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Canton uses successful suicide squeeze to tie game, goes on to beat Somers

Canton’s Andrew Cappabianca was 3-for-3 and his successful suicide squeeze bunt with two outs in the seventh inning tied the game.

SOMERS, May 6, 2021 – The Canton High baseball team had just two strikes left Thursday in the top of the seventh inning. There were two outs and the Warriors were trailing host Somers by one run with runners at second and third base.

Canton’s Andrew Cappabianca was at the plate. He laid down a suicide squeeze bunt down the third base line and Robbie Dlubac raced home from third base to score the tying run. Cappabianca also safely reached first base and the inning continued.

Canton’s Michael Brosnan followed with a two-run double to left field to give the Warriors a two-run lead and then Connor Clement ripped a RBI single to center field to swell the lead to three runs.

Canton reliever Artie Hayes retired the side in the bottom of the seventh inning on 11 pitches to help the Warriors outlast Somers, 11-8 in North Central Connecticut Conference play. Canton trailed by four runs after four innings but kept plugging away to win their second straight game.

Canton (8-3, 7-3 NCCC) had 13 hits in the game, one shy of their season-high of 14 hits that they had in their season-opening win over Lewis Mills.

Cappabianca was 3-for-5 for Canton with two RBI while Brosnan, Clement, Jack Biskupiak and Max Sedor each had two hits. Brosnan had a pair of doubles and drove in three runs while Biskupiak had a double and single. Sedor was 2-for-2 with one RBI.

Canton pitcher Tanner Quinn picked up his first win of the season in relief. Quinn pitched 3.2 innings, scattering five hits and striking out three. He gave up five runs but his teammates had his back with plenty of offensive support.

Somers had a 4-1 lead before Canton took their first lead with a six-run outburst in the sixth inning. Sedor and Dlubac each had RBI singles that cut the Somers lead to one, 4-3.

With two outs in the sixth, Cappabianca tied the game at 4-4 with an RBI single of his own. Brosnan reached base on a dropped third strike, which was really a passed ball. Dlubac scored from third base to give Canton a 5-4 lead. Clement reached on an error and a second run scored to increase the lead to 6-4. Brosnan scored on a passed ball for a 7-4 lead.

Somers rallied in the bottom of the sixth with three consecutive two out-hits to take an 8-7 lead. Alex Grenier had a two-RBI double followed by Chris March with an RBI single and Shawn Gentilcore with a RBI double.

Canton returns to action on Friday when they make their first-ever appearance at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford when they face Sports Medicine Science Academy beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Canton 11, Somers 8
At Somers
Canton (8-3)      000  016  4 – 11-13-2
Somers (6-5)      111  104  0  — 8-8-4
Michael Brosnan, Tanner Quinn (3), Artie Hayes (7) and Connor Clement; Shawn Gentilcore, Cody Palazzesi (6) and unknown; WP: Quinn (1-0); LP: Palazzesi; 2B: Michael Brosnan (Ca) 2, Jack Biskupiak (Ca), Devin Brown (Ca), Alex Grenier (S), Kaede Wood (S), Shawn Gentilcore (S)

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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