Brass City eliminates Whalers from playoffs, 12-3

TORRINGTON — The playoff season is over for the Winsted Whalers after a 12-3 loss to the Brass City Brew Saturday, Aug. 8, at Fuessenich Park. Last season the Whalers faced Brass City in the Tri-State finals, where they wrestled out a 5-3 league championship victory. This year the Brew managed to keep last year’s champions from a repeat performance.

Winsted struggled a bit in the early innings, giving up two runs, one of which came unearned after a soured attempt to pick off a runner stealing second. Frustration seemed to be settling in for the Whalers, who found themselves battling a deficit against a team that was not only the leader in the league standings, but also the team with the fewest runs allowed through the regular season.

Shaking off the early Brass City bloodletting, the Whalers kept things close through five innings. They struck in the sixth to take a 3-2 lead over the Brew.  Brass City responded immediately with two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth, quickly knocking the lead from the Whalers to pull ahead, 4-3.

The Whalers were unable to produce any significant offense in the top of the seventh, then found themselves battered by an eight-run onslaught in the bottom of the inning.  Winsted’s starting pitcher, Donny Crossman, was eventually relieved after a couple of walks, but no reprieve was to be found for the Whalers, who gave up a total of 10 unanswered runs to take the 12-3 loss.

Brass City’s starting pitcher, Sean Keegan, claimed a seven-inning victory for the Brew, striking out six and giving up three runs. Paul Novakowski performed magnificently at the plate for Brass City, going four for four with two doubles, three RBIs, and two runs scored.

Whaler Charlie Putnam was two for four at the plate, while Ricky Langer and Brian Stumpf were both one for three and each scored a run.

Winsted’s season may have come to an end, but surely there is some satisfaction in this season’s battle. Winsted stumbled early on but eventually found their stride and pulled themselves to sixth overall in the league with a record of 9-7.

Brass City now faces the Bethlehem Plowboys in the Tri-State Championship finals Sunday, Aug. 16, at 1 p.m. at Fuessenich Park. Game two of the finals is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 22, time and location to be announced.