Baseball Game Preview: Cromwell Panthers vs. Haddam-Killingworth Cougars

Cromwell hasn't had much luck against Haddam-Killingworth recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Panthers are taking a road trip to challenge the Cougars at 3:45 p.m. Cromwell's pitching crew has only allowed 3.6 runs per game this season, so Haddam-Killingworth's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Cromwell lost a heartbreaker the last time they played North Branford, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Monday's match. The Panthers put the hurt on the Thunderbirds with a sharp 10-3 win on Monday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Panthers considering their one-run performance the game before.

Tyler Bonelli

Runs

05/19/25 @ North Branford	2
05/16/25 vs Somers	2
04/21/25 vs Hale Ray	2
05/07/25 vs East Hampton	1
04/30/25 vs Portland	1
+ 5 more games

Jess Elfreich and Tyler Bonelli were major factors while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Elfreich tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Meanwhile, Bonelli struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit. Elfreich has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. At bat, Elfreich went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI, while Bonelli went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Bonelli has become a key player for Cromwell: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 5-8-1 otherwise.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sam Cleveland, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI. Ben Burdick also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.

Cromwell kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since the start of last season.

Meanwhile, Haddam-Killingworth had to endure a three-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They never let Portland get on the board and left with a 1-0 victory on Saturday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Cougars have posted since May 21, 2024.

Haddam-Killingworth's record is now 10-6. As for Cromwell, the victory got them back to even at 8-8-1.

Cromwell couldn't quite finish off Haddam-Killingworth in their previous meeting back in April and fell 3-1. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.