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Error Costs New Canaan, Wastes Farina's Gem

One bad hop was all it took to sink New Canaan’s FCIAC baseball playoff hopes and spoil one of the most dominant pitching performances of the season. A two-out ground ball in the third ate up Rams first baseman Will Karl, allowing Staples' Ben Lipper to reach base.

The tough error led to three straight hits and three runs, courtesy of a Brendan Bernstein single and a double in the right-center gap by Colin McCarthy. Staples' starter Rob Gau kept New Canaan off balance all day, forcing 10 groundouts and two key double plays. Matt Samarco was picked off to end the game and the Rams were eliminated in the FCIAC quarterfinals, 3-0.

"It's unfortunate that a great game pitched by two guys came down to that one play," New Canaan head coach Mitch Hoffman said. "It was almost like slow motion after that error. With their 3-4-5 hitters, you can't give them that opportunity. If that was their error we might have done what they did."

If Karl had made the play at first, the game likely would have gone scoreless into the eighth. New Canaan starter Alex Farina had an even more dominant afternoon, despite the loss. The big righty struck out 10, including five strikeouts looking, in a complete-game effort. Farina issued his only walk of the day in the sixth inning.

Staples was held to only five hits, but all they needed were the big three knocks in the third inning. Gau also held New Canaan to five hits, but walked four. The walks did not hurt Gau—each was followed either by an inning-ending strikeout or a double play.

Willie Burger hit both double plays after Karl had worked a walk. New Canaan had trouble getting runners on with less than two outs. The Rams got six men on base with two outs, but could not cash in.

"We got on the doorstep a few times, but we just couldn't get the guys in," Hoffman said. "I couldn't ask anything more from Alex. I truly feel he is the best pitcher in the FCIAC, bar none. Nobody's been as lights-out as him."

New Canaan will now wait to find out who their opponent will be in the first round of the Class L state tournament, which begins next week.

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