Being charitable is good off the field but suicidal between the white lines. The sixth-seeded Derby baseball team proved this Monday in a 9 – 8 loss to third-seeded Morgan in the Class S quarterfinals.
Derby committed six errors — only two of the runs Morgan scored were earned.
“It was a big difference in the game,” Red Raiders coach Summer Sochrin said.
The game started on Saturday, but, thanks to wild weekend weather, couldn’t be concluded until Monday at Quigley Stadium in West Haven.
The Huskies raised their record to 19 – 5 and play second-seeded Northwest Catholic (19 – 3) on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at Muzzy Field in Bristol.
Derby ended its season with a solid 17 – 7 record. This year was Derby’s first time in the playoffs since 2001 — and the team’s best record since the mid-1990s.
“I think Derby baseball has turned things around and we’ll be back,” Sochrin said. “It was a good year. It could have been better if we had won but it’s still a good year.”
Derby pitcher Ryan Skelly had two walks, four strikeouts, hit a batter and allowed six hits.
The errors, especially three infield errors in the second inning, allowed Morgan to score six runs and take a 6 – 4 lead.
“It was hard but we had to fight through it,” Skelly said.
“Ryan had a 10 – 3 record, an ERA under 1.50 and hit over .400, what else can you ask of the kid?” Sochrin said.
The Huskies were up 9 – 4 in the sixth inning when the Red Raiders tried to mount a comeback.
Skelly led off the inning with a single to center.
Then Morgan’s pitcher, Zak Repscher, walked junior John Haydu and sophomore Hector Vazquez to load the bases.
Two runs scored when senior Angelo DiSorbo reached on an error.
Another run scored on senior co-captain Tyler O’Connor’s ground out.
Freshman pinch-runner Justin Olenoski scored on a wild pitch to make it 9 – 8 but a questionable strike zone prevented Derby from inching closer.
Sophomore Colin Haydu (1 – 3) struck out looking on a low 3‑and‑2 pitch. Morgan relief Bobby Coyne struck out Derby’s Mike Ippolito.
“It hurts but we went down fighting,” Skelly said. “I expected us to go all the way but you can’t win them all.”