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The Greenwich Legion senior baseball team showed up at its first state tournament game ready to play. The team that started the year undefeated in its first 16 games faltered a bit in its final 11, and the Zone title slipped away. But Greenwich played like it had something to prove, thrashing Rockville 13-0 in a mercy-rule shortened game.
"This is the baseball we're used to playing," Greenwich Cannons head coach Mike Abate said. "They really came out swinging the bats well today. They were ready to play and we got the job done today."
Coming into the tourney as the ninth-seeded team, Greenwich simply overpowered 24-seeded Rockville. Rick Riscica got the scoring started with an RBI sac-fly. Greg Bayliss started off a huge offensive day by following with an RBI single. Bayliss finished the day 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs. Seven Cannons finished the day with a least one RBI, including two from David Telling out of the nine spot in the lineup. The Greenwich offense was so dominant the game was called after seven innings.
Somewhat lost in the offensive explosion was the masterful start from ace Ryan Carr, pitching on extra rest. Rockville batters looked foolish all afternoon being blown away by Carr's fastball and a well-executed curve. Carr went six innings and struck out nine, walking just two.
"I expected them to be hungry," Coach Abate said. "Dropping a couple to Norwalk and losing the Zone I expected us to bounce back. Now's the time to play. Regardless of how we got in or what seed we are, we're in now and we've got to play."
Greenwich moves on to the Round of 16 and will face eighth-seeded New London Saturday in Torrington.
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