The Bethlehem Plowboys celebrate winning their first Tri-State League championship Saturday with a 4-0 win over Tri-Town at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury. More game photos
WATERBURY, August 16, 2025 – The Bethlehem Plowboys were quite familiar with the sting of reaching the Tri-State League championship series only to fall short.
In the past three years, the Plowboys were bridesmaids as the Tri-Town Trojans celebrated as champions. In the past two years, Tri-Town prevailed in game three to capture the pennant.
On Saturday, there was a young, hungry Plowboy team on the field at Municipal Stadium. They were fleet in the outfield and solid on the infield. Bethlehem pitchers Austin Brown and Tyler Duffy limited the four-time defending champion Trojans to just six hits and struck out five.
Bethlehem (23-4) scored three runs in the first inning and never gave the Trojans a chance to get up off the mat in a 4-0 victory to sweep the best-of-three championship series and win their first league championship since 2010.
“We came ready to play. We came ready to battle and we won the battle,” ninth-year Plowboy skipper Rich Reeves said. “It feels amazing to finally reach the mountaintop. I love it. I can’t be more happy about my team. They’re a great group of guys.
A solid defense made the difference this summer.
“Playing clean baseball (was the key),” Reeves said. “In years past, we had a few errors, kicked the ball around a bit. This year, we cleaned it up. Our defense was extraordinary (on Friday) and it was really good today.”
The Plowboys didn’t make an error in the series. On Saturday, outfielder Jarrett Michaels raced to catch a foul ball down the third base line while outfielder Joe Rupe made a diving catch in foul territory down the first base line in the seventh inning.
The Bethlehem outfielders had 12 putouts in the game.
“Getting ahead in the count was the No. 1 priority,” Bethlehem starting pitcher Austin Brown said. “And challenging (the hitters). Making the (Tri-Town) guys hit it and put into play. That’s why I have seven guys behind me.”
A year ago, Brown struck out 10 and allowed just three hits in a 2-1 win in game two of the series here at Municipal. On Saturday, Brown scattered six hits and struck out two. He walked just one and hit one batter.
Bethlehem led virtually the entire series. Tri-Town took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of Friday night’s series opener but the Plowboys responded quickly with two runs to take the lead. They never trailed again – although it was tied for three innings in game one.
Bethlehem took a quick 3-0 lead on Saturday. Leadoff hitter Jon Wilson walked and moved to second base after Brett Davino was hit by a pitch. Wilson scored on a RBI single from Ryan Ponte and Davino moved to third base. Davino scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.
Ponte scored on a RBI single from Isaiah Johnson for a 3-0 advantage.
The Plowboys extended their lead in the fifth inning. Wilson reached on a bunt single and moved to second base on a ground ball out. With two outs, Wilson scored a RBI single from Ponte for a 4-0 lead.
Tri-Town’s first good opportunity to score came in the third inning. Matt Troy led off with a single but Brown got two fly ball outs. Troy moved to third on a single from Coleby Bunnell but Brown got Cooper Johnson to fly out to left field to end the inning.
In the fifth inning, Brian Carr led off the inning with a single for Tri-Town (21-6) but was stranded there after three consecutive fly ball outs. Tri-Town had leadoff singles in the sixth and eighth innings but the runners were stranded there each time.
Bethlehem reliever Tyler Duffy struck out three of the five batters he faced.
The Bethlehem Plowboys celebrate winning their first Tri-State League championship Saturday with a 4-0 win over Tri-Town at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury. More game photos
“It’s hard to put into words. It really is. But (Friday), I don’t think where was a single person (in the Bethlehem dugout) who thought – even when we went down 1-0 –that we would lose that game,” Bethlehem’s Nate Reynolds said. “We have so many college kids. I think half of our team is under 22.”
They were not burdened by previous struggles to win titles, Reynolds said. But they found their roles and the team blossomed, winning 15 of their last 16 games.
“It was a long time coming and there was a lot of rebuilding,” Reynolds said. And with a young team, he thinks this team will be contender for years to come.
Veteran lefthander Bobby Chatfield got the start for Tri-Town and scattered seven hits. He struck out four and walked four. With two singles, Carr was the only Tri-Town player with multiple hits.
Jesse Swartout had a double for Bethlehem with Ponte going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and two RBI.
Bethlehem 4, Tri-Town 0
At Waterbury
Bethlehem (23-4) 300 010 000 — 4-8-0
Tri-Town (21-6) 000 000 000 — 0-6-2
Austin Brown, Tyler Duffy (8) and Jesse Swartout; Bobby Chatfield, Matt Sheedy (8) and Brian Carr; WP: Brown; LP: Chatfield; 2B: Swartout (B); 3B: none; HR: none; Highlights: Brown 7 1/3 IP, 6 hits allowed, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts; Duffy 1 2/3 IP, 4 strikeouts; Ryan Ponte (B) 2-4; Brian Carr (T) 2-3; Ryan Ponte (B) 2-4, 2 RBI
Recent Tri-State League championship series
2025: Bethlehem def. Tri-Town, 2-0 (5-4, 4-0)
2024: Tri-Town def. Bethlehem, 2-1 (10-1, 1-2, 3-1)
2023: Tri-Town def. Bethlehem, 2-1 (5-1, 4-5, 9-0)
2022: Tri-Town def. Bethlehem, 2-0 (10-2, 4-3 in 10)
2021: Tri-Town def. Terryville Black Sox, 2-1 (5-0, 1-5, 8-5)
2020: No season, COVID-19 pandemic
2019: Terryville def. Naugatuck Dogs, 2-0 (4-2, 5-1)
2018: Tri-Town def. Terryville, 2-1 (3-0, 7-10, 4-2)
2017: Naugatuck def. Tri-Town, 2-0 (13-2, 8-2)
2016: Watertown Blaze def. Naugatuck, 2-1 (4-2, 2-5, 3-1)
2015: Litchfield Cowboys def. Tri-Town, 2-1 (3-0, 2-5, 4-1)
2014: Wolcott Scrappers def. Tri-Town, 2-0 (6-0, 4-2)
2013: Tri-Town def. Naugatuck, 2-1 (2-0, 4-8, 2-1 in 12)
2012: Litchfield def. Waterbury Wild, 2-1 (1-11, 6-4, 5-3)
2011: Litchfield def. Tri-Town, 2-0 (7-2, 2-1)
2010: Bethlehem def. Tri-Town, 2-0 (5-3, 2-1)
