Defs hang on to beat the RockCats 6-5 this...

afternoon. Garrett Broshuis took a perfect game into the 7th inning with a 5-0 lead as New Britain would mount a rally over the next three innings but fall short to Connecticut.
Olmo Rosairo lined the game's second pitch over the left field wall for a quick 1-0 Defenders lead. In the fourth with two outs, EME barely missed a homer and doubled off the right field wall. Adam Witter followed with a double to right that the RockCat outfielder just missed a sliding catch on as EME came in to score for a 2-0 CT advantage. Connecticut scored again in the next inning as Carlos Sosa beat out an infield single and Dave Maroul blopped a single into right as Sosa was nearly forced out at second to put runners on first and second with no outs. Jake Wald laid down a perfect sac bunt to move the runnners up. Olmo fouled out but Antoan Richardson singled in Sosa for the third Defenders run of the game. On the his single, Antoan was caught in a rundown between first and second. Marouls broke for home a was caught in a rundown a tagged out to end the inning.
In the sixth Pablo Sandoval singled and Adam Witter hit his third homer in two days over the right field wall to extend Connecticuts lead to 5-0. It was Witter's 12th homer of the season and today's three RBIs brings that total to 44 for the season.
Meanwhile, GB was sailing along thru six innings. But in the 7th the wheels came off as Maroul muffed a grounder to first for NB's first baserunner of the game. Next batter delivered a clean single for the first RockCat hit. Brock Peterson then doubled in both runners with a solid drive to the right centerfield wall. Peterson would move to third on a fly ball and then come in on Olmo's fielding error before GB finished off the inning and gave way to Ronnie Ray. GB's line read 7 IP, 2 hits 3 runs, one earned with 6Ks and no walks.
Ray in the 8th gave up a pair off doubles, both down the line jobs, one to right and one to left as New Britan closed to 5-4 going into the 9th.
In the top of the 9th Connecticut got a big insurance runs without a hit. Wald walked and advanced to third as the pitcher's pickoff throw ended up going down the RF line. Wald then scored on a wild pitch for a 6-4 lead. That run proved big as Kelvin Picardo came on to close the game.
Pichardo would load the bases on three singles with one out. A RBI grounder made the score 5-4 before Pichardo got the the third out via a swinging strke three for his sixth save.
GB improves to 8-6 with 3.34 ERA. In his last five starts he's gone 7 IP pitched each start to a 4-1 record. Nice job.

Misc fan notes: Despite watching Connecticut wrap out 13 hits, you had a feeling watching this game they needed more runs and hits. Sloopy baserunning got them in trouble as two runners were picked off, one caught stealing and another tagged out in a rundown.
Only saw two other fans from Norwich at the game today. I really liked that scoreboard of theirs. Took a ton of pics of the players in their grey road uniforms, which I like.
Pics from top to bottom (click on each to enlarge): Jake, Palbo, GB, AR(interesting pic with the billboard ball player also making a catch), Witter before and after the HR, GB, and Olmo before and after the HR.