Grizzlies Advance to CIAC Quarterfinals After 6-5 Win vs. Bethel

Jun 1, 2023

Guilford advanced to the CIAC, Class L Tournament Quarterfinals with their 6-5 victory over the Bethel Wildcats on Wednesday afternoon at GHS Field. The game was a hard-fought battle and similar to their win over New London on Tue., the Grizzlies pulled ahead in the 5th inning to secure the victory over their opponent.

What was different from Tuesday, was that Guilford never fell behind in the game, as they took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st. Sam Ametrano led off with a walk and scored a few minutes later when his brother, Lucas Ametrano, followed with a double down the left field line that plated Sam to make it 1-0, just 8 pitches into the game. Later in the inning, Carter Williams would deliver a RBI single that scored Lucas Deshefy for Guilford's 2nd run of the opening frame.

Andrew Shosho took the mound as the Grizzlies' starting pitcher and held the Wildcats scoreless through their first 2 turns at bat. Bethel would cut the Grizzlies lead to 2-1 in the top of the 3rd on a Sean Fallon RBI single. Joe O'Hara would follow Fallon with a single to left but a perfect throw and tag from Sam Ametrano, to Alex Vincent at the plate, cut down Fallon trying to score the tying run and ended the Wildcat rally. Guilford would regain their 2-run advantage on a Lucas Ametrano sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning, that made it 3-1 moving into the 4th.

Bethel would tie the game at 3 in the top of the 4th when their first 2 batters singled and eventually scored on a sac-fly and a Guilford error. Shosho, who would end up working 6 innings for the win, shut down the Wildcats in the top of the 5th by striking out 2 of the 3 batters he faced, keeping the score knotted at 3 as the Grizzlies came to bat in the bottom half.

The first 3 Guilford batters would reach base in the 5th, a Jack Farrah walk followed by a Sam Ametrano single, followed by a walk to Lucas Ametrano, loaded the bases with no outs. GHS Freshman, Finn Matlosz, was inserted as a pinch runner for Farrah, and would score to give Guilford a 4-3 lead on a Lucas Deshefy ground ball to shortstop, where the home plate umpire ruled the Bethel catcher's foot was not in contact with the plate during the attempted force-out of Matlosz. A few batters later, with the bases still loaded, Bryce Meder grounded a 2-RBI single through the drawn-in Bethel infield to give Guilford a 6-3 lead they would take into the 6th.

In the top of the 6th, the Wildcats would again, fight back and cut the Guilford lead to a single run, aided by a Guilford error along with a Jimmy Muthersbaugh RBI single.

The Grizzlies were unable to score in the bottom of the 6th, and Sam Ametrano came on to pitch in the top of the 7th, trying to hold Guilford's slim, 1-run lead. Ametrano would pitch a 1-2-3 final frame, that included a nice diving catch by catcher, Alex Vincent on a popup in foul territory, before a strikeout of the final Wildcat batter would earn Ametrano the save.

Both Sam Ametrano and Carter Williams went 3 for 3 in the game, with Ametrano scoring 3 runs, while Williams chalked up a RBI. Lucas Ametrano and Bryce Meder both recorded a hit and 2 RBI each, with Ametrano's hit being a double.

Guilford will now face the #22 seed Wethersfield Eagles in the quarterfinal round of the CIAC, Class L State Tournament, on Sat., 6/3 - a 2:00 pm. start time at GHS Field. This will likely be Guilford's final home game of the year, as should they advance to the semifinal round, the game would be played at a neutral site. Wethersfield has defeated #11 Avon, and #27 E.O. Smith, to advance to Saturday's game. Click here for a link to the CIAC Class L Tournament Bracket.