Amenia rallies to spoil season opener for Crushers with 8-7 win in 11

Jack Rose had three hits, including a double, and two RBI in Sunday’s season-opening loss to Amenia in 11 innings.

AMENIA, N.Y., May 21, 2023 – The Amenia Monarchs scored four times in the ninth inning to tie the game and scored twice in the eleventh inning to win it with a 8-7 win over the Canton Crushers in the Tri-State League opener for both teams Sunday at Doc Bartlett Field.

Canton, beginning their ninth season in the league, had a 6-1 lead in the top of the eighth inning but couldn’t hold it.

Amenia cut the lead to four runs after adding a run in the eighth thanks to two Crusher errors. In the ninth, Amenia took advantage of three walks and two errors to tie the game at 6-6.

Canton took a 7-6 lead in the eleventh inning on a RBI single from catcher Jeff Mulhall but Amenia won the game on a two-out double.

Jack Rose led the way at the plate for the Crushers, going 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Jake Bryant was 2-for-5 with a double while Jim Spirito was 2-for-3 with one RBI. Matt Rose had a single and two RBI for Canton.

James Michanczyk got the start for Canton and went six strong innings. He gave up just one run, four hits and struck out seven.

Canton returns to action on Thursday when they have their home opener against Naugatuck at 5:45 p.m. at Bowdoin Field.

There are just 10 teams in the league this year with three teams not returning – Torrington Twisters, Blasius Chevrolet out of Waterbury and the Wolcott Scrappers.

The Scrappers merged with the Terryville Black Sox of the Connecticut Twilight League and will be known as the Wolcott Terryville Scrappers and will play their home games at Torrington’s Fuessenich Park. The Black Sox, a former Tri-State League program, won the Connecticut Twilight League championship last summer and finished second in the AABC Stan Musial Northeast World Series behind Albany (NY) A’s.

The Crushers will play a 20-game schedule that includes four games with rival Burlington, including one contest at Dunkin Park in Hartford against the Hunters on Thursday, June 29, at 6 p.m. It’s the only Tri-State League contest of the year at the home of the Hartford Yard Goats, Colorado’s Double A affiliate.

Amenia 8, Canton 7 (11)
At Amenia, N.Y.
Canton (0-1)      201  001  020  01  — 7-11-7
Amenia (1-0)      000  001  014  02  — 8-10-4
James Michanczyk, Matt Rose (7), Jim Spirito (9) and Jeff Mulhall; Zach xxx, Scoot xxx (8) and unknown; WP: Scoot; LP: Spirito (0-1); 2B: Jake Bryant (C), Jack Rose (C), Micah xxx (A)

Canton Crushers’ 2023 Tri-State League schedule
Sunday, May 21        at Amenia N.Y., 1 p.m.
Thursday, May 25    NAUGATUCK, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, June 1      BURLINGTON, 5:45 p.m.
Sunday, June 4         at Naugatuck (Hotchkiss Field, Prospect), 10 a.m.
Thursday, June 8      TRI-TOWN, 5:45 p.m.
Sunday, June 11       at Southington (Rotary Field), 6 p.m.
Tuesday, June 13     at Wolcott Thunder Ducks (Tyrell Middle School, Wolcott), 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, June 15    at BRASS CITY (Bucks Hill Park), 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 17    WINSTED, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, June 20     at Bethlehem (Gallop Field), 5:45 p.m.
Sunday, June 25       AMENIA, NY, 4 p.m.
Wed., June 28           at Tri-Town (Community Field, Litchfield), 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, June 29    vs. Burlington (Dunkin Park, Hartford), 6 p.m.
Thursday, July 6        at Winsted (Walker Field), 5:45 p.m.
Sunday, July 9           at Burlington (Lewis Mills HS), noon
Tuesday, July 11       WOLCOTT THUNDER DUCKS, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, July 13     BETHLEHEM, 5:45 p.m.
Sunday, July 16         BRASS CITY, 4 p.m.
Thursday, July 20     SOUTHINGTON, 5:45 p.m.
Saturday, July 22      BURLINGTON, 1 p.m.
Home games at Bowdoin Field, Canton

2023 Tri-State League playoffs
All 10 teams qualify
Tuesday, July 25
First round (single-elimination)
No. 10 seed at No. 7 seed
No. 9 seed at No. 8 seed

Second round (Best of 3)
Saturday, July 29 through Monday, July 31

League semifinals (best-of-3)
Friday, Aug. 4-6

League championship series
Friday, August 11
Game 1: at Fuessenich Park, Torrington, 7 p.m.
Saturday, August 12
Game 2: At Municipal Stadium, Waterbury, noon
Sunday, August 13
Game 3: At Municipal Stadium, Waterbury, noon, if necessary

Stan Musial state championship tournament
At Muzzy Field, Bristol
August 18-20

2022 Tri-State League regular season standings (final)

2023 Tri-State League playoffs
League championship series
Sunday, Aug. 14
Tri-Town 10, Bethlehem 1
Monday, Aug. 15
Tri-Town 4, Bethlehem 3 (10), Tri-Town wins series, 2-0

League semifinals (best-of-3)
Friday, Aug. 5
Tri-Town 3, Blasius Chevrolet 2
Bethlehem 10, Amenia 5
Saturday, Aug. 6
Tri-Town 16, Blasius Chevrolet 4, Tri-Town wins series, 2-0
Bethlehem 15, Amenia 0, Bethlehem wins series, 2-0

Second round (best of three)
Saturday, July 30
(1) Tri-Town 19, Burlington 0
(2) Amenia 13, Wolcott 7
(3) Bethlehem 11, (6) Brass City 10
(4) Blasius Chevrolet 9, (5) Winsted 3
Sunday July 31
Tri-Town 14, Burlington 0, Tri-Town wins series, 2-0
Amenia 14, Wolcott 5, Amenia wins series, 2-0
Bethlehem 6, Brass City 2, Bethlehem wins series, 2-0
Winsted 7, Blasius Chevrolet 3
Monday, August 1
Blasius Chevrolet 5, Winsted 2, Blasius wins series, 2-1

First round (single-elimination)
Tuesday, July 26
Game 1: (10) Wolcott 5,  (7) Southington 3
Game 2: (8) Burlington 6, (9) Valley Ducks 3