By Ray ‘Shutta’ Shaw

It is hard to comprehend what forces come into play when the Newtown Sandy Hooks meet their intercounty rivals the Waterbury Connors.

The two clubs have met on at least six occasions in the past three seasons and each time Governor Wigren’s nine has politely spanked the upstart country boys in climactic fashion. On Sunday, it was hoped all that would change as the Waterbury nine made its way to Dickinson Pond for a two match set.

As a subtle introduction to home field advantage and country hospitality, the potato shuckers provided vague directions to a well disguised Dickinson Park which had the Connors traveling circuitous routes to find the secreted turf. The unintentional ruse failed as the inflamed visitors spanked the locals in the preliminary match.

As is generally the case in an ‘1861’ game, the Sandy Hooks view the event as tantamount to dosing castor oil or cleaning the gutters. One crank was heard to murmur, ‘The Newtown club tends to lose all composure, determination and dignity when they play the ‘61 game.”

‘Doughboy’ Norwich, hurling for the home side, got little support from either side of the ledger as the Hooks went blandly through the motions and failed in almost any way to play a competitive level of ball. While the Waterburys strategically placed base hits to every hole in the garden, the Hooks determined that ‘boom ball’ was the appropriate method.

As the Waterburys related after the match, their club takes a calculated approach to playing the ‘61 game. They work hard to make contact with the ball and place it through open spots in the diamond and move the runners ahead with sharp base running and good base balling tactics. While, at the same time, the Newtown club played like lowbrow softballers trying to crush the slick and mushy sphere out of existence.

This short-sided tactic failed as the Connors prevailed in game one by an 11 to 0 margin.

After being whipped like a rented mule in match one, the sun seemed to peek through the clouds and the home side awoke to a new day to play in their standard ‘1867’ match.

Very little changes between an 1861 and 1867 rules match except that the fielders are required to catch a fair out on the fly. However, something changes in the mind of the Sandy Hooks when they step into their ‘1867’ role and that fact was immediately apparent in inning one of the second match.

‘Saint’ Louis Margolus called the second match to order as his offspring ‘Moose’ Margolus, suffering from Sunday morning melancholy, laced a sharp single into the gap to kick-off game two. ‘Muhl’ Snyder followed with an RBI single to spot the Hooks their first ace of the day.

With Norwich back in the box for a second stint, the Waterburys responded with four runs on their side of the next three frames while the Sandy Hook’s defenses stiffened to maintain pace.

In the third, the Newtowns woke from their apparent malaise to plate five big runs to take a decisive lead with ‘BB’ Dieckman leading the charge followed by subsequent base hits by Margolus, ‘Pops’ Pendergist, Snyder, ‘Zack’ Wheat, ‘Kid’ Rambone and Norwich.

Suddenly the sleeping giant had awoke and the Connors had everything they could do to hold the fort.

In the fifth frame ‘Pops’ ignited the Hooks again with a single to left center and two stolen bases while Snyder singled and Wheat crushed an awe inspiring triple to the far reaches of the grounds. Norwich sacrificed in the third run of the inning with a decisive blow to left as Wheat came roaring home with ninth run of the match for Newtown.

In the bottom of the fifth, Waterbury went to work with a strategic barrage of their own scoring five aces to take a 10-9 advantage.

In the sixth, ‘Bulldog’ Paes reached on an error and stole second, Dieckman reached on a fielder’s choice as the top of the order came to the plate. In a debatable attempt to show the ‘kids’ how to play, both Paes and Dieckman erased themselves while trying to advance against the sure-handed Connors (a tactic that would eventually lead to the demise of the Hooks later in the match).

In spite of that fact, the Hooks persevered as ‘Mister’ Edwards (just returning from a ‘60 foot’ interlude at an adjoining field) smacked a Waterbury offering to the deepest reaches of the property. Margolus, Pendergist and Snyder followed in logical order and the Sandy Hooks found themselves up by two aces after six frames.

The tug-of-war continued through the subsequent innings as the Hooks reasserted themselves in the top of the eighth scoring two more when Pendergist, Snyder and Wheat punished the base paths with well placed hits and well struck balls. For the second home game in a row, the club squandering at least two runs in that inning with faulty base running and lackadaisical base coaching that is so painful it makes one’s hair hurt.

Unfortunately, the excitement of a 15 to 11 advantage was short lived as the always treacherous Connors showed their contempt for defeat at the hands of the Newtowners and scored six masterfully executed aces to bring the tally to 15 to 17 with only one frame to play.

Having rebounded from certain defeat on two occasions this season to win in the final frame, the confident Sandy Hooks faced the ninth inning down by two appearing confident and determined. As ‘Doughboy’ popped a lazy fly to first a blithe ‘Express’ Pendergist stepped to the dish and slashed a single to right to the delight of the hometown cranks.

Being as aggressive as the senior Pendergist who patrols the same ground, ‘Express’ immediately stole two bases to set-up a potential run scoring situation. An elated ‘Matty’ Pendergist, who had previously bloodied himself preparing for his mascot and batboy duties, screamed his support from the base of the bat rack.

After Dieckman shot a BB to left that was handled appropriately by a Waterbury gardener, Edwards launched a single to left center to score the rapid junior Pendergist to cut Waterbury’s margin to one.

With two ducks down, the Hooks still hopeful and Mister hovering around second sack, the Conner’s hurler ‘Sugar Bear’ Behr spun a reverse seam in-slider that confounded Margolus who fouled it into the waiting hands of the Waterbury behind.

With all hands down and a 17 to 16 in the books for the Connors, the dejected Hooks thanked their adversaries and retired to the showers to lament what might have been (if they had just found the time to practice together).

On Saturday, the Sandy Hooks see if they can turn their fortunes around as they venture to Manhattan to play the mighty New York Gothams in the North Meadow of Central Park. Meanwhile, the Connors will be at home at Chase Collegiate on Sunday to host the Bridgeport Orators (a classic later day duel between Roger Connor’s club and the club of James ‘Orator’ O’Rourke).

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