MILFORD — It was a magical summer, even though it ended in a loss for Northampton Post 28.

Northampton lost 9-4 to Milford Post 59 at Fino Field Tuesday afternoon to fall out of the American Legion state baseball tournament.

“It was a magical season,” Northampton’s Ian Ostberg said. “I love every single one of these guys. I think we had an awesome run, to be able to play more baseball and come to this tournament.”

Ostberg went 5-for-5 for Northampton and pitched six innings of relief, giving up one earned run with eight strikeouts.

“Obviously we would have liked a better outcome,” Ostberg said. “But we are pretty happy with the season.”

Northampton finished 23-5 and advanced to the state tournament for the first time since 1996. It will go down as one of the best seasons ever for the club.

“They are a bunch of guys with really wonderful character and a ton of heart,” Northampton coach Chuck Holt said. “It's hard to even acknowledge that the season has come to an end.”

Ostberg will play at Quinnipiac next year and bypassed AAU and travel league opportunities to play summer baseball with friends he grew up with.

“A lot of guys in my position play high-level summer baseball and are down on legion,” Ostberg said. “I think there is no better preparation than legion. I think it teaches you to play team baseball. Coach Holt emphasizes that. It’s just gritty town ball. I wouldn’t have changed a single thing.”

Milford starter Alex Macek threw 112 pitches in six innings, giving up four runs on 12 hits and nine strikeouts.

Relief from Alex Confrade was effective, as he pitched 2⅔ innings and didn’t give up a run.

Milford’s Kyle Nocera pitched to one hitter and got Derek Zewinski swinging with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.

Northampton’s Will O’Connor was ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the sixth inning after a called third strike.

“I didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late,” Holt said. “The ump said he said one of the magic words when he was questioning a called strike three. There wasn’t a warning. He just threw him out.”

Had Northampton won and advanced, O’Connor would not have been available.

Milford took an early 3-0 lead off Northampton starter Zac Brittain in the top of the first. Aidan Wilde’s two-run double made it 2-0 before a sacrifice fly brought in another run.

Kevin Banas got Northampton on the board with a RBI single in the bottom of the first.

Brittain held Milford scoreless in the top of the second before Hector DeJesus’ RBI single made it 3-2.

Hamp took a brief lead in the third inning when Pat Grygorcewicz knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly followed by an RBI single by Zewinski made it 4-3 in the third.

Milford then knocked Brittain from the game with four straight hits in the top of the fourth. Ostberg entered the game and limited the damage to three runs to make it 6-4.

Michael Farrell had an RBI single in the fifth to make it 7-4.

Milford added two more runs in the ninth on a throwing error.

Milford 9, Northampton 4

Milford          300 310 002 — 9  14  3

Northampton     112 000 000 — 4  15  0

WP—Macek LP—Brittain S—Nocera

Records: Northampton (23-5)

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