Wolcott Clemente team sees great run end in World Series final

Wolcott’s 7-8 year-old squad found itself playing on the grandest stage in the Roberto Clemente World Series final on Sunday morning.
The only problem for Wolcott was it ran into a buzzsaw from Ponce Glenview on the baseball-rich island of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico went home with the World Series title, but Wolcott was still able to celebrate an incredible run to the final.
Wolcott began the World Series with an 8-3 victory over Water-Oak (Watertown-Oakville) in the first game of the contest on Thursday at Joan Joyce Field. Wolcott’s next game in Pool A play on Thursday was against Puerto Rico, which their opponent won 14-0.
On Friday, the World Series began its double elimination championship format, and Wolcott was defeated by the Brooklyn Blue Storm in a wild 14-11 game at Joan Joyce. Wolcott stayed alive with a 6-0 win over the Rockland (New York) Elite at Joyce Field.
On Saturday, Wolcott had a bye through Round 3 of the double elimination bracket, then won a crazy 10-9 victory over the B.C. Cyclones of New Jersey to earn a trip to the final.
There was an abundance of support for the World Series in general, as you can tell from articles and video on the Waterbury Republican-American website, The Strike Zone. All games were played at the Municipal Stadium complex.
The Baseball Association of Wolcott showed its support for the home team after Sunday’s defeat. In fact, the organization beamed with pride.
“Awesome job by our Clemente Team in making it to The World Series Final,” read a post on Twitter. “We could not be prouder of how you represented Wolcott.”
It’s not the first time a Wolcott Clemente team has reached the World Series. As a matter of fact, it has been there three years in a row. There are a grand total of six Clemente World Series appearances to Wolcott’s credit. Wolcott has been there in 1997, 2006, 2007, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Dave Pelletier has had a long history of successful runs to the World Series with Wolcott Clemente teams in his 23 years as coach, and his impact is more than on the field. In 2016, he was chosen for the John Wentworth Good Sport Award, given out by the Connecticut Sports Writers Alliance. The award recognizes “those individuals who unselfishly devote their time and energy to the promotion of athletics in their communities,” according to the website. Pelletier received the honor at the 75th Gold Key Dinner in 2016.
The World Series is an exciting trip, and Wolcott has been there three years in a row. The journey never gets old.