Willimantic falls in Zone 6 showdown

Jul. 13—WILLIMANTIC — There were plenty of opportunities.

Over the last five innings under the lights Monday night at Recreation Park, Willimantic had runners in scoring position in its American Legion Zone 6 baseball match- up against Waterford.

And in those situations, Willimantic went hitless in eight at- bats.

The final time, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, had the home crowd letting out a roar when lead- off hitter Parker Woodmansee sent a line drive into right- center with Matt Lafountain at second base.

The ball fell into the glove of center fielder Connor Rowe as Waterford ( 20- 3) held on for a 3- 2 victory over Willimantic ( 19- 4) to clinch at least a share of the Zone 6 title in the match- up between two of the top five programs in this week's state poll.

The result had Willimantic coach Ken Valliere still shaking his head some 15 minutes after the final out was recorded.

" This would have been a good one to win," Valliere said. " The bottom line is we didn't get the clutch hit ... didn't knock in the clutch run. Parker hit the last ball right on the button.

" When we had those opportunities, we just didn't get it done. Couldn't just get that one hit."

Waterford scored the go- ahead run in the top of the ninth inning when Anthony Martinez drew a bases- loaded walk with one out on a full- count pitch that brought home Kenny Miller, who reached on an infield error leading off the ninth.

Martinez, on a 2- 2 count, took a very close pitch for ball three, one that looked ' oh so close' to becoming the second out of the inning.

" I thought the pitch was over the plate," Valliere said. " What are you going to do? That's the way things go."

Willimantic gave starting pitcher A.J. Rooks a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

Woodmansee led off with a single, stole second, advanced to third on an infield groundout and scored on an infield single from Gavin Covell that went off the end of the bat and stopped about 10 feet down the grass off the thirdbase line.

Willimantic added to its lead in the fourth.

Covell ripped a double just inside the third- base bag and down the left- field line with one out, then scored on a Jacob Wojtkowiak's RBI single to center to make it 2- 0.

Wojtkowiak stole second and, following a walk to Pat Brennan, Lafountain hit a line- drive to center that fell in front of Connor Rowe with Valliere waving Wojtkowiak home after rounding third base.

Rowe fired a 1-hop bouncer to Miller that just beat Wojtkowiak to the plate for the second out of the inning.

"It was a nice throw to the plate," Valliere said. " Give them a lot of credit. Off the bat, Jacob had to freeze a bit on the line drive. It was one of those plays where we were in the order that I decided to send him."

Waterford tied the game in the top of the fifth.

Jackson Long led off with a double to left, the only hit for Waterford, and Martinez walked.

Brian Ingraham sacrificed both runners up 90 feet and Sean Salavdor followed with an infield ground out to first that made it 2- 1. Martinez tied the game at 2- all as he scored on wild pitch.

Rooks ( 8 strikeouts, 5 walks) struck out two batters to end the sixth. In the seventh, Rooks picked a runner off first base after walking

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