Tri-Town pitcher Dan Livingston gave up just three hits and struck out eight to lead the Trojans to a 5-0 win over Terryville in the first game of the Tri-State League’s championship series Wednesday night.
WATERBURY, August 18, 2021 – Veteran Tri-Town pitcher Dan Livingston admitted after the opening game of the 2021 Tri-State League championship series that he doesn’t always know where the ball is going when he fires it toward the plate.
The defending Tri-State League Terryville Black Sox couldn’t figure it out either.
Livingston, the 43-year-old veteran, shut down hard-hitting Terryville, limiting the Black Sox to just three hits and striking out eight as Tri-Town won the first game in the best-of-three championship series on Wednesday night at Municipal Stadium, 5-0.
The Trojans (19-3) became the first team to shutout the Black Sox this season and handed Terryville their first loss in the Tri-State League this summer after 20 consecutive wins.
Tri-Town can win their first league championship since 2018 with a victory in game two, scheduled for Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Municipal Stadium. Terryville (24-3) hopes to get a win on Thursday and force a decisive game three on Friday night.
“He finds the corners and nothing is ever the same. (His pitches) all move,” Tri-Town catcher Landon Gardella said. “It’s always something different out of his hand. He doesn’t get hit hard. It is just what he does. He goes out and throws, hits his spots and does his job. He has been doing it for a long time.”
Livingston, 43, has been in the Tri-State League for more than 20 years.
“I am never nervous when he is on the mound,” Tri-Town player/manager Dan McCarthy said. “I have seen him do this plenty of times. It isn’t a surprise to me. He throws five different pitches from five different arm angles so it is tough to pick up, especially for (right-handed hitters).”
Terryville hit nearly 30 homes runs this season while winning their first 20 Tri-State League games. The Black Sox were undefeated in the league (16-0) and picked up another four wins in the playoffs.
Terryville had just three hits and had a man on second base just twice — in the third inning and ninth inning.
Tri-Town’s Tom Troy (20) slides safely into second base before Terryville shortstop Tony Patane can get the ball in Wednesday night’s Tri-State League championship series.
While Livingston was shutting down the Black Sox, Tri-Town took advantage of five walks in the first four innings to take a 5-0 lead.
In the second inning, McCarthy and Gardella led off the inning with singles off Terryville starting pitcher Eli Oliphant. A walk to Tri-Town’s Coleby Bunnell loaded the bases and a walk to Brad Ellis gave the Trojans a 1-0 lead.
Oliphant got a strikeout for the first out of the inning but after a fielder’s choice for the second out of the inning, he walked another two runs in for a 3-0 lead.
“We strung hits together and had some great at bats,” McCarthy said.
Tri-Town added another two runs in the fourth inning. Bunnell led off the inning with a double off Black Sox reliever Jason Burger and Ellis drew a walk. A single from Tom Troy loaded the bases with no outs.
Burger got a strikeout but Tri-Town second baseman Matt Troy ripped a two-run single to right field to drive in two runs and extend the lead to 5-0. Burger pitched 6.1 innings of relief, allowing two runs and five hits but striking out eight Trojan batters.
The Tri-State Trojans celebrate after winning game of the 2021 Tri-State League championship series.
Terryville reliever Tyler D’Onofrio struck out another three batters in the ninth. In all, the three Black Sox hurlers combined to fan 13 batters.
Gardella was the only player to have two hits. He had a single and a fifth-inning double for the Trojans. For Terryville, Tony Patane, Justin McCullough and Billy Armstrong had singles.
NOTES: Terryville won the last Tri-State League championship in 2019. The 2020 Tri-State season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. … This is actually Terryville’s third straight championship series appearance. A year ago, the Black Sox played in the Connecticut Twilight League where they fell to the Rocky Hill Rockies in game three of the best-of-3 final. … Livingston pitched on Wednesday because he is unavailable for the rest of the series. He is scheduled to pitch in two games of the Connecticut Men’s Senior Baseball North championship series for the defending champion Marlborough A’s in the 25-and-over division.
Tri-Town 5, Terryville 0
At Waterbury
Tri-Town (19-3) 030 200 000 — 5-7-1
Terryville (24-3) 000 000 000 — 0-3-0
Dan Livingston and Landon Gardella; Eli Oliphant, Jason Burger (2), Taylor D’Onofrio (9) and Alex Rauso; WP: Livingston; LP: Oliphant; 2B: Gardella (TT), Coleby Bunnell (TT)
