 6-5 loss to the Burlington Hunters at Bowdoin Field.
The Crushers rapped out 10 hits but Burlington was able to keep the Crushers at bay on the Tri-State League’s Opening Day across the northwest corner of the state.
“It’s great to be playing,” Crushers player/manager and team founder Tom Dubois said. “We didn’t play last summer in the Tri-State League. We did a little fall baseball but it’s good to be back and hang out with the guys. We’ve (added) a couple young Canton kids and hopefully we will have a good season.”
Dubois hopes this is the year that the Crushers can post a winning record. Three times in six seasons, Canton has won five games including in 2019 when they were 5-13.

Canton’s Steve Dubois is tagged out at home plate by Burlington catcher Zack Martin in the fifth inning of Sunday’s Tri-State League game in Canton.
Burlington, which is playing their entire season on the road because the field at Lewis Mills which they have used since they entered the league isn’t available this year, led 3-0 after four innings. The Hunters were the home team on Sunday.
The Hunters took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single from Joe Cardaropoli . They extended their lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning, helped in part by three walks from Canton starter Jake Bryant, who also hit two Hunter batters and had a balk.
The Crushers cut the lead to one in the top of the fifth inning. Andrew Tremblay and Bryant each singled before Steve Dubois ripped a two-run double to left field to cut the lead to 3-2. After Burlington starting pitcher Ty Morin struck out Jim Spirito for the second out of the inning, Canton’s Sean Bahre ripped a single down the right field line.
Steve Dubois tried to score from second base but Burlington outfielder George Zaruba threw him out at home plate to end the inning.
Burlington added three more runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-2 lead. Ty Ernet had a two-run single to highlight the rally that also included a leadoff double from Morin.
The inning ended on a diving catch by Tremblay in left field on a ball that was an inch or so above the turf when he caught it.

Canton starting pitcher Jake Bryant fires a pitch in Sunday’s season-opening loss to Burlington at Bowdoin Field.
The Crushers added two runs in the seventh inning thanks to a two-out error by the Hunters and a bases-loaded walk from reliever Tyler Mandeville to cut the lead to 6-4. Canton’s Brian Phelps coaxed a two-out walk, moved to second on a single from Spirito and scored on an error. A walk loaded the bases and a walk to Nick Michanczyk forced in the second run.
Canton cut the lead to one run in the eighth inning. Braedon Bean walked with two outs and scored on Bryant’s RBI double to right field.
Ernet closed out the win for the Hunters, earning the save by retiring the side in order in the ninth inning.
Three Burlington pitchers combined to strike out 13 Canton batters with Morin, the starter for the Hunters, striking out nine.
Bryant had a tough fourth inning but he allowed just three hits and struck out six. He did walk five. After reliever Cam Gaudet gave up three runs in one inning, Canton reliever Jim Michanczyk pitched three strong innings of relief, not giving up a hit over the final three innings of the contest.
Steve Dubois was 2-for-2 for Canton with a double, a single and two RBI while Bryant was 2-for-5 with a double and one RBI. Catcher Jeff Mulhall also had two hits for the Crushers.
Canton returns to action on Wednesday night when they travel to Terryville to take on the defending champion Black Sox (1-0) beginning at 5:45 p.m. at the now-closed Terryville High on Route 6.
Burlington 6, Canton 5
At Canton
Canton (0-1) 000 020 210 – 5-10-1
Burlington (1-0) 010 230 00x — 6-5-1
Jake Bryant, Cam Gaudet (5), Jim Michanczyk (6) and Jeff Mulhall; Ty Morin, Tyler Mandeville (7), Ty Ernet (9) and Zack Martin, Chris Rossi (7); WP: Morin (1-0); LP: Bryant (0-1); Save: Ernet (1); 2B: Steve Dubois (Ca), Jake Bryant (Ca), Ty Morin (B)
2021 Canton Crushers
Sunday, May 23: | Burlington 6, Canton 5 |
Wednesday, May 26 | at Terryville, 5:45 p.m. |
Tuesday, June 1: | BLASIUS CHEVROLET-WATERBURY, 5:45 p.m. |
Saturday, June 5: | NEW BRITAIN (CT Twilight League), 1:30 p.m. at Mills Pond |
Sunday, June 6: | TRIBURY, 4 p.m. |
Thursday, June 10: | at Valley Ducks (Wolcott),5:45 p.m. |
Sunday, June 13: | at Bethlehem, 11 a.m. |
Thursday, June 17: | at Torrington, 7 p.m. (Fuessenich Park) |
Saturday, June 19: | AMENIA, 1 p.m. |
Tuesday, June 22: | LITCHFIELD, 5:45 p.m. |
Thursday, June 24: | at Amenia, 7 p.m. |
Sunday, June 27: | at Torrington, 6 p.m. (Fuessenich Park) |
Thursday, July 1: | BURLINGTON, 5:45 p.m. |
Tuesday, July 6: | TRI-TOWN, 5:45 p.m. |
Thursday, July 8: | at Southington, 7 p.m. (Recreation Park) |
Sunday, July 11: | at Wolcott, 6 p.m. |
Tuesday, July 13: | WINSTED, 5:45 p.m. |
Saturday, July 17 | SOUTHINGTON, 1 p.m. |
Home games at Bowdoin Field, except June 5
Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.


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