Housatonic Valley falls in regional semis

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The Connecticut Senior Babe Ruth Champions Housatonic Valley reached the semifinals of the Regionals in New Hampshire before ending the season with a tough 4-3 loss to Western Massachusetts.

Housatonic Valley was three outs away from playing in the championship game. Holding a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh, a two-out error at third base allowed Western Mass. to score two runs and pull out the 4-3 win.

Cape Cod went on to defeat Western Mass. by a convincing 11-1 margin and advanced to the World Series to be held next week in Washington.

“We had a shot at it,” Housatonic Valley coach Bob Neth Sr. said. “We didn’t make the plays we needed to in the last inning. We also didn’t get the timely hits when we needed to. The last two games we left too many runners on base.”

Housatonic Valley began the Regionals with a 14-2 win over the host team Granite State Big Blue. Jim Pjura tossed a five hitter on the mound striking out four and walking one.

Pjura led the offensive attack as well, belting three doubles and driving in three runs. Tom Carroll hit a three-run homer and added a two-run double to account for 5 RBIs. Evan Peck contributed two hits and two RBIs.

Connor Nolan added a two-run double and Erich Broadrich chipped in with a single to pace the hot hitting as temperatures soared to 102 degrees at game time.

Nolan pitched the second game and led Housatonic Valley to a 3-1 win over Western Mass. pitching a five-hitter with five strikeouts.

Pjura came on in the seventh to record the save as Housatonic Valley moved on to the winners bracket finals on Sunday. Tom Carroll got the biggest hit of the game belting a two-run homer in the first inning.

Pjura added a run-scoring double in the third. Dan McCue came through with two hits for Housatonic Valley in the win over Western Mass.

Cape Cod sent Housatonic Valley into the losers bracket following a 4-2 final margin on Sunday. Carroll pitched a six-hitter but Housy allowed three unearned runs and left 10 runners on base in the loss. Mike Dew and Eric Ercolino had run-scoring hits to pace the Housy offense.

Housatonic Valley dropped the second game of the day and was eliminated after the tough 4-3 loss to Western Mass.

In the championship game of the Regionals, Cape Cod came out swinging and dropped Western Mass. by a convincing 11-1 margin.