If you’ve done any baseball reading, you’ve come across more than one navel-gazing reflection on the idea that baseball is a team sport perpetuated on the performance of individuals. It’s not a new concept, not especially novel, but it resonates almost daily. A pitcher strikes out a dozen, but the team fails to hit and boots one ball too many. A strong day at the plate from one guy bails out the rest of the team. A closer can’t nail down three outs with a one-run lead. And on and on. 



This makes a true team victory less commonplace than expected and worth noting. 



Elmer’s managed such a feat Tuesday night with a 7-3 win over the Willimantic Ridges. Elmer’s put together nine hits and three sacrifices, with seven players reaching base despite only one walk. The defense, a pointed weakness for much of the season, made plays all night long with only one error. Starting pitcher Justin Swiderski posted six shutout innings, and Garit Grigery notched a save in his first outing of the season to close things out.

Six of Elmers’ (we really need a nickname, if only for the recaps) hits were of the extra-base variety, beginning with a first-pitch leadoff double from Russell LaFleur and including a double and a triple from Jordan Sanchez. All seven hitters to reach base scored at least one run.

Swiderski seemed to have to work out of trouble every inning, but managed to limit the Ridges to three hits against eight strikeouts. The tone was set when he walked the first two batters of the game and came out of the inning unscathed, thanks to a pickoff and timely fielder’s choice. Mike Cook nabbed the only attempted stealer of the evening.

Willimantic did rally for three runs in the seventh inning, highlighted by a deep double from Dan Samociuk, his second two-bagger of the night. The Ridges fall to 9-9, while Elmer’s improves to 9-7-2.