Saints Rally To Emotion-filled Win

By Gavin Keefe, Day Sports Writer

Published on 06/07/2007 by The Day

Bristol — The noise level from the St. Bernard dugout increased with each out in the seventh inning Wednesday.

The Saints roared the loudest and charged onto the field when junior Patrick Lowery struck out Anas Koummal for the third out, capping a spirited comeback in a wild Class S state semifinal game against No. 12 Trinity Catholic-Stamford.

Somehow through all the turmoil, the top-seeded Saints emerged victorious, 4-2, at Muzzy Field.

Lowery went the distance, tossing a three-hitter for his second win in state tournament play. St. Bernard (22-2) advanced by scoring three runs all with two outs in the sixth inning.

The rally came with coach Mike Garvie watching from beyond the left-field fence following his third-inning ejection. Home plate umpire Dave Vindas also ejected senior Ben Nossek in the fourth. Emotions ran hot throughout the game.

“The kids battled hard,” Garvie said. “I couldn't asked for anything more. They're tough kids. ... I'm just really proud of them.”

Nossek's replacement, sophomore Ryan Brahm, helped spark the sixth-inning comeback from a 2-1 deficit. His single scored Tyler Turgeon (double) with the tying run. Brother Kyle Brahm belted a long double to left to put the Saints on top, 3-2. An error led to the fourth run.

“I was already pumped for (Ryan),” Kyle said. “I thought I had a home run. I was on cloud nine.”

Lowery, pitching on a week's rest, made sure to keep his teammates upbeat following the ejections.

“We never got down on ourselves,” Lowery said. “We had to keep our heads in the game. ... We just knew we had to do it without (coach). We had the talent and heart to do so.”

They certainly did.

But early on, it didn't appear to be St. Bernard's day.

Talk about a bad start.

First, the St. Bernard bus got hung up in traffic on the way to the game.

The Saints came unraveled in a strange third inning that featured two errors and coach Garvie's ejection, resulting in a 2-0 deficit. Lowery immediately got into trouble, allowing Pat Cullen's leadoff single and walking Nick Cortese.

Then the craziness began.

Catcher Dan Eagan caught Cortese off first base with a pick-off throw but the Trinity Catholic base runner beat Harrison Smith's rundown throw to second, putting runners on second and third with nobody out.

Koummal bounced a grounder to shortstop Turgeon, whose wild throw home ended up scoring two runs. In the confusion, Koummal raced to third and scored on another wild throw.

A steamed Garvie pounced out of the dugout to argue that the Trinity Catholic players had come out of the dugout and interfered during a celebration behind the plate. Vindas had instructed both teams during pregame to stay in the dugout, according to Garvie.

“As the ball got thrown away, their kids clearly interfered with the play, as our catcher couldn't see what was going on on the field...,” Garvie said. “I thought it was a very poor game control and a very poor call.”

Vindas decided to send Koummal back to third. Garvie still wasn't happy, continuing to bark, resulting in his ejection. Garvie had to leave the field.

“I did have faith in them,” Garvie said. “I argued the call as vehemently as I could because I wanted to show them that I backed them 100 percent.”

Assistant coaches Jim Leone, Chris Discordia and Derek Bell took over the team. An inning later, the Saints lost Nossek, who took a called third strike while attempting to call time. Vindas tossed Nossek for throwing his helmet and bat.

St. Bernard regrouped and scored a run in the bottom of the third inning. Grant Livingston singled and Anthony Ruffo reached on a hit-by-pitch to start off the short rally. Following Eagan's sacrifice bunt, Michael Aldrich's run-scoring fielder's choice cut the deficit to 2-1.

A winning rally was only a few innings away.

Now St. Bernard will attempt to win its first state championship in 25 years, when it plays second-seeded Northwest Catholic-West Hartford on Saturday at Yale Field at 12:30 p.m.

“We're looking to hang one of those (banners) in the gym,” Garvie said. “This was our goal from the get-go to have an opportunity to win the state championship.”

g.keefe@theday.com or 701-4393

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