Hackers win another title

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The Naugatuck Hackers won its league championship for the fourth time in seven years. Pictured, from left, Mike Doran, Mike Fox, Mike Bochino, Wes Dutton, Ricky Cool, Nick Pereira, Ryan Mazurkivich, Dan Kaminski, Mat Jaronko, Mike Townsend, Steve Webb, Jeff Farrell and RJ Shaw. Missing from photo, Ron Swierbitowicz. –CONTRIBUTED
The Naugatuck Hackers won its league championship for the fourth time in seven years. Pictured, from left, Mike Doran, Mike Fox, Mike Bochino, Wes Dutton, Ricky Cool, Nick Pereira, Ryan Mazurkivich, Dan Kaminski, Mat Jaronko, Mike Townsend, Steve Webb, Jeff Farrell and RJ Shaw. Missing from photo, Ron Swierbitowicz. –CONTRIBUTED

BRIDGEPORT — The Naugatuck Hackers are league champions — again.

For the fourth time in seven years the Naugatuck-based adult baseball team won its league’s postseason tournament. Mike Fox gutted out a complete-game, nine-inning performance on the mound and scored two runs to lead the Hackers past the Orange Concentration, 6-4, in last Sunday’s title game at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport.

The Hackers scored a run in the top of the first and led the entire game. Naugy tacked on three more in the third and two in the fourth. Fox maintained the lead despite a late-game rally by Orange.

Entering the ninth with a 6-3 advantage, Fox surrendered a lead-off double and then issued two straight walks to load the bases with one out. He struck out the next batter for the second out.

Fox hit the following batter to force in a run before recording the final out to a popup to the catcher. The Hackers could exhale — and celebrate.

Player-manager Mike Doran said this year’s title was satisfying because of the variety of lineups and positions different players dealt with during the summer due to the demands of everyday life for an adult team.

“It’s a cliché, but this was a true team effort,” Doran said. “A lot of different players stepped up during the year and it was nice to have our full lineup for this game.”

Dan Kaminiski made perhaps the play of the day in the sixth with runners on first and second. Kaminiski made a diving stop at short and flipped to second baseman Mat Jaronko to start a 6-4-3 double play and end the scoring threat.

Kaminski also drove in the first run of the game on a groundout to score Fox in the first.

In the third, Wes Dutton scored on a wild pitch. Later in the inning Ricky Cool plated two more runs with a double.

In the fourth, Steve Webb drove in Mike Bochino with a single and Fox scored Dutton with a single.

The Hackers finished 17-7 in the league’s regular season to finish in third place and qualify for the postseason for the ninth straight year. They defeated the Milford Monsters and the Bridgeport All-Stars to reach this year’s final.

Naugatuck’s championship is its first since winning three in a row from 2007-09.