Sports

New Canaan Baseball Rallies Twice for Senior Day Win Over St. Joe’s

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The afternoon started with a pregame ceremony honoring the 11-member New Canaan Baseball senior class that has accomplished so much over the last four years, highlighted by the program capturing its first state championship since 1950, back during their sophomore campaign in 2013. Before all was said and done though, it was two underclassmen—sophomore Mike Pelli and junior Thomas Williams—who were put into high-pressure situations on the mound and delivered. Their performances, sandwiched around a 2-RBI single from senior co-captain Brandon Abate in the bottom of the 6th that put the Rams ahead for good, led New Canaan to a 10-9 victory over the St. Joe’s Cadets. “You’re asking a young kid [Pelli] to come in, who pitched in the JV game on Monday, and I asked him today how his arm felt, and I said we might need you for one inning,” New Canaan Head Coach Mitch Hoffman told NewCanaanite.com. “This is how it’s going to be.

Sports

New Canaan Baseball Tops Trinity Catholic for Second Walk-Off Win of the Week

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On Monday it was Robbie Jones who came through with a two-run home run to help the Rams complete the come-from-behind win against Greenwich in extra innings. On Thursday, it was Brandon Abate’s turn to be the hero as with the game tied and the bases loaded, he connected on a single to right field to score Robbie Jones from third and cap off an incredible week for New Canaan Baseball. “I’m just trying to think of it as any other at-bat,” the senior co-captain told NewCanaanite.com. “You just gotta relax your nerves. You get a little bit jumpy out there—your heart starts pumping , and if you get anxious you’re gonna ground out or something. I was just thinking about hitting the ball up the middle.”

Sports

Comeback Kids: Robbie Jones’ Walk-Off HR Gives New Canaan Baseball Extra-Inning Win Over Greenwich

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New Canaan sophomore Robbie Jones began the game on the mound for his first start there in his high school career. He finished the game watching the ball sail off his bat and over the right field wall to cap off an extra inning, come-from-behind, 8-7 Rams victory over the Greenwich Cardinals. “In the beginning of the at-bat, I can’t lie, I was a little nervous being in that spot,” Jones told NewCanaanite.com. “But I was still really confident. When I hit that ball I was so pumped.” Also pumped were Jones’ teammates, who mobbed the hero at home plate.

Sports

LaPolice and Newlove Stymie McMahon’s Offense in Baseball’s 6-1 Win

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On a picturesque spring afternoon at Mead Park, the first home game of 2015 for the Rams, a pitcher’s duel occurred. Senior co-captain Alex LaPolice took the hill for the Rams, and after they scored two runs in the bottom of the first, LaPolice made that enough to get the W for New Canaan (3-0; 2-0 FCIAC) over Brien McMahon. “It felt good,” LaPolice told NewCanaanite.com when talking about his outing. “I was getting ahead of kids which was huge. [Felt] really good early on.” LaPolice helped his cause when the Rams put up two runs in the 1st.

News

The Boys of Mead: 2015 New Canaan Rams Baseball Preview

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The snack shack got back to business at Mead Park a couple weeks ago. Now the boys of the New Canaan Rams baseball program are getting ready to do the same. After a 2013 season that culminated in the program winning its first state championship since 1950, it was going to be tough for the 2014 Rams to follow such an act. But while 2014 didn’t include any championships (14-6, 12-6 FCIAC) it did feature continued development of some top talent and leaders that are ready to create their own story in 2015. That story begins with the team’s four senior co-captains: outfielder/pitcher Alex LaPolice, pitcher/outfielder David Giusti, shortstop Brandon Abate, and All-State catcher Zack Smith.