The Morgan Huskies varsity baseball team delivered a dramatic comeback victory on Monday, rallying from an early five-run deficit to defeat the Valley Regional Varsity Warriors, 8–7, in walk-off fashion.
Trailing 7–6 entering the bottom of the ninth, Morgan found a way to complete its comeback. After battling back all game, the Huskies tied things up and set the stage for a clutch moment. With the score knotted at seven, Viens came through under pressure, lining a single to bring home the winning run and send the Morgan dugout into celebration.
Valley Regional controlled the game early, striking quickly in the top of the first inning. Finnegan highlighted the frame with a two-run double, and an additional run crossed the plate on a dropped third strike, giving the Warriors a 3–0 lead. They continued to apply pressure in the second inning when Leandri launched a two-run home run to center field, extending the advantage to 5–0 and putting Morgan on its heels.
As the game rolls into the seventh inning, Morgan starts to swing the bat harder. The inning was led with many runs and filled bases to get Morgan to tie up the game against Valley. As Valley went static, Morgan rallied to close off the game.
Despite the early deficit, the Huskies never lost their composure. Morgan gradually put themselves into the game when putting together quality at-bats and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. When the breakthrough came in the bottom of the seventh inning, when a string of clutch hits flipped the momentum. Brown and Aiken each delivered singles, Palazzo ripped a key double, and Johnson followed with another base hit, as Morgan plated multiple runs to erase the deficit and tie the game at seven.
On the mound, Levy set the tone for Morgan with a stand out performance for the team. Levy is a left-hand pitcher who struck out nine batters over 6 innings, battling through traffic on the bases and keeping his team within striking distance despite allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits. Valley Regional’s Heiser turned in a strong outing as well, going 7 1⁄3 innings while surrendering seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and striking out four.
Out of the bullpen, Powell proved to be a difference-maker for the Huskies. The right-hander delivered two shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two and shutting down Valley Regional’s offense late to give Morgan the chance to complete the comeback.
Offensively, Morgan racked up 12 hits on the day. Levy, Brown, Clow, Aiken, and Johnson each collected two hits, showcasing the team’s depth at the plate. Viens, Larabee, Clow, Brown, Aiken, Palazzo, and Johnson all drove in runs in a balanced offensive effort. Morgan also flashed solid defense, turning two double plays at key moments.
Valley Regional finished with 11 hits, led by Leandri’s standout three-hit performance at the top of the lineup. Finnegan and Leandri each drove in two runs, while Knox, King, and Wright added multiple hits in a strong showing for the Warriors.
“In the end, however, it was us with our resilience that defined the game. After falling behind early in the first few innings, we chipped away inning by inning before delivering when it mattered most,” said junior Benji Brown.
Morgan will look to carry that momentum into there next game which is on the road against North Branford on Wednesday, April 8.
