Players from the Bethlehem Plowboys surround Ryan Reynolds and celebrate after his game-winning single in Friday night’s Tri-State League championship series game in Torrington. More game photos
TORRINGTON, August 15, 2025 – In the past three years, Game 1 of the Tri-State League championship series has not been a pleasant experience for the Bethlehem Plowboys. Each time, Tri-Town has captured the series opener by scores of 10-2, 5-1 and 10-1, respectively.
That changed Friday night.
The Plowboys made some key defensive plays, pitched out of some jams and got three hits in the bottom of the ninth inning off Tri-Town hurler Miles Scribner to beat Tri-Town on Friday night, 5-4, in game of the Tri-State League championship series at Fuessenich Park.
Ryan Reynolds’ single to right field with the bases loaded in the ninth inning snapped a 3-3 tie and gave Bethlehem a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 series. Game two is Saturday at 2 p.m. at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury. Game three, if necessary, will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Municipal Stadium.
The Plowboys will send pitcher Austin Brown to the mound Saturday as they look for their first league championship since 2010. Tri-Town will send manager Bobby Chatfield as the Trojans try to keep their chances for an unprecedented fifth straight league championship alive.
Tri-Town (21-5) tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning thanks to a two-run double from Austin Patenaude. Danny McCarty had walked and Jon McNelis had singled and both scored on Patenaude’s hit.
Reliever Carson Donovan, who pitched for Holy Cross this spring and will attend St. Joseph in West Hartford in the fall, helped the Plowboys get out of a jam thanks to a sacrifice bunt and two ground ball outs.
In the ninth, Bethlehem’s Greg Campbell led off with a double to deep right field. DH Jesse Swartout singled to right field with Campbell racing to third base. Isaiah Johnson was intentionally walked to load the bases for Reynolds.
On his first pitch, he looped a single into right field for the game-winning hit.
“He’s been around the plate all day,” Reynolds said. “Everything was go with the pitch. How much sweeter was it when it hit the grass.”
The winner of the opening game of the league championship series has won the last 11 league titles. The last time a team won game two and three to win the title was the Litchfield Cowboys in 2012 with a 2-1 win over the Waterbury Wild.
“We needed this. It’s momentum,” Reynolds said. “This is big for the boys. This will carry us pretty hard.”
Thomaston’s Brett Davino slides into second base in Friday night’s Tri-State League championship series opener in Torrington as Tri-Town’s Matt Troy gets the throw. Bethlehem won, 4-3. More game photos
Tri-Town was disappointed but not crushed by the defeat.
“It’s about execution and playing mistake-free baseball,” Chatfield said. “We made a mistake early and gave them a few runs. And we didn’t execute late.
“We’ve lost the first game and won series before,” he added.
Tri-Town got their leadoff hitter, Matt Troy, on base in the top of the ninth inning thanks to a walk. Joe Grantmeyer tried to bunt but it was popped high enough into the air for Bethlehem third baseman Isaiah Johnson to make a diving catch down the third base line.
Tri-Town’s Willy Yahn came to the plate and hit a screaming line drive shot at Johnson, who ripped it out of his glove and fired to first base to get Troy, who had begun to run and was picked off for a double play that ended the inning.
“Our defense was excellent,” Bethlehem manager Rich Reeves said. “We pride ourselves on playing clean baseball. If we do that, things will happen and it did tonight.”
Yahn led off the game with a triple to center field and scored on a sacrifice fly from Owen Hibbard to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead after just four pitches. Tri-Town loaded the bases with singles from Coleby Bunnell, McNelis and Patenaude. But Bethlehem starter Kyle Banche got Casey McDonald to ground out to shortstop to end the threat.
Bethlehem (22-4) responded immediately. Nate Cormier reached on an error and scored on a RBI triple from Brett Davino, who scored on a sacrifice fly from Ryan Ponte for a 2-1 lead.
The Plowboys made it 3-1 in the second inning. Johnson reached on a one-out single to center field, moved to second on a single from Reynolds and to third base on a sacrifice fly from Chase Beloin. Johnson scored on a Reynold’s RBI single to left field.
Donovan pitched four innings of shutout relief, allowing one hit and striking out two. He walked three. Banche struck out four in 5 innings of work. Scribner struck out five for Tri-Town and walked just one.
Brett Davino was 3-for-3 with two triples and one RBI for Bethlehem while Reynolds was 2-for-3 with the game-winning RBI. McCarty was 2-for 3- for Tri-Town while Patenaude was 2-for-4 with a double.
Bethlehem 4, Tri-Town 3
At Torrington
Tri-Town (21-5) 100 002 000 — 3-7-1
Bethlehem (22-4) 210 000 001 — 4-10-0
Miles Scribner and Joe Grantmeyer; Kyle Banche, Carson Donovan (6) and Chase Beloin; WP: Donovan; LP: Scribner; 2B: Greg Campbell (B), Austin Patenaude (T); 3B: Brett Davino (B) 2, Willy Yahn (T); Highlights: Plowboys take 1-0 lead in the series on a RBI single by Ryan Reynolds in the bottom of the ninth; Donovan (B) with 4 innings of shutout relief, allows 1 hit, strikes out 2; Davino (B) 3-3, RBI, 1 run scored, 2 triple; Reynolds 2-3, GW RBI; Danny McCarty (T) 2-3, Patenaude (T) 2-4, double
