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Tri-State Baseball

Sullivan, Spirito helps Crushers beat Blasius Chevrolet for the first time

Canton’s Mike Sullivan had three hits including a double to help the Crushers win their first game of the year on Tuesday night.

CANTON, June 1, 2021 – Mike Sullivan was three-for-three at the plate with two singles, a double and one RBI to help the Canton Crushers earn their first victory of the season on Tuesday night with a 5-3 win over Blasius Chevrolet of Waterbury at Bowdoin Field.

It’s the first time that the Crushers have ever beaten Blasius Chevrolet. Canton lost the previous three games of Blasius, who shared the Stan Musial state championship with Terryville in 2018 and 2019.

Crusher pitcher Jim Spirito pitched six innings to earn the win. He allowed six hits, walked five but struck out six. Jim Michanczyk limited Blasius to one hit and one run in the seventh to secure the save.

Canton (1-2) ran out to an early lead. After a leadoff single from Taylor Riley and another single from Jake Bryant, Steve Dubois drove in the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to center field. With two outs in the inning, Sullivan singled to left field to drive in Bryant for a 2-0 lead.

The Crushers expanded the lead in the fourth inning. Sullivan doubled with one out and moved to third when Nick Michanczyk reached on an error. Sullivan scored on Cam Gaudet’s RBI single to center field. Nick MIchanczyk sored on an infield ground ball from Jim Michanczyk for a 4-1 lead.

Bryant was 2-for-3 for the Crushers, who return to action with a pair of games this weekend.

The Crushers will face the New Britain Rock Cats from the Connecticut Twilight League on Saturday night at 8:15 p.m. at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury.

With five teams leaving the Tri-State League since the completion of the 2019 season, the Tri-State league added a non-league game with Connecticut Twilight League opponents.

The Naugatuck Dogs retired with three state championships, one Tri-State League title and several appearances in the AABC Northeast Region World Series while the Litchfield Cowboys retired with four Tri-State League championships. The Bristol Greeners moved to the Greater Hartford Twilight League while the Tribury Cave and Northwest Connecticut Orioles did not return.

On Sunday, Canton hosts one of the league’s newest teams, the Torrington Twisters beginning at 4 p.m. at Bowdoin Field. There are two teams in Torrington now – the Rebels and the expansion Twisters.

Canton 5, Blasius Chevrolet 3
At Canton
Blasius Chev. (1-2)          001  001  1  — 3-7-1
Canton (1-2)                     200  201  x  — 5-9-1
Vanders and Grun; Jim Spirito, James Michanczyk (7) and Jake Bryant; WP: Spirito (1-0); LP: Vanders; 2B: Heeder (B), Mike Sullivan (Ca)

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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