MIDDLETOWN—South Windsor baseball felt it did not get enough respect all season so they went out and won the CIAC Class LL tournament, earning all the respect they need.
No. 2 seed South Windsor had to hold off a bases loaded, no outs situation in the top of the seventh but escaped with the 1-0 win over No. 32 Glastonbury for the school’s first CIAC title since 1993.
Robert Wunsch pitched a complete game for South Windsor to help deliver the championship.
“I am at a loss of words right now. I am just so thankful, thankful to God and thankful for my family ... and thankful for this entire team,” Wunsch said. “We just compete, we compete, we compete. We’re the underdogs all the time because we’re from South Windsor.”
South Windsor made it into the GametimeCT Baseball Top 10 for one week but fell out after a loss to Windsor in the CCC tournament. Wunsch feels they not only belong in the poll, but atop it.
“GametimeCT doesn’t show us love, at all,” Wunsch said. “No offense, but we beat like four top teams in the state before this and cracked the top 10, barely, and then we lost a terrible game to Windsor. We are the best team in the state.”
The GametimeCT poll consists of votes from media across the state.
South Windsor scored the lone run of the game in the fourth when Tyler Poland hit a RBI single through a drawn-in infield for the game’s first run with Wunsch scoring.
Then came the drama in the top of the seventh when Glastonbury loaded the bases with no outs.
Glastonbury attempted a squeeze bunt but Jack Westergren’s attempt was popped up and South Windsor third baseman Samuel Balducci made a diving catch, stood up and fired to third to get the runner who by the time he caught it was crossing home plate.
Wunsch then got the final batter to fly to center field and the celebration was on.
“We’ve had some issues in the seventh inning our last three games and somehow we pulled it through. Nail biters,” South Windsor coach Mike McDermott said. “What I’m most impressed with is they kept their composure and that is very difficult to do. There is a lot of pressure on these kids.”
Glastonbury, which was playing in its first state championship game, was the first 32 seed to reach a CIAC final since Foran won Class L in 2017.
In the tournament, the Guardians beat some of the state’s most storied programs in No. 1 seed Amity, FCIAC champion Ludlowe, CCC champion Southington and the 2022 and 2023 Class LL champions in Warde.
“I honestly can’t say enough about these guys,” Glastonbury coach Dennis Accomando said. “Certain years set the culture for the next years and these guys showed what you can accomplish. They did everything we asked them to do. They would run through a brick wall and this was a tremendous effort tonight.”
The championship game was the first between two Central Connecticut Conference opponents since Newington beat Southington in 2011.
Player of Game
Robert Wunsch, South Windsor: The senior was dominant in getting the win with seven strikeouts and just two hits allowed.
Quotable
“Robby is a 10-0 for us, he’s all-state and he’s done it all year. He pounds the strike zone. He was not happy walking that kid to lead off the seventh but he got out of it. Robby is a competitive kid on the mound and nothing phases him.”-- Mike McDermott
Glastonbury 000 000 0—0 2 1
South Windsor 000 100 0—1 6 0
Batteries: SW-- Robert Wunsch and Jake Gombotz G—Daniel Wallace, Ryan Papa (5) and Jack Timko