Summer baseball returns to Veterans Field

SHARON — On Thursday, July 10, the Housy Juniors faced off against Tri-Town for the second time this summer. The two teams fought hard in a high-scoring game but ultimately lost to their Litchfield-based opponents 15-11.

Fans gathered at Veterans field on a warm summer evening to watch the Juniors, consisting of Region One players aged 13 to 16, as they attempted to avenge their previous 14-13 loss to their strong rival. Tri-Town includes players from Goshen, Litchfield, Morris and Warren.

Due to limited enrollment this season, Housy and Tri-Town were the only active teams in the Northwest Connecticut district at the start of the Babe Ruth Baseball summer league season. Housy won the district championship in 2024.

Tommy Downey started the game on the mound for Housy. In a solid defensive first inning, he kept the score nil by securing two strikeouts and surrendering no hits. The Juniors got out in front with three runs in the bottom of the first inning thanks to some strong line drives and five stolen bases.

The lead changed hands several times over the next few innings as the two teams duked it out. In the third inning, a pitching change was made from Downey to Braeden Duncan, a rising Junior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School.

In the third, Tri-Town was able to quickly get their first four batters of the inning around the diamond before being quickly struck out three times in a row by the skilled Housy pitcher. Tri-Town had reclaimed the lead by this point and gone up 11-9.

Late in the game, relief pitcher Jerron Nirshel, an incoming freshman at HVRHS, took the mound for Housy. Though the Juniors pushed hard to mount a comeback in the seventh inning, they were unable to score more than two runs before Tri-Town struck them out to end the game 15-11.

The squads are highly competitive. Thursday’s game was the second of fivethat the rival teams will play this summer.

Housy had runs scored by 11 out of their 15 rostered players and showed a strong will to improve.