When Norwich/Preston manager Chris Jaronko replaced starting pitcher Brody Hewitt with a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, he had to feel comfortable that his relief corps would maintain the lead.
They did. Barely.
Brooklyn’s “Cardiac Kids” staged a comeback for the ages on Sunday. Norwich/Preston, however, held on for a 6-5 victory in the first game of the state’s Section 4 12U majors tournament at the South Windsor Little League Complex.
“They made it interesting in the end,” Hewitt said. “They had some good hits and we missed a couple of plays but we ended up getting it done. It feels awesome. We made Preston history.”
It was the Norwich/Preston Little League’s first 12U sectional win in program history.
“We were here in 2021 and lost both games in the minors division,” Jaronko said. “The majors have never been here before.”
Brooklyn certainly has. The District 12 champions won this sectional tournament a year ago . Carter Berthiaume, Anthony Sangillo, and Jayce Pearl are the returning players from last year’s memorable state finals run and all three were in the middle of Brooklyn’s incredible sixth inning rally.
“They know what it’s like at this level,” Brooklyn manager Tony Sangillo said. “We’re trying to use their leadership to guide the rest of them. They play hard.”
Brooklyn needed some late inning heroics during the district tournament and reached the finals again where they edged Mansfield, 5-3, in eight innings to capture their second straight D12 title.
Norwich/Preston rolled to a 9-1 victory over Coventry in the District 11 championship game. Hewitt tossed a complete game with 11 strikeouts against Coventry and the righthander was even more dominant against Brooklyn. Hewitt struck out nine and allowed just one hit in 3.2 innings.
Norwich/Preston grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Connor Walker led off with a double and John Jaronko followed with a single. Walker then raced home on Andrew Camp’s RBI groundout.
Nick Bettini sparked Norwich/Preston’s uprising in the fourth with a one out single. Hewitt and Jaronko had RBI hits in the four run inning. Norwich/Preston also scored runs on a wild pitch and passed ball to take a 5-0 lead.
Hewitt reached the 50 pitch count after Berthiaume lined a single to right field with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. Jaronko wanted Hewitt available for Wednesday’s sectional final so Bettini relieved Hewitt. Sangillo promptly ripped a single past third base and after clean-up hitter Callum Wlodarcyk drew a walk to load the bases, Pearl also walked to cut Norwich/Preston’s lead to 5-1.
More: Norwich can't hold off Waterford in Zone 6 legion battle
Norwich/Preston’s third pitcher, John Jaronko, held Brooklyn scoreless in the fifth inning. The D11 champs then added a pivotal run in the top of the sixth on a pair of walks and Hewitt’s RBI groundout.
Trailing 6-1 with two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the sixth, Berthiaume ignited a rally by crushing an RBI double to left. Sangillo lined an RBI single, Wlodarcyk tripled to center and Norwich/Preston’s lead was trimmed to 6-4.
After Pearl’s RBI infield hit made it 6-5, Henry Snyder delivered Brooklyn’s fifth consecutive two out hit with a single to right, putting the tying and winning runs on base. Norwich/Preston finally got the last out when Walker, who had relieved Jaronko after Berthiaume’s double, dove and corralled a comebacker and made the throw to first base.
“Brooklyn's a good team. They won it last year and we knew they were going to hit us,” Chris Jaronko said. “We got the last out we needed. We pushed with the kids these situations like that you can't replicate in practice. Getting that last out and throwing that strike in stressful situations. So the fact that they went through this is going to be awesome for the future.”
Norwich/Preston and Brooklyn will play District 8 champion and host South Windsor over the next two days. The top two Williamsport teams will meet for the sectional championship on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
More: Zanor column: A look at the state Legion tourney, Duran for MVP and Bruins additions
“We’re the Cardiac Kids,” Sangillo said. “They’ve been like that all year long, honestly. They come in the last inning, and we get lucky with the lineup and get back to the top and these kids come in and they just start hitting. They start to learn that the game is not over and they fight. These kids will come back firing.”
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Norwich/Preston holds off Brooklyn in sectional opener
Most Popular
Comments / 0