As the lights turned on at Palmer Field in Middletown at 7:00 PM on Saturday night, the Bobcats of South Windsor High School took the field for the CIAC class LL state championship against CCC rival Glastonbury.
The two teams took drastically different routes to the game, with the second seeded Bobcats winning 11 more games (including postseason) than the Guardians. Glastonbury had been the Cinderella story all tournament, but South Windsor had won the teams two meetings in the regular season, making for a highly anticipated championship bout.
Being a rivalry match up of two teams in the same conference, the stands were filled to the max and the noise inside the iconic stadium was palpable.
Senior Robert Wunsch took the mound for the Bobcats and immediately got to work. With just two pitches, Wunsch got two quick outs before setting down the third batter and sending the game to the home side of the first.
Guardians junior Daniel Wallace took the mound for the fourth time this postseason. Wallace has turned into a state celebrity for his performance in the playoffs but knew he’d have his work cut out for him against a potent Bobcat lineup.
Despite a few hard hit balls, Wallace left the frame unharmed and with the bases clean.
Wunsch returned to the mound and got three quick outs capped off by a strikeout on an overpowering fastball to end the inning.
Senior Jake Palombizio, looking to reward himself with the ultimate 18th birthday gift, led off the second for the ‘Cats with a base hit. Fellow senior Justin Dittmar followed with a walk, before both runners advanced on a wild pitch.
Just as the Bobcats seemed ready to pounce with two in scoring position and no outs, Guardians center fielder Anthony Dubaldo caught a line drive and delivered a missile home to throw out Palombizio and turn a spectacular double play.
Wunsch started the third off with a strikeout, then forced a weak groundout, before finishing off with another strikeout to continue his dominating start while only throwing 28 pitches through the third.
Junior Brayden Edwards base knock in the home side of the frame was all the ‘Cats could muster and the score stayed scoreless.
With two outs in the fourth, Dubaldo hit past Dittmar at shortstop for the first hit and baserunner of the game for Glastonbury. A steal of second would prove to be no threat after a strikeout ended the inning.
Wunsch singled to begin the home fourth and advanced a base after Palombizio walked. Both runners swiped the next bag on a wild pitch that gave the ‘Cats their second opportunity of two men in scoring position and no outs.
Freshman Tyler Poland came to bat and jumped on the very first pitch he saw and delivered with a base hit through the left side to score Wunsch. The South Windsor crowd erupted with the momentum now fully swinging to the Bobcats favor.
The freshman coming to bat in the state title game never lacked confidence, “I was so confident. I knew it had to be now because it was a pitchers duel,” Poland said.
Another quick inning in the top of the fifth brought the ‘Cats back to bat. Junior Aiden Jackson led off with a single and was pinch run for by fellow junior Daltin Harrison. Harrison got to third but wouldn’t get the last 90 feet home and end the inning on the corner.
Despite a walk to Wallace and a balk that negated a potentially game changing base hit, Wunsch soared through the sixth inning still with a pitch count well below his average and needing just three more outs to be crowned champion.
Wunsch began the inning yet again with a base hit and was pinch run for by senior Cooper Anderson. Anderso swiped second base but would get no further than that as the inning came to a close.
As the seventh and final inning began, both the Glastonbury and South Windsor crowds became nearly deafening.
A leadoff walk to Dubaldo let the Guardians crowd get louder, which only increased after a base hit the very next pitch. Next came a bunt that was fielded by Jackson and thrown to third, but a very questionable safe call loaded the bases with no outs in the inning.
As the crowd began chanting to try and get in Wunsch’s head, the Guardians tried to pull off a squeeze play with the runner taking off for home, but disaster arose for the 32 seed as the bunt popped up and landed in the glove of a diving Sam Balducci.
Balducci got up and threw it back to third for one of the greatest and most clutch double plays you’d ever see. The play even made its way to the ESPN Sports center top ten.
With a massive weight off his back, Wunsch fired a pitch that popped up to center field, where Edwards camped beneath it and made the final catch of the game.
Wunsch dropped to his knees where his teammates soon joined him. For the first time since 1993 and second time ever, the Bobcats were state champions.
The crowd that had made the drive down to Middletown erupted with cheer that seemed to never end. An absolute thriller of a pitcher’s duel ended with a 1-0 victory.
South’s leadoff hitter and center fielder Edwards is beyond proud of his teammates, saying, “you can’t ask for a better group of people to play baseball with. That and a hall of fame coach and teammates who are really talented made things so much easier. We made South Windsor history and it hasn’t even really hit me yet. It’s insane.”
The MVP of the game and frankly the whole tournament was Wunsch, who spoke to The Prowl after the game, saying “It was a great game. The guys battled until the end of it. I wouldn’t have had the same success without them. It’s amazing to me the outcome of that game was a 1-0 win against Glastonbury. This team is special and what a great way to end my senior year.”
Balducci’s play saved the game and landed him on the Sports center top ten.
“We did it, we just achieved every high school baseball player’s dream. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to finish off my high school career,” the senior told The Prowl.
After starting the year 1-2, it seemed hard to believe that this Bobcats team would win a state title, but now they sit with their names forever immortalized in Connecticut baseball history.
A pouring of water on coach Mike McDermott capped off the tremendous work done all year by the members of this Bobcat lineup, one that will forever be remembered as champions.
