MONROE, Conn. — Masuk High’s baseball team earned the No. 3 seed and will host No. 6 Brookfield at John Giampaolo Field in the South-West Conference Tournament’s quarterfinals Friday at 4:15 p.m. in a rematch of the Panthers’ last regular season game.
The Panthers capped off the regular season with a 3-2 loss at Brookfield to end the regular season on May 18. Ethan Fonck and Eddie Simpson drove in runs. Matt Boyle and Al Morgenthaler each had two hits. Austin Patti pitched 3 1/3 innings of one-run relief striking out two.
The Panthers had a wild 12-9 win at Newtown on May 13. Jerson Perez had three hits, scored three runs and had two runs batted in. Steven Curtin had two doubles and scored two runs. Patti had two hits and a pair of runs driven in. Nico Convertito, Morgenthaler and Nate O’Hara all had two hits and Fonck drilled an RBI triple. Patti pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief allowing only one run on one hit.
Masuk jumped out to leads of 4-0 and 9-5. With the game tied 9-9 in the top of the seventh, Masuk plated three runs. Convertito led off the frame with a triple and scored on a Perez double to break the tie.
After Masuk added to its lead the Panthers intentionally ran into two outs on the bases and also chased a pitch out of the zone to strike out for good reason. Word was the lights at Fairfield Hills were to shut off at 10 p.m. Had the Panthers continued to score in the top of the seventh but not closed out the win before the lights went out this game would have been resumed at the start of the inning with the score back to 9-9.
This nearly three-and-a-half-hour game started at 6:30 and ended just before 10.
“It was a crazy game. Both teams really battled,” Masuk Coach Brian Hourigan said.
Masuk lost 10-2 to Bunnell on May 15. Matt Boyle tripled and scored a run. Curtin and Morgenthaler added hits.
The Panthers bounced back with a 13-7 win over Stratford the next day. Sam Giampe got the win on the mound with 2 2/3 innings of relief allowing only two hits and striking out two. Patti had a pair of doubles and three RBIs to lead the offense. Perez had two hits and an RBI. Boyle and Eddie Simpson added two RBIs apiece.
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