Sea Unicorns Late Inning Loss Puts Season In Jeopardy With Game 2 Tonight In Norwich

New Britain, CT – In one of the closest battles of the entire season, the Sea Unicorns fall just short of a Game One victory in the Futures League semifinals, losing 3-2 to the New Britain Bees in heartbreaking fashion. 

It was a pitcher’s duel in Hardware City to open up the postseason. Jacob Schrage pitched four innings of dominance for the Sea Unicorns, not letting the pressure affect his game. The Post Eagle only allowed one run on two hits with seven strikeouts to three walks. 

For New Britain, Trey LeMay pitched a solid five innings on the mound, only allowing one run on four hits with two strikeouts to only one walk. 

The Bees struck early in front of the home crowd in the first. Tim Hennig began the frame with a leadoff single before stealing second. He advanced to third on a Tyler Garbooshian groundout, and would come around to finally score the first New Britain run on a Michael Olender sacrifice fly. 

The Sea Unicorns had their first scoring opportunity of the day in the second inning. Jackson Powers led it off with a single, later followed by a CJ Nolan double to put both runners in scoring position with one out. However, a Matt Park ground ball would allow Ben Kuja to throw Powers out at the plate. Nolan would steal third to put another runner 90 feet away from scoring, but a Tyler Jones groundout would end the frame without any run crossing the plate. 

Norwich would try and get something going in the third after a Kenny Noe single, but a TJ Baer double play would bring an end to the inning before anything could materialize. 

In the home half of the third, Hennig reached base once again on a single before advancing to second on a groundout. After George Slauson struck out swinging, Hennig would go to third on a passed ball. To prevent the Bees from extending their lead, Powers made a spectacular catch in left field to rob Olender of an RBI base hit and keep the game alive for the Sea Unicorns.

Kuja would reach base for the Bees with a walk in the fourth before stealing second base. However, three strikeouts in the inning for Schrage brought a quick end to the action. 

The Sea Unicorns would get some action of their own in their half of the fifth inning. Nolan led the frame off with a single before stealing second base. After two quick outs, Nolan stole third to put himself as the tying run once again. A wild pitch from LeMay during the next at bat would allow Nolan to score, tying the game at one each. David Pengel would then walk and steal a base of his own before Noe flew out to end the frame. 

Jackson Pray ran into some trouble in the sixth inning. Slauson and Owen Rich each reached base safely with a walk, putting two runners on with one out in the frame. Another walk to Kuja loaded the bases before Peter Glidden entered the game to pitch. However, Glidden escaped the jam unscathed, striking out Kacin Robinson before forcing a groundout to Brady Chernovetz to end the inning.

Norwich got an early base runner in the seventh, with JP Kuczik reaching base safely on a walk. After two quick outs, Jones singled down the right field line to put runners on the corners. However, Pengel would strikeout to end the frame and keep the game tied. 

Sean Connolly entered the game for the Sea Unicorns to pitch the bottom half of the seventh and got three quick outs, including a Hennig strikeout. 

After an uneventful top of the eighth, Connolly faced adversity in his second inning of work. Slauson began the home half by blasting a double to right field. Rich would later follow that up with a walk to put two runners on base with one out. After Kuja hit a shallow flyout to Powers, the Bees would put Dylan Swarts in the game to pinch hit for Robinson. Swarts would end up walking to load the bases, with the Bees deciding to pinch hit once again with Amato Civitello. New Britain would take the lead a few pitches later with a HBP on Civitello, giving the Bees a late 2-1 lead. 

Norwich would take out Connolly after the bases loaded HBP, bringing in Michael Zalinkanskas to try and keep the game within one. Sadly for the Rose City, another HBP to Grady Schopps would make it a 3-1 New Britain lead. Norwich would get Hennig to flyout to stop the bleeding, needing a big ninth inning to prevent going down in the series. 

The Bees kept Jake Harmony in to pitch the ninth after throwing a scoreless eighth inning. However, Powers would immediately reach base on a bunt single, with an error from Harmony allowing Powers to advance to second. Another error from New Britain allowed Kuczik to reach first safely while advancing Powers to third, putting runners on the corners with nobody out. Jacob Snyder would enter the game for Norwich to pinch run for Kuczik as the tying run. 

After a Nolan popout, Park reached safely on a fielder’s choice to score Powers, making it a 3-2 ballgame. However, the comeback would fall just short as Jones hit into another fielder’s choice to end the game, giving the Bees a 3-2 victory and a 1-0 series lead in the Futures League semifinals. 

The Sea Unicorns will now head home to Dodd Stadium Tuesday night as they look to survive another day and avoid elimination. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. E.T.

Win – Jake Harmony (1-0)

Loss – Sean Connolly (0-1)

Time – 2:49

Written by Mark Benway