The Shelton Gaels’ quest for a state championship ended in dramatic fashion Tuesday in an extra innings loss to the Pomperaug Panthers, 6 – 3, on Brett Koliani’s three-run walk-off home run.
Koliani had five RBIs on the day and was the winning pitcher in relief as he shut the Gaels down when it counted.
“He (Koliani) did it with his arm. He came in and had electric stuff – and he did it with his bat to win it,” said Gaels Manager, Scott Gura. “There’s not enough I can say about this team. They fought back. They scrapped. That’s as good a hitting team, one through nine, that we have seen all year.”
In the fourth inning, the Gaels had runners on second and third with one out.
Pomperaug manager, Mike Eisenbach, elected to intentionally walk cleanup hitter Mike Georgalas in hopes of turning a double play against slugger, Ryan Daiss.
The number two was in the cards for the Panthers, but not in the way of a double play, as Eisenbach’s strategy backfired when Daiss laced a base-clearing double to put the Gaels up 3 – 0.
The Panthers followed up with a run of their own on a bases-loaded single by John Sullivan to make the score 3 – 1.
Koliani tied the score for the Panthers in the sixth inning with a two-run triple, to even things out.
The Gaels starting pitcher, Dan St. George, remained in the game for the eigth inning and it looked like he had the leadoff hitter, Adam Cherry, out on a popup to right field.
Instead the ball fell between the second baseman and right fielder due to a communication breakdown.
“Those things happen.” Gura said.
Panthers’ Kevin Maxen attempted to sacrifice Cherry into scoring position with a bunt, but the batted ball went up instead of down and landed in the glove of a diving Georgalas.
St. George walked the next batter, Sullivan, on a 3 – 2 pitch and the Panthers had runners on first and second with one out for Koliani.
St. George’s first pitch to Koliani landed 350 feet over the left field fence and the Gaels’ magical season had come to an end.
“Koliani got an inside pitch. He hit a pitcher’s pitch and he just turned on it for a three-run home run, “Gura said. “I’ll have Danny (St. George) throw that pitch again tomorrow.”
“It’s a tough loss but it’s a wonderful season,” Gura continued. “Unfortunately we got our hearts broken two years in a row now, but a 20 – 7 season is nothing to laugh at. We were the conference champions in the best conference in the entire state. I’m very proud of these boys.”
“They’re an outstanding opponent,” Eisenbach said. “They gave us a game. They battled. St. George threw a great game. They hit the ball hard. It was a very tough opponent.”
The Panthers will play against the Xavier Falcons for the Class LL championship game. The Gaels beat the Falcons twice in the regular season by a combined score of 10 – 2.
