WOODBURY — In a game filled with familiar faces and friendly competition, the Nonnewaug baseball team secured a 6-2 win over Watertown on April 25. Longtime friends and former teammates competing against each other added a layer of connection and sportsmanship to the game.
Scott Viveros, a junior left field for the team, said the team played well.
“The game went really well,” said Viveros. “We were able to get a bunch of runs in the beginning, and there wasn’t many highlights from the game, but we were playing a bunch of small ball with moving runners over to get early [runs] in the game.”
Kyle Brennan, assistant coach for the team, knew the team could have done better, but beside that they came out with a win.
“We didn’t hit as well as we had been hitting,” said Brennan, “but we played a clean game and Brady [Herman] pitched well.”
Unlike some games played by the Chiefs, there were some familiar faces on the other side of the field. Herman, a junior pitcher, made a couple connections within the game.
“They were good to play. I would say [they are] a town rival, you know, neighboring towns,” said Herman. “[We] definitely know some guys there. I wouldn’t say friends, but [we] recognize some faces from football and other sports. [We] played great, [and] defense was on my side. Everything was fun. It was a great game.”
Viveros came prepared, not only knowing how he would play but also how his opponents would, due to connection beyond just the NHS baseball field.
“I thought it was really funny because just in the summer, I played with most of those Watertown kids,” said Viveros. “I would see what it was like to play with them from their side, but playing against them, I could use their tendencies to play better against them.”
Brennan knows the relationships go deeper then the playing field but in the end put it aside and focus on the real goal of the game, winning.
“I think when we play in a small league, we play with teams that guys are used to playing against players that they know,” said Brennan. “When the game’s on, it’s baseball. It really doesn’t matter who you’re playing against.”
