Triple Play Ends Game as Coginchaug Beats Haddam 10-2

In what will go down as one of the more rare endings to a Little League baseball game, the Coginchaug 12-year-old all-star team recorded a triple play to seal a 10-2 win over Haddam on Friday night.

The victory gave Coginchaug a 1-0 edge in the best-of-three game series for the District 9 championship.

After Haddam's first two batters in the sixth inning reached base, Coginchaug second baseman Ryan Cross caught a line drive off the bat of Jackson Parmentier,  threw to first base for the second out and Griffin Saks tossed it back to shortstop Cole Niedmann at second base for the third and final out of the game.

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The play initially stunned both teams, but Coginchaug soon realized the game was over and began celebrating the win.

"I don't know what was going through my head but then we got a triple play and I was super excited," said winning pitcher James Salemme who struck out eight batters while throwing all six innings.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, Coginchaug's bats came alive in the second inning.

With Saks and Connor Rulnick at the corners, A.J. Kleczkowski crushed a Gabriel Mangiafico pitch over the centerfield wall to give Coginchaug a 3-1 lead.

"If I get a good pitch, I'm gonna swing," Kleczkowski said. "The first pitch came in and it was like perfect, like my pitch, and I swung and hit it far."

Three batters later, Ryan Genest smacked a 3-run home run of his own to extend the team's lead to 6-1.

"When the pitch came, it came right into my zone," Genest said. "Since it was my first home run it was probably the best feeling I've ever had."

Kleczkowski added another RBI on a double down the right field line to score Connor Rulnick and push Coginchaug's lead to 9-1.

With a comfortable lead, Salemme settled in and retired the side in the fourth and fifth innings before his defense helped him get out of the jam in the final inning.

The two teams will play Game 2 on Saturday in Haddam at Robert J. Duvall Field. First pitch is at 1 p.m. The winner will advance to the state tournament held in Bristol for a shot at playing in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.