Post 17 evens mark with win over Easton

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NAUGATUCK — Naugatuck Post 17 picked up a much needed win over Easton on Tuesday night to even its record at 5-5 on the season.

Post 17 earned the 5-1 victory at Naugatuck High School.

Dylan Cummings went four innings on the hill and allowed just two hits to earn the win. Shane Swierbitowicz came on in relief and Jason Bradley struck out two in the seventh to close the game.

The Post 17 offense got run-scoring doubles from Swierbitowicz and Steve Marinaro as Naugatuck plated two runs in the third and fifth innings to put the game away.

Matt Butterworth, the team leader in average and RBIs, singled, scored and drove in a run to pace Naugatuck’s six-hit attack. Josh Aviles and Matt Whitney had a hit and a run scored. Jarrett Allen scored a run and Andrew Minchella added a hit.

After leaving a few games on the table, Post 17 is lodged in the middle of the pack in Zone 5.

Naugatuck picked up a 2-1 win June 22 over Monroe in a game that was suspended earlier this season due to rain. Corey Plasky finished out the win he started on the hill by delivering a suicide squeeze.

Naugatuck turned around and dropped a tough one in the second game of the night against Monroe. Marinaro turned in an impressive performance on the mound surrendering just one hit through six innings. But Post 17 made a few crucial errors allowing two runs to score in the first inning and lost, 2-1.

“We just never recovered,” Post 17 head coach Robert Swierbitowicz said. “It was a costly error and Monroe scored two runs off it. Steve went the distance only giving up just one hit. We swung the bats and got five hits but scored just once in the top of the seventh and that was it.”

Corey Plasky had two hits with Robert Stach, Butterworth and Bradley adding hits for Naugatuck.

That tough loss may have led to a letdown June 23 in game one of a double-header as Monroe rolled over Post 17, 13-1. Aviles had two hits and scored the only run for Naugatuck on an RBI hit from Plasky.

Zach Royka went 3 2/3 innings on the mound and Kyle Torok threw two innings, but the defense made four errors that allowed the game to get out of hand.

Naugatuck came back in the nightcap to earn a 3-2 win over Easton.

Whitney scattered four hits through six innings on the hill and Bradley closed the door in the seventh for the save.

Brendan Caldwell, Minchella and Aviles had hits and scored the runs for Post 17. Shane Swierbitowicz had a hit and a key RBI with Butterworth, Plasky, Allen and Torok adding hits.

Naugatuck’s schedule gets a little heavy this week starting with Oakville on Wednesday at Pomperaug. Post 17 will be at Oxford on Thursday at 5:45 p.m. and again on Saturday at 11 am.