Eight Run Inning Lifts Terriers Baseball

Rocky Hill senior Zach Meyers struck out eight as the Terriers defeated Morgan in the opening round of the Class M state tourney on May 30.

After stranding three runners in the first inning, Rocky Hill High School baseball made sure to capitalize the next time the bases were juiced.

Facing two outs in the bottom of the sixth, sophomore Brady Holzmiller connected on a bloop to short right, sending home Brendan Whalen to break a scoreless tie. 

Holzmiller’s RBI opened the floodgates as the Terriers scored eight total runs in the sixth inning before holding on for an 8-1 win over Morgan in the first round of the Class M state tourney last Tuesday at Griswold Middle School.  

“I wanted to get a pitch that I could hit and make a play,” Holzmiller said of his mindset prior to the bases loaded knock. 
Following Holzmiller’s clutch hit, the next six Terriers reached base.

Daniel Lin singled, sending home Robert Gwara and Ben Centurelli, before Jaiden Reyes tripled to score Holzmiller and Lin. Next, Tyler Carlstrom connected on a single to drive in Reyes. 

Whalen then returned to the plate and connected on a single before Gwara sent home Carlstrom and Whalen to cap the eight-run explosion. 

Once the dust had settled, the Terriers had turned a nail-biter into a blowout heading into the final frame. 

Head coach Eric Frank said the difference between the first inning disappointment and the six inning scoring explosion was simple. 

“We got the big hit; Brady came through,” a smiling Frank stated. “We had opportunities early in the game and we didn’t get that big hit, but Brady has been coming through for us all year. He’s a mentally tough kid.”

Frank added, “Once our guys see an opening, they usually break right through it.”

The sixth-inning fireworks from the plate highlighted the win, yet it was Zach Myers’ magnificent work from the mound that set the stage. The senior lefty struck out eight, pitching into the seventh inning before Centurelli relieved him for the final two outs to earn the save.

The Terriers entered the tourney as the No. 4 seed and were playing at home against the No 29 seeded Huskies from Morgan, but
Myers said the team was laser focused and wasn't concerned with rankings.   

“We knew it was going to be a dog fight,” added Myers. “Everyone comes in 0-0 and the lower seed could be a tough matchup. We knew we needed to play our best.”

Myers added that he had success early in the contest with the fast and curve balls before mixing in his change-up as the game aged. 

“Zach pitched unbelievable today. He was pounding the zone and had command of all three pitches,” said Frank. “He has been doing that all year for us. He is a confident kid and we’re glad he’s on our team.”

Holzmiller said that Myers’ brilliance over the first six innings allowed him the opportunity to be “the man” in the sixth. 

“Zach was pitching a heck of a game and I wanted to have his back,” added Holzmiller. “The entire team wanted to have his back.”
The day following the win, Rocky Hill’s season came to an end with a 3-2 loss in extra innings to Conard in the second round. 

It wrapped up the program's most successful season since the 2014 state championship season. 

The Terriers won 18 total games, scoring 202 runs and allowing only 48 runs over 22 games. They earned a conference title after winning 10 of 13 conference games to finish atop the Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) North.

Frank, who took over the program last spring, has guided the team to 33 wins over his first two seasons in the dugout. 

“We want to build a culture of resilient, mentally tough players that are trying to get better every single day,” Frank said following the win over Morgan. “This is a group that loves to compete. We have a group of eight seniors on this team that are making sure we play the right way. It’s been a pleasure to coach these guys.”

Myers, who is one of the eight departing seniors, added that the key to the success has been the unbreakable bond. 

“It’s a family,” stated Myers. “Everyone respects everybody. If someone is down, we pick them up. That’s how we play.” 
Myers, Whalen, Carlstrom, Centurelli, and Reyes were each selected all-conference and the handful will be graduating next week along with fellow seniors Gwara, Tyler Turner, and Brett Kwiatkowski.   

Brandan Whalen scored twice in the sixth innings as the Terriers broke the game open with eight runs in the decisive frame.