A Night of Drama at Middletown's Field
The St. Paul Falcons and the Stonington Bears met under bright lights in Middletown, Connecticut, for the Class S Baseball Championship, a contest that would stretch to nine innings and end with a walk‑off victory for the Falcons. The final score read 6‑5, a margin decided by a wild pitch that brought home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
From the outset, the Falcons seized early momentum. Nate Cravanzola executed a perfect safety squeeze in the second inning, plating the first run, and Nicky Vlastos followed with a double in the third that pushed the lead to 3‑0. Chase Boudreau, who would later go 2‑for‑3 with two runs scored, got the rally started with a leadoff single that set the stage for the decisive ninth‑inning rally.
Controversy and Comeback
The game's tone shifted in the fifth inning when a contentious bat ruling called Nicky Vlastos out, prompting St. Paul's manager Vic Rinaldi to be ejected. Stonington answered in the seventh, erupting for four runs to seize a 4‑3 lead. The comeback was short‑lived, however, as Coby Dagata's single in the eighth tied the contest at 5‑5, forcing extra innings.
Enter Evan Judenis. The relief pitcher, who had mirrored his championship‑game performance from the previous year, settled the nerves with a string of strikeouts and composure under pressure. His brilliance on the mound set the Falcons up for the final at‑bat.
With two outs, Chase Boudreau delivered a single that advanced the runner, and a wild pitch slipped past the catcher, allowing the winning run to cross the plate. The Falcons erupted in celebration as the stadium echoed with the final out, sealing a 6‑5 victory and the Class S title.
The win was a collective effort, with contributions from a deep roster that included Jack McDougall, Tyler Cimini, Dom Napoletano and many others. For St. Paul, the championship underscores the team's resilience and depth, while Stonington will look to regroup after a hard‑fought battle.