Hackers finish first again

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NAUGATUCK — The Naugatuck Hackers are back in a familiar spot—first place.

Last Sunday, the Naugatuck-based adult baseball team swept a doubleheader against second-place Milford and ended the regular season with a 19-1 record. The Hackers finished at the top of the Connecticut National Adult Baseball Association standings and will play this Sunday in the league’s single-elimination postseason tournament.

First place is nothing new for the Hackers, who have played in the league’s title game five straight years and won three titles in that span. Now in their 11th season, the Hackers had their best regular season yet.

In the sweep of Milford, Jeff Farrell tossed a complete game and struck out eight in a 10-2 win in the first game. In game two, the Hackers fell behind, 6-0, but stormed back to win, 8-7, after a Ryan Mazurkivich with a go-ahead RBI in the seventh.

The doubleheader displayed the Hackers’ quality pitching in game one, and both contests showed how well the team can hit.

With 145 runs scored and only 34 allowed, the Hackers have dominated. And like most successful baseball teams, it starts with pitching.

Mike Fox and Jeff Farrell have led the staff. Fox is 8-0 with a 0.98 ERA in 57 innings while Farrell is 7-0 with a 1.71 ERA.

As a team, the Hackers didn’t allow a run until their seventh game. On May 22, Farrell and Mike Doran combined for a perfect game in a five-inning, run-rule-shortened game win over New Haven.

The team’s hitting has been just as good. The Hackers are hitting .303 as a team.

Ricky Cool is hitting .375 with four homers and 18 RBI while Wes Dutton (.500) and Mike Townsend (.407) have been outstanding at the plate.

Dan Kaminski has 16 RBI, a .371 average and leads the team with 20 runs scored.

The Hackers, sponsored by Slainte on New Haven Road, host Guilford at Naugatuck High this Sunday at 10 a.m. in a nine-inning game.