It was a home game for Hall, hosting crosstown West Hartford rival Conard at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford for the annual contest.

By Paul Palmer. Photos by Paul Palmer and Ronni Newton

A pair of masterful starting pitching performances from Chase Hanawalt of Hall and Brendan Grady of Conard highlighted an extra-inning thriller in this years Mayor’s Cup baseball game at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford.

In the end, it was Grady and the Red Wolves getting the 1-0 win in eight innings. “It was a real duel,” said the Conard pitcher. “Chase pitched great out there.”

The aces for the two clubs left it all on the field as Hanawalt racked up 10 strikeouts and was not around for the loss. He had to be lifted in the eighth inning when he reached the CIAC pitch limit for a single game. Grady, who was named the game’s MVP, struck out 12 and allowed just two hits.

“It was an incredible game,” said Conard coach Brendan Smith, who won the trophy for the first time since taking over the program in 2021. “You can’t ask for anything more in a game.”

Hanawalt opened the game by striking out two of the first three batters he faced, and Grady one-upped that by striking out the side in the bottom of the frame.

It took until the top of the third before catcher Trevor Tanis got the game’s first hit with a single to left. In the bottom of the inning Hall came close to scoring the game’s first run. With one runner on, Harry Nelson laid down the bunt, the throw to first sailed wide, and Hall’s Simon Levy raced around the bases – and when the throw home then sailed over the head of the catcher, Levy headed for home. Tanis pounced on the wild throw and fired it to Grady who was covering at home to nail the runner.

With Grady and Hanawalt both throwing 80-plus miles per hour, baserunners were few and far between. In the bottom of the sixth with two out, Mason Hebert  led off with a single. He then stole second and when the throw went into center field, he scampered to third. But Grady struck out the next hitter on his 89th pitch of the game.

In the top of the seventh, the game’s headiest play got the Titans out of a bases loaded one-out jam. Ryan Smith lined the ball to short and Hall’s Calvin Cianflone purposely let the ball hit his glove and fall to the ground. He then picked it up, raced to second base to get the force play before tagging the runner who had been on second. All of it happened before Jacob Morren could score from third. Conard’s runners had to hesitate on the play when it looked like Cianflone would catch the ball for the original out.

As the game entered extra innings, Hanawalt struck out the first two batters in the top of the eight, but the right-hander had to be lifted after his 111th pitch of the game. Quinn LaRock came on in relief and soon the Red Wolves had two on and two out.

Morren grounded to second and it looked like Hall would get out of the inning, but the throw to first went wide, and Grady – who had walked – scored the game’s only run.

Grady started the bottom of the eighth with a one-run lead, but was also closing in on the pitch limit having thrown 98 pitches.

Levy took the first pitch of the bottom half of the inning and lined a single to left. Owen Ludgin followed with a bullet to third that Morren caught, and then threw across the diamond to first to double up Levy at first. Grady then got Jack Kearney to ground out to first, and the celebration was on for Conard.

“My body was tired by the third inning, but my arm just kept going,” said Grady, a senior captain, after the win.

Centerfielder Matt Santoro had a great sliding catch in the left-center gap in the fourth and right fielder Damian Wiktor had a gem in the fifth, but Morren’s play came at a critical time in the game. “I have fast reflexes and I was ready for it,” the third baseman said of his eighth inning double play.

Coach Smith said that Grady was five pitches away from having to be lifted when Morren started the play.

Conard (10-9) has one more regular season game remaining on Wednesday – back at Dunkin’ Park when they meet Rocky Hill – then it will be on to the CIAC State Tournament.

“We’ve had the same mantra all year to just worry about being in the right position for the postseason at the end of the year,” said Smith of his Conard club.

The loss all but knocks Hall, 7-13, out of CIAC Tourney contention. “We had plenty of opportunities that we just didn’t capitalize on today,” said Hall coach Nick Marsh. He lamented the fact that he had to remove his starting pitcher in a scoreless game, but said those are the rules. “Congratulations to Coach Smith. If I had to lose the trophy, I’m glad it was to him.”

The win evens the all-time Mayor’s Cup Trophy series at six wins for Hall and six for Conard.

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