Housy Juniors win summer baseball championship

Wes Allyn hoists Byron Bell into the air after Housy Juniors wins the Babe Ruth League District 4 Northwest championship.

Riley Klein

Housy Juniors win summer baseball championship

SHARON Housy Juniors defeated Barkhamsted 6-5 in the thrilling conclusion to Babe Ruth League District 4 Northwest Connecticut summer baseball Thursday, Aug. 1.

Housy, made up of players aged 13 to 16 from the six Region One town, played from behind for the majority of the game at Veterans' Field in Sharon. All tied up in the bottom of the seventh inning, the championship ended when Owen Riemer stole home plate for the go ahead run.

It was a team effort to secure the victory and Coach John Conklin praised his players for keeping a level head throughout the game.

"I don't care if we're up by 10 or down by 10, they've got the same look on their face. That's what distinguishes a champion from an ordinary player," said Conklin after the win.

Braeden Duncan pitched the first four innings against Barkhamsted.Riley Klein

The Juniors finished with the second-best regular season record and advanced to the big game after beating Tri-Town, with players from Litchfield, Warren, Goshen and Morris. First basemen Wes Allyn hit a grand slam in the semi-final game July 29 to propel Housy into the final.

Four seed Barkhamsted reached the title game by defeating top ranked New Hartford in a stunning 12-6 decision Tuesday, July 30. The Barkhamsted squad battled to the bitter end and shook hands with their heads held high as runners up after a well-played game against Housy.

On Aug. 1, the heat was on for the title. Lawn chairs and bleachers were packed with fans for both sides there to cheer on their team. The sun was shining, about 87 degrees at game time.

With the bleachers full, young fans found seats on the nearby playground.Riley Klein

This was the first year that 16-year-olds were permitted in the Babe Ruth League, however players aged 16 were not allowed to pitch. Braeden Duncan started the game on the hill for Housy and pitched the first four innings.

Duncan let one run by in the first and Housy was held scoreless through two. Barkhamsted clung to a 1-0 until the third inning when they tacked on two more runs to go up 3-0.

Housy responded in the third inning by putting the bat on the ball. Base runners hustled around the diamond and successfully tied the game up at 3-3.

Grafton Reilly closed out the game on the mound for Housy.Riley Klein

A scoreless fourth inning gave way to a pitching change for Housy with Grafton Reilly taking the mound. Reilly took a few batters to find his rhythm before settling in. Barkhamsted scored one in the transition to go up 4-3.

Housy took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth when Owen Riemer and Brooker Cheney each scored on errors. Barkhamsted quickly evened it up in the sixth inning at 5-5.

Reilly pitched a clean seventh inning before Housy stepped up to the plate and quickly loaded up the bases. A pop fly was snagged out of the air by the Barkhamsted first basemen, who turned a double play at third. Riemer stole third the next pitch. With two outs and the game on the line, glory was just 90 feet away.

Housy celebrates as champions after Owen Riemer steals home for the 6-5 win.Riley Klein

A wild pitch from Barkhamsted bounced to the backstop and sent Riemer charging down the third base line. As the catcher turned to make the out, Riemer touched home safely.

Housy rejoiced in the infield as champions after the 6-5 victory.

"This is probably the best group of kids I've coached," said Conklin.

Housy players and coaches pose behind home plate.Riley Klein

Latest News

East Canaan's CowPots to face the 'Sharks'

Amanda Freund of East Canaan will appear on the television show "Shark Tank" on April 4 to pitch CowPots.

Photo by Ruth Epstein

CANAAN — Fans of the television show “Shark Tank,” stay tuned. On Friday, April 4, Amanda Freund of East Canaan will be facing the panel, imploring members to invest in her unique product: cow poop.

Freund and her father Matthew Freund produce and market CowPots, which are made from the abundance of manure found on their dairy farm. Matthew Freund, realizing cows were producing more manure — 100 pounds per cow per day — than was needed for fertilizing fields for crops, came up with the concept of the pots. Years of trial-and-error experimentation finally resulted in success. In 2006 he began selling the biodegradable pots using 100% composted manure to local stores. Now the pots can be found in outlets across the country, as well as internationally.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hotchkiss lacrosse ices Kingswood Oxford 19-0

LAKEVILLE — The Hotchkiss School opened the girls varsity lacrosse season with a big win in the snow against Kingswood Oxford School.

The Bearcats won 19-0 in a decisive performance March 26. Twelve different players scored for Hotchkiss, led by Coco Sheronas with four goals.

Keep ReadingShow less
HVRHS releases second quarter honor roll

FALLS VILLAGE — Principal Ian Strever announces the second quarter marking period Honor Roll at Housatonic Valley Regional High School for the 2024-2025 school year.

Highest Honor Roll

Grade 9: Parker Beach (Cornwall), Mia Belter (Salisbury), Lucas Bryant (Cornwall), Addison Green (Kent), Eliana Lang (Salisbury), Alison McCarron (Kent), Katherine Money (Kent), Mira Norbet (Sharon), Abigail Perotti (North Canaan), Karmela Quinion (North Canaan), Owen Schnepf (Wassaic), Federico Vargas Tobon (Salisbury), Emery Wisell (Kent).

Keep ReadingShow less
Thomas Ditto

ANCRAMDALE — Thomas Ditto of Ancramdale, born Thomas David DeWitt Aug. 11, 1944 in New York City changing his surname to Ditto at marriage, passed peacefully on Pi Day, March 14, 2025. He was a husband, father, artist, scientist, Shakespeare scholar, visionary, inventor, actor, mime, filmmaker, clown, teacher, lecturer, colleague, and friend. Recipient of numerous grants, awards and honors in both the arts and sciences, a Guggenheim and NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts fellow, he was a creative genius beyond his time. In addition to authoring scores of papers, he held several patents and invented the first motion capture system and the Ditto-scope, a radically new kind of telescope. He was a pioneer in computer generated video, film, and performance.

When not hard at work, he was always there to help when needed and he knew how to bring smiles to faces. He loved his family and pets and was supportive of his wife’s cat rescue work.

Keep ReadingShow less