Travel A Hurricanes Win Green Monster Tournament

WHYBL Travel A Hurricanes traveled outside the state borders, heading to Belchertown, MA, to participate in the Green Monster Tournament. The tournament is held at the famous Hulmes Warner Field, a mini replica of the storied Fenway Park, funded in part by MLB. The Hurricanes did themselves and the town proud, taking home the title by winning 5 straight games.

Pool Play Championship:  West Hartford Hurricanes 14, Gateway MA 5

It was win or go home for the Canes in this pool championship game, with the winner advancing to the final four the next day. The Canes sent Drew Hungerford to the mound in hopes of moving on to Sunday’s final round. Hungerford went 3 shutout innings, striking out 6, as the Canes advanced. 

The Canes got things going at the plate right in the bottom half of the 1st inning, as leadoff hitter Will Jackson walked, and scored on 2 run homerun by Drew Nemirow (1 for 3, HR, 2RBI, BB). In the 2nd, 2 more runs scored on a walk to Nick Gaglioti and a booming triple by Luke Fox (2 for 3, 3B, RBI). The Canes made it 12-0 after 3 by scoring 8 runs in the bottom of the 3rd. Charlie Murray (2 for 3) led off the inning with a single. Fox and Jackson walked to load the bases. Chase Jeter (1 for 3, 2B, 2RBI) delivered a scorching double to left to plate 2 runs. Sean Langan (2 for 4, HR, 2RBI) chimed in with a RBI single, followed by Hungerford (2 for 4, 2RBI), who deposited a single to center to score 2 more. Not done, Paul Wilson (1 for 2, RBI, 2BB) smoked a single to left, and Patrick Baron scorched a single to plate another run.

Gateway rallied in the 4th for 5 runs to cut the lead to 12-5, but Langan sent a message that this would be the Hurricanes day, as he led off the bottom half of the 4th with a mammoth homerun to deep right center, out over the snack shack onto the hill. Patrick Baron and Charlie Murray pitched in relief for the Canes.

Semi Final:  West Hartford Hurricanes 14, East Granby Dragons AAU 12

In a wild, back and forth contest, the Hurricanes outlasted East Granby in a slugfest to move on to the championship game of the tournament. It was not easy though, as East Granby jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the top half of the 1st. West Hartford responded with 7 runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning, taking advantage of some early wildness by the East Granby pitcher.  Nick Becker (3 for 3, 2B, HR, 6 RBI) delivered the big blow in the inning, a double to score two runs, and scored 3 pitches later on a homerun to deep right by Luke Fox (2 for 2, HR, 2RBI). The Dragons came right back with 3 more in the 2nd to close it to 7-6, only to have the locals respond with 2 more runs to push the lead to 9-6. Becker was back at it again in this inning, smoking a 2 run homer to center. The Dragons responded once more, scoring 5 times to take an 11-9 lead after 3 ½. The Canes and their faithful did not panic, responding with 4 runs to take a 13-11 lead after 4 innings. Sean Langan (1 for 4) and Drew Hungerford (1 for 2, 2BB) lead off with consecutive singles, followed by a Charlie Murray RBI single (1 for 2, RBI) and Paul Wilson RBI single. Becker delivered again, singling to center to plate the final runs of the inning. Chase Jeter allowed 1 run over the final 2 frames to hold off the Dragons and give the Canes the victory.

Final:  West Hartford Hurricanes 21, Longmeadow Bulls 1

West Hartford left no doubt who would take home the crown, scoring 11 times in the 1st inning, a lead from which Longmeadow could never recover. Will Jackson (3 for 3, 2B, HR, 4RBI) started things with a double to left, Jeter walked, Drew Nemirow singled and it was 1-0 Canes. Langan (2 for 4, 2B) doubled, and then 4 consecutive walks set up a single by Nick Gaglioti to score 2 more runs.  Back to the top of the order, Jackson singled, Jeter followed suit with a single, and Nemirow (2 for 3, HR, 4 RBI) blasted a 3 run homerun to end the scoring. Three more runs crossed the plate in the 2nd, courtesy of a 3 run homerun by Jackson, deep over the famed Green monster wall in left into the parking lot. The onslaught continued in the 3rd, as the Hurricanes scored 7 more times to put the stamp on the victory. Drew Hungerford (2 run single), Nick Becker (2 run homerun) and Patrick Baron (RBI single) had the key hits in the inning.

The Hurricanes record stands at 23-3 to date, as they continue play in their own Hungerford Tournament, Southington North Bator Tournament and the Nutmeg Games. The team leaves for Myrtle Beach, SC for a National Ripken Tournament on August 4.

Team Members are as follows: Patrick Baron, Nick Becker, Luke Fox, Nick Gaglioti, Drew Hungerford, Will Jackson, Chase Jeter, Sean Langan, Charlie Murray, Drew Nemirow, and Paul Wilson.

Submitted by West Hartford Youth Baseball