Whalers churn out 1-0 victory in regular season

WINSTED — The Winsted Whalers played their final regular season game at home on Sunday, July 25. The Whalers held on to a slight lead to take the 1-0 home- crowd win against the Amenia Monarchs.

Winsted starting pitcher Donny Crossman engaged Amenia’s Joel Judson in a pitching duel that amounted to three-and-a-half innings of scoreless baseball before the Whalers found some offense in the bottom of the fourth.

Whaler Charlie Putnam worked a walk, but was dropped on a fielder’s choice during Winsted’s Joel Castillo’s at bat. Catcher Chester Warner earned the first hit of the day for the Whalers with a shot that landed just beyond the infield, moving Castillo in position to score.

Castillo did just that, on a wild pitch that gave him the chance to steal home, giving the Whalers a 1-0 lead heading into the top of the fifth.

Crossman and the Whalers shut down Amenia’s offense through the remainder of the game to secure the narrow 1-0 victory. Crossman pitched a nine-inning, complete game shutout, tallying eight strikeouts along the way while giving up just one walk.

Crossman also contributed to the Whalers’ fielding effort, when in a strange sixth-inning coincidence Amenia sent consecutive line drives back to the mound — both of which Crossman snagged with apparent ease.

Zac Tuozzo contributed the only other hit in the Whalers’ two-hit performance. Winsted finishes out their regular season with a record of 13-9, which places them second in the Tri-State North Division, behind the Bethlehem Plowboys.