In a game with so many twists, turns and storylines, it only seemed appropriate that it would all boil down to the bat of New Canaan’s Erik Jager. The Rams co-captain has had a tough senior campaign at the plate, with a seemingly endless amount of hard hit baseballs that found leather instead of grass.
That would all change today.
Erik Jager follows through on his walk-off single.
Jager’s clutch bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the defending state champion Rams a dramatic 5-4 win over Wethersfield in the first round of the 2014 Class L playoffs.
“It feels great,” Jager told NewCanaanite.com. “I can’t imagine a better ending to the game. I’m so happy I got to pick up the team.”
Jager’s hit was the biggest of several key moments for the Rams who were playing without star SS Matt Toth. The senior co-captain was still sporting a nasty shiner from a scary beaning in last week’s loss to Trumbull in the FCIAC playoffs. For head coach Mitch Hoffman, the absence of some players provided an opportunity for others to step up, something that New Canaan has done many times through the 2014 season.
“This is one of my favorite teams to coach in my five years here,” Hoffman said. “We faced a lot of adversity this year–a lot of bumps and bruises, we’ve got some injuries, we’ve got kids coming off injuries–and they’re persevering.”
Brandon Abate fields a Wethersfield bunt.
New Canaan jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning on RBI singles by juniors Brandon Abate and Zack Smith. Rams starter Dan Rajkowski looked strong early, striking out eight hitters in the first four innings, surrendering only one run on a solo homer by Wethersfield’s Luke Ocasio in the fourth.
The Eagles would take the lead in the fifth, as Rajkowski seemed to hit a wall. Ryan Costello hit a bases-clearing triple, giving Wethersfield a 4-2 lead that they held into the bottom of the seventh.
With one out, junior Alex LaPolice and Abate singled. One out later, Rajkowski delivered a huge 2-RBI, game-tying single that sent the game into extra innings.
“Give credit to Dan,” Hoffman said. “He didn’t have his best today, he gave me more pitches than we talked about. The chips didn’t fall where he wanted them to fall, but then he comes up with a big hit in the seventh inning to tie the game. That’s what we’re all about.”
Hoffman also received a clutch performance on the mound from freshman Robbie Jones, who came into a pressure-packed ninth inning with runners at the corners and only one out.
New Canaan freshman Robbie Jones fires in a pitch.
“I had to put my nerves aside and just give everything I had,” Jones said. “It was a very big spot and there was no room for error. I just focus in on (catcher) Zack Smith. That’s the only thing I have to worry about, just him and his glove. I don’t ever hear the crowd or the bomb squad. I just look at the catcher.”
After walking his first batter on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases, Jones bore down and induced a ground ball to Kyle Levasseur at second who threw home to Smith for the putout. Jones then struck out the next Eagles hitter to end the threat, setting up the heroics in the bottom of the inning.
Zack Smith head for first after ripping a double.
With one out, Smith ripped a double to left center and moved to third on Rajkowski’s infield single. Wethersfield chose to intentionally walk senior co-captain Nick Cascione to load the bases for Jager.
“I noticed it,” Jager said. “I think every hitter would notice it. But it doesn’t change the way you swing or go about your at bat.”
Eagles reliever Alex Mullin threw Jager a first-pitch fastball that was quickly deposited into left center field. It was an emotional walk-off single for Jager and the Rams, who celebrated with a pile-on near first base.
The Rams mob Erik Jager after his game-winning hit.
“That was big,” Hoffman told NewCanaanite.com. “We don’t teach them to wait. He saw his pitch and he just drove it. It was a great situation for him to be in, and it was a great piece of hitting.”
“We talked to all the freshmen before the game,” Jager said. “We said this could be your chance, today may be your day.”
Erik Jager celebrates his game-winning hit.
And today belonged to Erik Jager.
New Canaan (15-7) will travel to Cheshire to take on Cheney Tech (15-6) Tuesday afternoon in the Second Round of the Class L bracket. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30pm.