Valley Regional ended St. Paul’s bid to repeat as State Champion with a 4-3 win over the Falcons in Bristol Saturday afternoon.

Colin Carver picked up the win for the Warriors pitching five and 2/3 strong innings until exiting because of the pitch count rule. Carver allowed three runs on six hits while striking out six. Teammate Braeden Sparaco got the final four outs to pick up the save.

St. Paul’s Jamie Leggett took the loss, his first loss of the season. Leggett allowed four runs (only one earned) on seven hits while striking out seven.

Valley Regional scored the first run of the game in the top of the 2nd inning. An infield error allowed lead off hitter Brayden Shea to reach 2nd base safely. Then Colin Carver had an infield hit to make it 1st and 3rd with no outs. Shea scored on Reed Beighau’s ground out, and Valley Regional had a 1-0 lead. 

Valley Regional also took advantage of another Falcon error to score in the top of the 3rd. With one out, Jack Finnegan reached safely on an infield error. Then four consecutive singles by Braeden Sparaco, Samuel Hutchinson (1 RBI), Shea, and Carver (1 RBI) made it 3-0 with the bases loaded and only one out. Hutchinson scored on Beighau’s ground out, and Valley Regional led 4-0.

Carver was overpowering for much of the game until he started to tire in the 6th inning. Logan Rembish worked an eight pitch walk to start the inning for St. Paul. Jamie Leggett then smashed a drive down the first base line.  First baseman Reed Beighau snared the line drive and stepped on 1st to complete a double play, the third double play turned by the Warriors in the game.

With two outs and no one on, things did not look good for St. Paul. But Devin Kulas doubled to right for the Falcon’s first extra base hit. Cal Chance followed with a double to center driving in Kulas. Cole Raymond then singled to make it 1st and 3rd, and stole 2nd to put two in scoring position. A wild pitch allowed Chance to score and Raymond to advance to 3rd. Then Ryan Kilpatrick beat out an infield hit scoring Raymond, and St. Paul trailed 4-3.

Kilpatrick was the last batter that Carver faced. Sparaco came in and retired all 4 batters that he faced, and Valley Regional won 4-3.

For Valley Regional

Colin Carver was 2 for 2 with an RBI.

Brayden Shea was 2 for 4 with a double and 1 run scored.

For St Paul

Devin Kulas was 1 for 2 with a double and 1 run scored.

at St Paul Catholic High School

                                      1  2  3  4  5  6  7    R   H   E

Valley Regional (17-6)    0  1  3  0  0  0  0    4    7   0

St Paul (21-5)                0  0  0  0  0  3  0    3    6   2

Pitching                       W/L   IP   K   BB  HB  H  R  ER

Valley Regional

   Colin Carver              W   5.2   6    3     1    6   3    3

   Braeden Sparaco      S    1.1   2    0     0    0   0    0

St Paul

   Jamie Leggett           L      6     7    1     0    7   4    1

   Cole Raymond                  1     2    0    0     0   0    0