Huge.... Just Simply Huge.....

A hard fought loss at New Britain last Friday.... Losses on Saturday & Monday that were far more Tomahawk losses rather than other teams' wins.... The Tomahawks in need of a win to stem the tide & looking to see where they could grab one....

Nothing that a you really can't get there from here trip to the archest of all rivals - Simsbury -couldn't solve. In the simplest of terms, huge, just simply HUGE!!!!

The Tomahawks showed up at Memorial Field in Simsbury on Wednesday afternoon. About three hours after getting there, they took home on the bus with them a 2-1 win after a hitch'em up effort from David Johnston. Johnston spun a 4 hit, complete game gem, yielding only an unearned run, striking out 6, walking one & nicking 2 on 94 pitches to grab the win. Offensively, Johnston was 2 for 4 with a double and 2 rbi's. All in all, a good day's work.

The Tomahawks broke the ice in the top of the 3rd. Josh Barrett, with 1 out, reached 1st when the left-fielder mishandled a sinking liner. Spencer Haymond followed with a single, sending Barrett around to 3rd base. Johnston's ground ball to short resulted in a force out at 2nd but was able to score Barrett with the game's 1st run. Kevin O'Connell & Kyle Richards followed with a single & walk respectively to load the bases before the side was retired.

Simsbury had things brewing in their half of the 4th when they loaded the bases on a single, error & a hit by pitch with no one out. 1st baseman Mike Habzda came up huge - there's that word again - when he turned a scorched line drive into a nifty double play, leaving runners on 2nd & 3rd with 2 outs. A walk again loaded the bases, but Johnston came up with a strikeout to end the inning.

Things remained 1-0, Tomahawks until the bottom of the 6th inning when Simsbury scored an unearned run on a lead off error, stolen base and 2 out single to tie the score, 1-1.

The T'Hawks responded in the top of the 7th in lightning quick fashion. After 2 quick outs, Haymond cracked a hard single to left through the 5-6 hole on a 1-1 pitch. Johnston immediately followed, smacking a long double to the base of the left-center field fence on the 1st pitch, scoring Haymond from 1st with what proved to be the game winner.

Simsbury went scoreless in their half of the 7th after a lead-off hit batsman was stranded at 2nd to end the game. A huge win.....

Haymond & Johnston with 2 hits each led the Tomahawk attack. O'Connell, Richards, Habzda & Jason Sutkowski also had hits.

In addition to Habzda's critical unassisted double play, Anthony Longo "D'ed" up at 3rd base with a barehanded, throw off the wrong foot play on a two out bunt attempt to end an inning. As the kid's say - just dirt!!!

The Tomahawks now stand at 3-2 in CCC North play and 8-3 overall. Today's win also qualifies the T'Hawks for the CIAC Class LL State Tournament at the conclusion of regular season play.

The T'Hawks return to action, weather permitting, tomorrow, visiting Meridan Maloney in a non-division game.