The day started with smiles for Stamford High School’s baseball team. Thirteen seniors were honored before the game, but once Trinity Catholic pitcher Chris Neuscheler took the mound the smiles went away as he led his team to a 6-0 win.

“This is the best I’ve thrown all year,” Neuscheler said of his 10-strikeout, complete-game performance Saturday.

The senior hurler wasn’t the only one who was happy with his performance. His coach, Tracy Nichols, was also impressed. He know that when Neuscheler is throwing he won't have to make any visits to the mound or give him advice during the game.

“You just sit on the bench," Nichols said. "It’s a pleasure watching him pitch.” 

With Neuscheler on top of his game, Stamford’s John McClafferty needed to be equally impressive to give his team a chance, and for the first 3 1/3 innings he was. However, Sammy Dominguez ended the shutout in the fourth with a solo blast onto Hillandale Avenue before the flood gates opened in the top of the fifth, when Trinity batted around for five runs, which were more than enough for Neuscheler.

With his team up by six, the Trinity pitcher focused on ending up with double digit strikeouts. The goal seemed to be well in hand after he got his seventh strikeout to end the third, but it took him until the final batter of the game to get the tenth.

Trinity ends the year 9-9 in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, and 9-11 overall, while Stamford High ended 6-12 in the FCIAC and 8-12 overall.  

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