Cross Farms — Andrew Jaworski hit a walk-off homerun to break a 2-2 tie and beat the Mets, 4-2, in the first game of Tolland Little League’s 2012 regular season.

            Prior to his bottom of sixth heroics, Jaworski scored two of his team’s early runs to put the Sox up 2-0.  Starter Clayton Keene held the Mets hitless through 3 innings, allowing only 1 walk to Jack Lester in the 2^nd (whom Keene would eventually pick off) on 44 pitches while striking out 6 batters.  Keene also had an RBI double in the 3^rd that scored Jaworski from 1^st base.

            But the Mets showed patience and resilience, even as the innings ticked away and their offense continued to sputter.  Steven Busch and Noah Johnson finally broke through with back-to-back singles off reliever David Molina in the 4^th, setting up the Mets first run on a wild throw on a Johnson steal of second.  Johnson also started the game for the Mets and pitched into the second inning.  He allowed just one run on one hit, three walks, and struck out two.  Cole Suchecki finished out the game on the hill and pitched well in relief, striking out eight batters over four-plus innings.

            Defensively, both teams flashed the leather.  Red Sox Kenji Zevetechin patrolled centerfielder with Gold Glove prowess by making a sliding catch in the fourth and then another nice grab to end a Mets rally later on.  For the Mets, Cole Suchecki made a nice diving stop of a hard hit ball at shortstop, and Jared Larocca made a nice catch of his own out in right field.

            The story, as the first game of the year came to a close, belonged to Andrew Jaworski, and it almost seemed fitting that on an 0-2 pitch, the Sox shortstop/pitcher would send a fastball on a line over the right centerfield fence and be mobbed by his teammates at home plate for the first win of the season. 

            A picturesque slice of Americana at its best.