Niedmann's Two Home Runs Lead Coginchaug Past Waterford 7-6

Some batting practice with his dad is all Cole Niedmann needed to get back on track.

The Coginchaug Little League all-star smacked two home runs on Sunday afternoon to help his team beat Waterford South 7-6 to advance to the Section 2 championship game against South Windsor on Tuesday in Harwinton.

Niedmann, who's been stellar at shortstop and equally impressive at the plate, struck out looking on Saturday with a chance to knock in the tying run in Coginchaug's 1-0 loss to South Windsor.

"I knew that my team could help pick me up and we could win and avenge our loss," Niedmann said after his two hit, 3 RBI performance.

"I was working this morning with my dad on a pitch I could hit and the first pitch of the first at-bat I got a nice dinger over centerfield. My second at-bat, when I got to a full-count I just wanted to get the bat on the ball and I got the bat on the ball," he said.

Niedmann's second home run came in the third inning and gave his team a 4-0 edge.

Starting pitcher Ryan Genest stayed out of trouble until the bottom half of the third inning when Drew Rocchetti hit a two-run home run to cut Coginchaug's lead to 4-2. 

Coginchaug picked up another run in the fourth inning on smart baserunning. With two-outs and Hayden Rovelli at the plate, Derek Labasi got into a rundown attempting to steal second base and avoided being tagged out until Connor Rulnick could score from third base to make it 5-2.

Waterford's Dylan Bosco evened the score at 5-5 with a three-run home run off Genest in the fourth inning but Coginchaug went back on top after Griffin Saks hit a bases-loaded double to plate Genest and Niedmann in the fifth inning.

Waterford would get a run back in the bottom of the fifth inning after a lead-off triple by Nick Porazzi and a single by Speller. But key defensive plays by Niedmann and centerfielder T.J. Vallone and a gutsy relief appearance by Rulnick secured the win.

"Another nailbiter," said Coginchaug manager Ken Vallone. "We played better, we hit the ball, the kids made nice plays. Up and down the lineup today we put the ball in play. We're still making plays in the field. As long as we make plays in the field we'll be fine."

Coginchaug will need to beat South Windsor twice after losing to the District 8 champions on Saturday to win the Section 2 title. The two teams will play on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Harwinton Sports Complex.

"You've got to win the first one first, and then see what happens in the second game," Vallone said.